Toyota Motor Corporation plans a full restart of its Japanese production lines starting October 26, after a disruption caused by an explosion at a supplier facility. This update comes from Kyodo News, which reported on the timeline and the scale of the restart plan.
The blast occurred on October 16 at the Chuo Spring factory, located in Toyota City within Aichi Prefecture. The incident halted parts supply and led Toyota to suspend operations across several plants. In response, Toyota temporarily shut down 13 assembly lines across eight of its 14 domestic plants to prevent cascading downtime as parts from the supplier’s line became unavailable.
Chuo Spring’s factory is a key supplier for suspension springs used in several Toyota models. The interruption affected production of vehicles including the RAV4 and Land Cruiser SUVs as well as standard assembly lines that rely on these critical components. On October 21, Chuo Spring announced that it had resumed some operations after repairing equipment, which enabled Toyota to outline a staged restart plan. Five Toyota factories in central Japan were set to resume operations on the following Tuesday, with the remaining plant expected to come back online by Thursday.
Historically, Toyota’s manufacturing network in Japan has faced multiple disturbances. In March last year, production at all 14 plants came to a halt when a supplier encountered a cyber attack, underscoring the vulnerability of global supply chains. Earlier this year, a glitch in the parts ordering system caused another temporary suspension, illustrating the ongoing challenge of synchronizing procurement, inventory management, and production scheduling across a large, geographically dispersed supplier base.
These disruptions come at a time when automakers globally are reinforcing resilience in their supply chains, exploring alternatives such as dual sourcing, increased buffer stocks, and more frequent scenario planning. The incident at Chuo Spring highlights the industry-wide emphasis on risk management and rapid recovery protocols to minimize downtime and preserve output targets. As Toyota moves through the restart phases, observers are watching how smoothly the central and regional plants will coordinate, given the interdependencies of shared components and assembly workflows across model lines.
Reports indicate that production across Toyota’s Japanese factories is expected to return to near-normal levels as of the late October period, with the company aiming to stabilize output while maintaining stringent quality controls. The restart sequence reflects a careful balance between restoring throughput and ensuring that any residual supply risks are mitigated through steady communications with suppliers and contingency planning. This approach aligns with broader industry efforts to strengthen supplier relationships and improve visibility across the end-to-end manufacturing chain.
In related industry news, there have been wider discussions about manufacturing strategies in the region, including how other automakers are adjusting to similar disruptions and implementing more robust supplier risk assessments. Observers expect continued investments in digital tools for production scheduling, inventory tracking, and supplier performance monitoring to reduce the likelihood of future shocks to output.
Overall, Toyota’s experience underscores the realities of modern auto production. Even with advanced manufacturing systems, events at a single supplier can ripple across multiple plants. The company’s measured restart plan demonstrates a commitment to maintaining product availability while safeguarding the integrity of its assembly lines and the broader market demand in Japan and beyond.
At this time, no further details are provided about additional supplier contingencies or potential expansions in the supplier network. Industry analysts will be monitoring the coming weeks to assess how quickly production returns to previous levels and how the company adapts to ongoing supply chain pressures. Attribution: Kyodo News.