Toyota Motor Corp. said Monday it will suspend production at all assembly plants in Japan next week in the wake of a steel factory explosion, dealing a blow to the supply of crucial models including the new Prius hybrid.
All domestic assembly lines will halt Feb. 8 through Feb. 13, Toyota said in a statement. The company counts on Japan for more than 40 percent of vehicle production, including all assembly of the Prius and some Lexus models including the NX crossover.
Toyota's Japan shutdown springs from the Jan. 8 explosion at Aichi Steel Corp.'s Chita plant, which supplies specialty steel for engine, transmission and chassis components. The automaker's lost output underscores the fragility of its supply chain, which was disrupted by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
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