Toyota Idles Output On Some Lines In Japan After Blast At Supplier Plant

The Japanese automaker said it had cancelled a shift on some production lines at its Takaoka vehicle assembly plant in Aichi Prefecture, while production lines were also stopped at plants operated by group companies Toyota Auto Body and Toyota Industries Corp.

It was not immediately clear which nameplates were involved in the shutdowns.

The stoppages were prompted by an explosion early on Monday at a plant operated by Aisin Advics Co. in Aichi Prefecture. The company specializes in braking systems and is a major supplier to Toyota.

Four people were sent to the hospital and one person was seriously injured, a local fire department official said. The explosion occurred at 12:05 p.m. local time on Monday near the painting line for brakes at Advics’s Kariya plant and the extent of damage is being checked, the supplier said in a statement.

Toyota also said production on some lines at other factories including its Motomachi plant, along with plants operated by Daihatsu Motor Co. and Toyota Kyushu, would also be stopped on Wednesday.

"We hope to have production up and running in the next day or two," a Toyota spokesman said.

Aisin Advics is majority owned by Aisin Seiki Co., a Toyota group supplier. It operates two assembly plants in central Japan and manufactures globally.

Toyota has suffered production delays this year due to supply chain disruptions caused by damage to a plant operated by an Aisin Seiki subsidiary following earthquakes in southern Japan, and a fire at a steel plant owned by Aichi Steel Corp., another major supplier.