Vehicle production this week in the U.S., Canada and Mexico is expected to hit an estimated 334,887 units, down 2.4 percent from the 343,219 cars and trucks built last week.

Including this week's estimates, calendar year North American output now totals 10,614,494 vehicles, down 0.9 percent from like-2004's pace.

In the U.S., automakers are expected to produce 244,873 vehicles this week, down 4.1 percent from the 255,470 cars and trucks built last week. To date, calendar 2005 U.S. vehicle output totals an estimated 7,896,147 units, down 0.4 percent compared to the 7,925,821 vehicles built in like-2004.

This week's Canadian vehicle production is estimated at 57,489, an increase of 5.7 percent from the 54,402 units assembled last week. Estimated calendar-2005 Canadian vehicle production now stands at 1,698,601 units, down 4.6 percent compared to the 1,780,774 vehicles produced in like-2004.

Of the cars and trucks slated for production this week in the U.S., General Motors Corp. accounted for 29.8 percent; Ford Motor Co., 20.8 percent; Chrysler of DaimlerChrysler, 14.1 percent; Honda of America Mfg. Inc., 7.8 percent; Toyota Motor Mfg. Inc., 7.2 percent; Nissan Motor Mfg. Corp., 6.7 percent; New United Motor Mfg. Inc., 3.3 percent; AutoAlliance International Inc., 2.6 percent; Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc., 1.1 percent; BMW of North America Inc., 1.1 percent; Mitsubishi Motor Mfg. of America Inc., 0.8 percent; Mercedes-Benz U.S. of DaimlerChrysler, 0.9 percent; and other manufacturers, 3.8 percent.