Toyota suspends production at multiple local plants
Toyota Industries President Koichi Ito (second left) and others bow their heads at the beginning of a press conference in Tokyo on January 29, 2024.
Japanese auto giant Toyota Motor Corp said on Tuesday it has temporarily halted operations on six production lines across four vehicle plants in Japan until Thursday.
The decision came in the wake of recent revelations about fraudulent engine tests conducted by its affiliate Toyota Industries Corp.
The automaker, which brought operations at the four plants to a standstill on Monday evening, aims to resume production after receiving confirmation from the transport ministry that Toyota's vehicle engines meet required regulatory standards.
The affected plants, all situated in central Japan, include Toyota Auto Body Co's Yoshiwara, Inabe and Fujimatsu plants, as well as Gifu Auto Body Co's headquarters plant.
The suspension not only impacts models subject to shipment halts due to the scandal, such as the Land Cruiser SUV, but also affects other models not initially subject to such measures, including the widely popular Alphard minivan.
On Tuesday, Japan's transport ministry inspected a Toyota Industries Corp factory in central Japan, a day after the company admitted to rigging engine power data resulting in a partial halt of shipments from Toyota Motor.
The ministry is expected to determine the severity of administrative punishment it will impose on Toyota Industries, such as an operation correction order and the revocation of certifications needed for mass production.
On Monday, Toyota Motor disclosed its decision to suspend shipments of 10 vehicle models, including the Land Cruiser, in response to Toyota Industries' deceptive performance tests for three types of automobile engines supplied to Toyota Motor. Out of the 10 models, six are intended for the domestic market.
Also on Tuesday, the auto giant announced it sold record 11.23 million vehicles globally last year, maintaining its global lead for the fourth straight year.
The annual sales, including models produced by the group's scandal-hit mini-vehicle maker Daihatsu Motor Co and truck manufacturer Hino Motors Ltd, went up 7.2 percent from a year earlier.
