Tokyo, Japan - Toyota is about to stop vehicle production temporarily in its home market due to a parts shortage following an explosion at a supplier.
It said on Monday assembly lines in Japan would go quiet for a week from 8 February because of a lack of components from affiliate Aichi Steel.
Overseas production would not be affected, it said.
“Operations are scheduled to recommence on February 15, and vehicle production on lines outside Japan will not be suspended,” the company said.
“Toyota will continue to take any measures necessary to minimise the impact of this incident on vehicle production.”
Toyota ends new factory freeze
Toyota said it might have to have parts made on alternate production lines operated by Aichi and also could procure components from other steelmakers to meet its needs.
Aichi Steel, which produces speciality steel products, among other items, was hit by an explosion on 8 January that badly damaged parts of its production site, and it’s not expected to return to full operation until sometime in March.
Toyota doesn’t usually disclose daily production plans, but has said that built an average of 14 000 vehicles a day in 2015. It made more than four million cars in Japan alone, and over 10 million worldwide.
AFP