Toyota will resume Japanese production of the RAV4 on March 13, as reported by Automotive News. The restart comes days after an explosion at a parts supplier factory on March 6 left one dead and two injured. AN also reports that while Toyota said it’s unsure how the pause will affect overall production numbers, the automaker plans to recoup any lost output.
Toyota has paused production at a number of factories in Japan following an explosion that killed one person and injured two others at a parts supplier. According to a report by Automotive News, the RAV4 and the Harrier (previously sold in the United States as the Venza) are the products most affected by the stoppage.
Specifically, Toyota has temporarily halted manufacturing on three lines at two production facilities through March 11. According to the AN report, the halt impacts one of two lines at Toyota’s Takaoka assembly plant and two lines at Toyota Industries’ Nagakusa factory. Production on a line at Daihatsu’s Kyoto plant has also been paused.
The pause in production could have an impact on RAV4 models bound for North America. AN reports that approximately 21 percent of the 475,193 RAV4s Toyota sold in the U.S. last year were imported from Japan.
Toyota confirmed to Car and Driver that the RAV4 is the only U.S.-bound model with the potential for disruption but said it is too early to know if imports will be impacted. The company is planning to reassess operations on March 11. We will update this story as we learn more.
