Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has decided to continue the vehicle-production halt started on March 14 at all plants in Japan, including subsidiary vehicle manufacturers, through March 22. Originally Toyota and other major Japanese automakers had said some shut downs would be for a couple of days.
Production of parts for overseas factories will resume on March 21. A decision on when vehicle production will resume in Japan has yet to be made.
In a statement this morning the world’s largest automaker said it continued to place priority on “supporting the relief efforts in the regions affected and ensuring that our team members, the employees at subsidiary vehicle manufacturers and at our suppliers—and all their respective family members—are safe.”
Toyota will resume production of replacement parts for vehicles already on the market beginning March 17.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
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Toyota Statement Regarding Status of North American Production:
NEW YORK, NY (March 23, 2011; Posted at 6:30 PM EDT) We continue to assess our supply base in Japan following the earthquake/tsunami. Today, we communicated to team members, associates and dealers here that some production interruptions in North America are likely. It’s too early to predict location or duration.
Currently, the greatest majority of parts for our North America-built vehicles come from approximately 500 suppliers in North America. Also, we continue to receive parts from Japan that were already in the pipeline, limiting the immediate impact. We will continue to work closely with suppliers in North America and Japan to minimize any disruptions to Toyota’s overall North American operations.
Dealerships continue to have an ample supply of vehicles, our ships continue to deliver vehicles to North America, and we are doing all we can to ensure our dealers have products available for customers.
Updated Toyota Statement Regarding Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan
NEW YORK, NY (March 22, 2011; Posted at 7:00 AM EDT) Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has decided to continue the vehicle-production halt started on March 14 at all plants in Japan (including subsidiary vehicle manufacturers) through March 26. A decision on when vehicle production will resume in Japan has yet to be made.
Meanwhile, TMC parts plants in Japan resumed production of replacement parts for vehicles already on the market on March 17 and resumed the production of parts for overseas production on March 21.
Regarding Toyota’s North American operations, so far the impact remains limited. All 13 North American vehicle and engine plants are running normally, although overtime has been curtailed to conserve parts that come from suppliers in Japan. Regarding dealerships in the U.S., inventories remain generally good.
Updated Toyota Statement Regarding Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan
NEW YORK, NY (March 16, 2011; Posted at 3:15 PM EDT) Regarding Toyota’s North American operations, so far the impact is limited. All 13 North American vehicle and engine plants are running normally, although overtime has been curtailed for now to assure we maintain adequate inventories of parts that come from Japan. In addition, since most parts and materials for Toyota’s North American-built vehicles are provided by suppliers in North America, this helps insulate Toyota’s North American plants from production interruptions in Japan.
Regarding dealerships in the US, inventories are good with adequate levels of supply. Toyota now makes 12 different models in North America, including high-volume vehicles such as Camry, Corolla, RAV4, and Lexus RX 350, and nearly 70 percent of all Toyota and Lexus vehicles sold in the U.S. are made in North America. Prius vehicles are built in Japan, and thus impacted more by the production halt there. But for now inventory levels of the Prius at U.S. dealerships are generally still adequate.
Regarding battery production in Japan, while future production plans are to be determined, only one of three hybrid battery plants in Japan sustained limited damage from the earthquake. The other two plants are located in central Japan and were not affected. The company is making every effort to minimize any long-term impact on Prius availability.