Ford (F), GM (GM), Toyota (TM) Challenged by Parts Shortage

It'll be at least several months of off-and-on part shortages the major auto makers like Ford (NYSE:F), GM (NYSE:GM) and Toyota (NYSE:TM) will have to endure, adding to an already tough parts supply situation they've experienced over the last year or so.

While the shortages are expected to be sporadic and unpredictable, when added to prior shortages, it could be a significant factor in some of the models sold by the auto makers, especially those that are moving slower.

The thought is the companies will probably focus their parts strategy on faster moving vehicles and only the parts left over after that will be applied to other models.

Production for top models shouldn't be impacted by the parts shortage, but expectations are it will definitely affect the margins of the companies for the duration of the shortage.

Ford Motor closed Tuesday at $14.34, falling $0.25, or 1.71 percent. General Motors closed at $30.74, dropping $0.54, or 1.73 percent. Toyota Motors ended the session at $83.00, down $0.75, or 0.90 percent.