by Brad Anderson
- GM will pause Flint plant production from December 24 to January 26.
- Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD builds will be affected.
- Bowling Green’s Corvette plant also faces an unusually long pause.
General Motors will temporarily shut down its Flint Assembly plant in Michigan for over a month during the Christmas and New Year holiday period, but the reason isn’t what you might expect. Rather than responding to a drop in demand, the automaker is preparing for substantial work at the facility.
The Flint Assembly site currently handles production of the Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD. The plant will be taken offline on December 24, and production will be halted until January 26, 2026.
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It’s normal for this plant to have an extended break over the holiday season, but typically it doesn’t last quite this long.
Why the Downtime?
In a statement provided to GM Authority, the company said, “Flint Assembly will take extended holiday downtime to complete planned maintenance and project work.” While that sounds straightforward enough, GM didn’t elaborate on what the so-called “project work” involves.
One possibility is preparation for the introduction of GM’s Gen 6 small block V8 engine, which is expected to launch with the 2027 model year. That would align with the timing, though for now it remains speculation.
Bowling Green Pause
This isn’t the only GM plant being closed for an extended period. The carmaker has also confirmed that the Bowling Green site in Kentucky, home to the Chevrolet Corvette, was idled on Monday this week and won’t reopen until January 12. Typically, this site is only closed for two weeks towards the end of the year, not four weeks.
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In this case, the break is likely being taken to avoid swollen inventories. As you’d imagine, sales of sports cars like the Corvette typically slow down during the winter months, so it doesn’t make sense to keep building them out when very few are selling. A recent report indicates there are 46 2024 models, 1,417 2025 models, and 4,981 2026 models in inventory available across the US.