Toyota Pauses Production at 9 Plants Following Weekend Earthquake
Japan was struck by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake over the weekend. The Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures were hit the hardest, offering a physical reminder of the 9.0 magnitude quake that devastated the region in 2011. Scientists have claimed that Saturday’s tremor was actually an aftershock from the horror show that occurred a decade earlier.
While still a large systemic event, authorities aren’t reporting widespread injuries or even damages. However, many citizens were left without power and numerous industrial facilities were idled for inspection. This includes automakers, with Toyota making an announcement that it will be stalling nine factories for several days this week. Though only some of that time is needed for safety assessments. The automaker is fretting over a batch of suppliers that were impacted by the quake and is anticipating a parts shortage.
Models most likely to be affected are the domestically manufactured Toyota C-HR and highly popular RAV4. Lexus models will also see diminished output across the board. Toyota has not yet issued any projections for unit losses, though they’re likely to be substantial when added to production delays caused by the semiconductor shortage. Lines are expected to resume operations starting on February 20th, supply chain permitting.
[Image: Toyota]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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Japan's tectonic woes are like a James Bond martini...shaken not stirred.
Natural disasters come in all sizes. If you are like me and your gutters are currently full of ice and your roof is full of snow, and you live in a place where this doesn't normally occur [and therefore your home has no ice dam membrane at the eaves], now is the time to do a little research and save yourself some heartache: https://extension.umn.edu/protecting-home-rain-and-ice/dealing-and-preventing-ice-dams https://www.jlconline.com/how-to/roofing/ice-dam-membrane-at-eaves_o Ice dams: You can learn about them now or you can learn about them later. (How much do you enjoy drywall work?)