Toyota is halting production at two Aichi plants due to an explosion and fire at Chuo Spring. The suspension affects three lines, with the resumption date yet to be determined. This follows a similar incident in October 2023, which previously impacted multiple lines across several plants.
Toyota has announced the suspension of production on three lines at its two plants located in Aichi Prefecture starting Monday. This measure is a result of an explosion and subsequent fire at a facility belonging to Chuo Spring, an affiliate of Toyota, which occurred on Thursday. The automaker will assess the situation and make a decision on the resumption of operations around noon on Monday.
The affected production lines include one at the Takaoka plant in the city of Toyota, responsible for manufacturing the RAV4 and Harrier SUVs, as well as two lines at the Nagakusa plant operated by Toyota Industries in Obu, which also produces the RAV4. Following the explosion on Thursday, Chuo Spring had to halt two of the seven production lines at its Fujioka plant in Toyota, which specializes in producing springs for vehicle suspensions; it remains unclear when these lines will restart.
It is worth noting that the Fujioka plant had previously experienced an explosion and fire incident in October 2023, which led to Toyota temporarily suspending 13 production lines across eight of its plants. The impact of such incidents raises significant concerns regarding operational continuity and production efficiency within the company.
In summary, Toyota has suspended production at two of its Aichi Prefecture plants due to an explosion and fire at Chuo Spring’s facility. This suspension affects production lines for key models such as the RAV4 and Harrier. The company will determine when to resume operations following the incident. Such disruptions not only affect the immediate production but also raise alarms about potential future operational challenges.
Original Source: www.japantimes.co.jp
