auto manufacturers

UAW delegates will gather next week in Detroit, as the union works out a strategy to negotiate with domestic automakers for a new four-year contract. The current pact expires in September, and with auto sales rebounding the UAW is eager to win back some concessions.

The Japanese automaker has extended its halt on vehicle production at its plants in Japan through March 22, as the country continues to reel from the devastation of last week's massive 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami.

Toyota, Nissan and Honda, among other companies, have shut down plants temporarily in Japan in the wake of Friday's earthquake and tsunami. While many of their factories were undamaged, crippled nuclear plants are causing power shortages, and there has been damage to parts makers and transportation infrastructure.

Three top automakers are recalling vehicles for items ranging from steering problems to stalling engines to faulty tire-pressure monitoring systems. The largest involves 35,000 Honda Civic hybrid models to fix electrical components that could cause headlights to shut off or the engine to stall.

Last week's fire at auto parts supplier Magna International continues to echo through General Motors' supply chain. The automaker shut down the Lordstown plant where it makes the Chevy Cruze for another day Monday. Five other GM plants have also seen shortened and canceled shifts.

Mazda Motors posted a quarterly loss for October through December, down from a profit for the same period last year. The loss comes in spite of slightly higher revenue. The stronger yen and weak demand cut into the company's income.

Ford said Friday it plans to offer permanent positions to 500 temporary workers at a plant in Saarlouis, Germany, that will build the next-generation Focus compact car, which begins production next month. The plant will be the only supplier of the new Focus model to Western Europe.

Stock in Ford hit levels not seen since the summer of 2004 Thursday, a day after the Dearborn, Mich., automaker reported solid sales for the month of October. The stock rose as much as 4.3% to $15.83 a share in morning trading on Wall Street.

General Motors unveiled plans Thursday to build a new compact Buick sedan at an idled plant in Michigan that once built Pontiacs. The automaker will invest $145 million to retool the Orion Assembly plant, which will build the new Buick Verano sedan as well as a yet-unnamed small Chevrolet car, GM said during a press briefing at the plant, about 40 miles north of Detroit.

When a General Motors plant in Wilmington, Del. shut down this July, it left 550 people out of work. But the city isn't mourning the loss of Big Auto so much anymore because Very Little Electric Auto is taking its place. Fisker, maker of small plug-in hybrid cars, announced Tuesday it was buying...