Toyota halts more than just RAV4 production following deadly Fujioka plant explosion
Toyota shut down its RAV4 production in Aichi following a deadly dust collector blast that killed an employee. Still, even though the blast happened at the Fujioka plant, the aftermath forced the brand to shut down three production lines across two factories. It also prompted the brand to stop RAV4s from rolling off the line until the company can reassess the situation.
A parts supplier plant explosion killed a worker and led to Toyota shutting down production of the best-selling RAV4
An explosion rocked a parts supplier’s factory in Toyota City, Japan on March 6. The blast forced the global automaking titan to temporarily halt production of its wildly popular best-seller, the RAV4.
Tragically, the blast also claimed the life of a worker at the majority Toyota-owned plant. According to The Japan Times, a dust collector caused the explosion at the Aichi Prefecture plant. Troublingly, it’s the second blast at the plant in under two years. Like the previous explosion, the latest blast hampered production, most notably of the RAV4 SUV.
It’s a sizable hit for the brand. After all, the RAV4 is a big-time best seller for the automaker. In the United States, the RAV4 is the best-selling SUV on the market. Its sales figures are challenging the likes of popular full-size pickup trucks for their sales crowns. The RAV4 is just that popular.
However, the event isn’t likely to have as large of an impact on US-market RAV4s as it will elsewhere. Nearly 80% of RAV4s sold in America last year were built in North America, with most RAV4 Hybrids rolling off the line at TMMK in Georgetown, Kentucky. Of course, automotive manufacturing is a global process in 2025, and Toyota already confirmed that the RAV4’s US deliveries may be impacted.
The Fujioka plant explosion has prompted the shut down of three assembly lines at two facilities and a line at a Daihatsu plant
Toyota owns a majority share of the Fujioka plant, and the production efforts of the facility are vital for the automaker. As a result, the explosion caused Toyota to shut down production on one of its lines at the Takaoka plant, another assembly plant in the Aichi Prefecture.
Additionally, the Japanese automaker resorted to halting production at two lines of its Nagakusa plant in Obu, a RAV4 production spot. Finally, the blast forced Daihatsu, another Japanese vehicle manufacturer, to shut down operations at its Kyoto plant. Daihatsu produces nearly a quarter of a million vehicles per year as of 2022. As of now, Toyota says it will reevaluate its operations at the affected plants today.
