Toyota has suspended 14 production lines at nine of its plants in Japan due to potential parts shortages following an explosion at one of its brake parts suppliers earlier this week. The nine plants are located across Aichi Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, Osaka Prefecture and Fukuoka Prefecture, according to a news report by Xinhua News Agency. The explosion occurred at Aisin Seiki-owned auto parts supplier Advics's Kariya plant, which is located in central Japan's Aichi prefecture near one of the plant's painting lines,.
Significance: Advics is a subsidiary of Aisin Seiki, a Toyota group supplier, and operates two production plants in central Japan, located in Kariya and Handa. It is one of the major suppliers to Toyota, making braking systems such as disc brakes, drum brakes, brake boosters, master cylinders, anti-lock braking systems (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC) systems. Although none of the parties has indicated when production will be resumed, it is not likely to take long as Advics has other manufacturing plants in the region. This is the third time Toyota has faced production delays this year. The automaker faced challenges on account of supply-chain disruptions caused by damage to a plant operated by an Aisin Seiki subsidiary following earthquakes in southern Japan, and a fire at a steel plant owned by Aichi Steel, another major supplier of the Japanese automaker.
