Toyota production affected

Toyota has extended its production halt on the RAV4 and Harrier after an explosion at a parts maker in Japan killed a worker before impacting on its domestic supply chain.

The incident at Chuo Spring Co in Toyota City on March 6 also injured two workers. At the same factory in 2023, an explosion forced Toyota to stop 13 lines at eight factories.

After suspending morning shifts at two factories on March 10, Toyota extended the shutdown at affected lines through that afternoon and for March 11’s first shift. A Daihatsu plant supplying Toyota was added to the operations offline.

The halt affects one of two lines at its Takaoka assembly plant, which makes the RAV4, pictured, and Harrier. Also impacted are two lines at Toyota’s Nagakusa factory, which assembles the crossover. 

One line at Daihatsu’s Kyoto plant is also down. It makes the Probox, a sub-compact commercial wagon supplied for the domestic market. Separately, Daihatsu shut its Shiga plant where it makes the Tanto minicar among other models.

“Safety is Toyota’s top priority,” says company spokesman Jean-Yves Jault. “Safety investigations are currently under way at the Chuo Spring site.” 

Toyota reports it’s too soon to predict a possible impact on overall production numbers and it will look to recover any lost output.