Toyota plant damaged in earthquakes.

[dutchie101]

Toyota Shuts Some Export Plants After Big Quake Hits Japan

TOKYO -- Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. have suspended production at plants in Japan today and were assessing damage after an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast, triggering a tsunami and shaking buildings violently as far away as Tokyo.

The shutdown could affect exports to the United States of such cars as the Toyota Yaris sedan, the Scion XB and Scion XD, as well as the Honda Fit small car.

Toyota, the world's largest carmaker, said it evacuated workers from several factories in the quake zone. Toyota has two parts plants in northern Japan and it has 2 affiliates, Kanto Auto Works, Ltd. and Central Motors Co., that assemble small cars in the region.

The immediate status of those plants was still being evaluated, Toyota spokesman Dion Corbett said. "We are still trying to get information from them," he said.

Widespread Damage

The quake struck at 2:46 p.m. local time off the coast of Sendai north of the capital, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The tremor also triggered a tsunami that flooded coastal areas. Television footage showed cars being washed down flood zones like toys and large capsized cargo ships tossed sideways and jumbled together and pushed inland.

Aftershocks, many strong, rocked the region for hours afterward.

Toyota is 1 of the few Japanese automakers with a large manufacturing presence in northern Japan, a region it wants to make a center for small car production. In January, its Central Motors subsidiary opened an new assembly plant just an hour's drive away from Sendai. That plant, with a capacity of 120,000 vehicles, makes the Yaris small car for export to the United States.

Toyota's Kanto Auto Works has another assembly plant in the neighboring prefecture of Iwate. That plant also makes small cars, including the Yaris sedan, the Scion XB and Scion XD for export. The Toyota parent company has two parts plants in the region as well.

"As for production from here out, we will make a decision after we get a handle on the situation," Corbett said, about when the northern plants would reopen.

Toyota plants near the company's headquarters in Toyota City, in central Japan, had resumed production as normal after brief shutdowns, Corbett said. There were no reports of injuries from those factories. Possible damage was still being assessed.

Honda and suppliers

Toyota was also confirming damage at its suppliers. Toyota Boshoku Corp. and Denso Corp., 2 of Toyota’s biggest parts makers, both reportedly suffered some plant damage.

Honda shut down 2 assembly plants immediately after the temblor, spokesman Keitaro Yamamoto said. Honda’s Suzuka plant in central Japan soon resumed production.

But the company’s Sayama plant, north of Tokyo and closer to the epicenter, remained shut down by late Friday evening. Yamamoto said Honda headquarters was having difficulty contacting its plants. The U.S.-bound Fit is among the cars produced at Sayama.

Yamamoto said the company was unsure when production would resume there.

At Honda’s r&d center in Tochigi prefecture, 1 person died and 30 were injured when the quake toppled a wall at the facility’s cafeteria. No other injuries were reported.

[Branno]

OMG, that is diasterous!

I feel sorry for all of the people there, like, how will they get their Yaris's?

But on a serious note, Its a horible disaster which mother nature shows its true force,

I feel for all of those thousands of people who have died in this disaster.

[Ronnyboy]

My thoughts go to all those people who are impacted by the earth quake in Japan...

[johnnieboi]

Sad news indeed...

[White Lightning]

this better not make toyotas more expensive dammit! lol...

[Defyant]

this better not make toyotas more expensive dammit! lol...

It might! specially some spare parts.... much like trying buy bannanas atm..... or even get this! went to bunning last week to buy a 1xltr can of white paint and was told told none in stock due to the floods in qld, appar it's not production but the extreme drain on supply as everyone repaints their houses.

So as the thousands and thousands of cars need new parts i'm sure we will see a drain of supply of genuine parts downunder and of course a possible cost hike :(

[EononCarDVD]

So sorry to hear that, hope the earth will become much more peaceful!

[Adamsy]

Hey guys, don’t stress this disaster won’t affect parts availability or price in Australia. Very shortly dealers here will be moving to new parts system and in readiness for this TMCA will be holding a much larger stock holding of parts. So stock shortages isn’t going to be an issue any time soon.

on the flip side a little later on this year i will be making a trip to Toyota in Japan so this has hit home pretty hard and even though we will mainly be based in the south I’m still not sure what to expect :S

[YinG]

Ooohhhhhhhh nooooo this cannot be happening now.... My friend car hasn't been shIp here yet :( the Yaris sedan that is. Question is will the car be ship here or still no words? Sigh this is really sad :( I hope that my friend car is on the ship and heading here, coz we waited for nearly three months for it

Edited March 15, 2011 by YinG

[White Lightning]

this better not make toyotas more expensive dammit! lol...

It might! specially some spare parts.... much like trying buy bannanas atm..... or even get this! went to bunning last week to buy a 1xltr can of white paint and was told told none in stock due to the floods in qld, appar it's not production but the extreme drain on supply as everyone repaints their houses.

So as the thousands and thousands of cars need new parts i'm sure we will see a drain of supply of genuine parts downunder and of course a possible cost hike :(

thats all well and good but I don't use bananas to fix my car lol... :P

[Ronnyboy]

I think i heard on the news that Japan may have another earthquake..............

[eviltwin]

bugger the cars i hope the blokes that create them are alright and everyone else... :(