By By River Davis
TOKYO—Toyota Motor announced on Tuesday that it had temporarily halted operations at the majority of its factories in Japan due to a malfunction in its systems, causing difficulties in procuring necessary parts.
The carmaker had to shut down 12 out of its 14 factories initially, with the remaining two factories scheduled to suspend operations later in the day. However, no specific plans have been released regarding the situation on Wednesday and beyond.
It is not uncommon for automakers in Japan to pause their production lines in response to various issues such as natural disasters or challenges in obtaining components. Toyota, in particular, prioritizes caution and believes that promptly addressing problems as soon as they arise minimizes overall time wastage.
Last year, Toyota faced a cyber attack that disrupted operations at one of its suppliers, compelling the company to halt production at all of its plants in Japan temporarily. Fortunately, the shutdown only lasted for a single day. Furthermore, a few weeks later, Toyota had to suspend work at certain factories due to the impact of an earthquake.
In May, Toyota announced that improved semiconductor supplies allowed them to increase their output, finally meeting the demand after years of struggling with production capacity.
As of now, Toyota remains committed to its plan of producing 10.1 million vehicles by the end of the fiscal year in March. If achieved, this would mark an 11% increase in output compared to the previous year. Roughly a third of all Toyota vehicles are manufactured in Japan.
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