Tokyo

Combined automobile output in Japan by eight major domestic makers in November fell 9.1 percent from a year earlier to 767,453 units, data from the companies showed Wednesday.

The drop for the second consecutive month mainly reflects poor new automobile sales after the Oct. 1 consumption tax hike.

Output declined at seven companies. Subaru Corp., however, enjoyed growth for the first time in four months.

By maker, production at Honda Motor Co. plummeted 38.7 percent to 52,928 units, also because it kept refraining from making the popular N-WGN mini-vehicle due to an electric parking brake flaw.

Nissan Motor Co. saw a lack of new models push down output by 17.8 percent to 65,092 units. Toyota Motor Corp.’s production fell 4.4 percent to 275,440 units.

Meanwhile, Subaru boosted output by 13.5 percent to 63,711 units, after curbing it the year earlier for the problem of improper vehicle inspections.

The data also showed that the eight automakers' combined overseas production dropped 8.5 percent to 1,603,030 units.

Jiji Press