"We told team members that production interruption is likely, but we don't know how much, where or for how long," said Toyota US spokesman Mike Goss.

"For now we continue to build vehicles in North America," he added.

Toyota has already stopped assembly in Japan because of a shortage of necessary parts, with supply chains hit by a huge earthquake and tsunami, and subsequent power outages.

The firm announced Tuesday that the resumption of car production in Japan would be delayed until after March 26.

The automaker lacks parts such as electronics devices and rubber and resin products.

Edmunds.com analyst Michelle Krebs said the US production bottleneck is unlikely to be limited to Toyota and could spell higher prices for customers.

"These shutdowns likely are just the beginning," she said, adding that companies are still figuring out who supplies each and every part.

"The shortage of any one could shut down an assembly line."

"Toyota isn't the only one vulnerable; virtually all major automakers have some risks," she said.

While demand for new cars has held steady, "We can be sure new car prices will go up as inventory thins out," Krebs said.

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