Toyota will halt almost all production at its assembly plants in Japan amid recent earthquakes, the automaker announced this week.
Because of parts shortages caused by the quakes, Toyota will phase in the suspensions starting on April 18. By April 23, more than 10 plants will be affected. Toyota hasn’t specified when it will resume production at these factories, as that decision has yet to be made. Only three of Toyota’s operations in Japan will remain running, including a Daihatsu plant, one line at a Hino truck plant, and a line that makes low-volume Century limousines.
The stoppage affects just about every model Toyota exports to the U.S. This includes the Toyota Mirai and Prius, as well as the Lexus ES, LS, IS, RC, CT, and GS. That’s not to mention production of several SUVs, including the Toyota RAV4, 4Runner, and Land Cruiser; and Lexus RX, NX, GX, and LX.
This is the second time this year that Toyota has cut operations in Japan due to a parts shortage. Earlier this year, the automaker idled production in Japan after an explosion at a steel factory that hurt the supply of steel.
A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s island of Kyushu on April 14. A second quake followed on Saturday, reaching an even stronger 7.0 magnitude. The quakes have caused other automakers to cut production; Nissan and Mitsubishi have both reported interruptions. Mazda and Subaru are still assessing the effect of the quakes on their supply chains, although Subaru doesn’t expect any stoppages.
Source: Toyota, Automotive News (Subscription required)
The post Toyota Suspends Production in Japan Amid Recent Earthquakes appeared first on Motor Trend.
Agya Club Indonesia
