As part of the continuing fallout from the Japanese earthquake, both Ford and Nissan have announced changes to production at some of their major plants

Ford has announced that it will be halting production at its Louisville, Kentucky, manufacturing plant, which primarily builds "Super Duty" pickup trucks, as well as the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. The automaker said it was partially tied to supply chain issues due to the earthquake in Japan, but it declined to state which parts it was waiting on. A sales analyst for Ford told Reuters that the decision wasn't solely tied to the disaster, however. With rising gas prices, large SUVs and pickup trucks are in less demand and Ford anticipates that it won't need as many as originally thought.

Nissan, meanwhile, is addressing the issue by adjusting its schedule. The automaker assigns "non-production" days to factories every year. Rather than take those days later on in the year, they have been moved into the present. This way, Nissan can make up the production at a later date if need be.

With less new vehicles out on the market, demand could spike in the coming month. Fortunately, the used car market is unaffected by these developments, so those who shop New Jersey State Auto Auction will still be able to find great deals as always.