Following an earthquake early on Thursday morning, Toyota will suspend production in most of its Japanese facilities. While no damage has been done to Toyota’s plants, indefinite power loss in some supplier plants has caused a shortage of automotive components. More than a million homes and businesses in Hokkaido remain without power after the quake knocked out electricity for the whole island. Among those is included Toyota Motor Hokkaido, a subsidiary plant tasked with building engine and transmission components.
Some factories, including Kyushu, Tahara, and Toyota City, were temporarily idled today. All additional Toyota and Lexus plants will be closed for two shifts on Monday to allow the company to assess the situation. A spokesman for Toyota North America told Automotive News on Friday that they did not expect the production halt to have much impact on operations here in the U.S.
It isn’t just Toyota feeling the crippling effects here, as the entirety of the Japanese economy will feel this pinch for months to come. Not to mention, the quake killed more than a dozen people. The economic toll and loss of life won’t be forgotten, but the Japanese automaker will likely rebound quickly.
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