Toyota Motor Co., Japan’s leading automotive manufacturer, has been forced to suspend operations at several production lines in two of its assembly plants in Japan due to an accident that occurred at the Chuo Spring factory, one of Toyota’s key suppliers.
A spokesperson from Toyota Motor revealed that the accident transpired at the Chuo Spring plant, a crucial manufacturer of engines and valve springs employed in various Toyota vehicles. The ripple effect of this incident extended beyond Chuo Spring, impacting production within the Toyota Group. Notably, companies such as Toyota Auto Body Company and Toyota Industries were compelled to suspend their operations as well.
According to a Chuo Spring spokesperson, the mishap was a result of an explosion that took place within a factory building located in Fujioka City at approximately 12:15 local time on Monday, October 16. This explosion resulted in significant damage to the factory, prompting both the police and fire department to launch investigations into the incident.
The repercussions of this disruption were felt across multiple fronts. The Nikkei Asia news agency reported that three plants under Toyota Auto Body Co. had to halt production on five different production lines. These shutdowns directly affected the manufacturing of popular vehicles such as the Toyota Alfa and certain Land Cruiser models, including those intended for export abroad.
Toyota Motor’s spokesperson affirmed that the company is currently assessing the situation and intends to make a decision on October 17 regarding whether normal production will resume on October 18.
This unfortunate incident follows a previous disruption in August when Toyota had to suspend production at 14 of its plants in Japan due to a system outage.
In response to these developments, Toyota’s shares experienced a 0.6% increase, trading at 2,676 yen in morning trading. The company remains vigilant as it navigates these challenges to ensure the smooth operation of its manufacturing facilities and to meet the demands of its global customer base.