WionDrive News Desk 
Toyota Motor, the world’s leading automaker, is set to restart its assembly plants in Japan after a production system malfunction brought its domestic output to a standstill.
Plant Resumption and Glitch Investigation
Toyota will gradually resume operations at 25 production lines across twelve plants in its home market. The company aims to restore full production capacity following an investigation into the glitch that halted production. The automaker clarified that the malfunction was not a result of a cyberattack and prevented it from ordering essential components.
Significant Production Impact
The affected plants represent approximately one-third of Toyota’s global production capacity. Analysts noted the challenge Toyota faces in compensating for the production losses during the outage, considering their operations were already running at maximum capacity.
Rebound in Domestic Production
Toyota’s domestic production had been steadily recovering from semiconductor shortages, which led to a series of output cuts. The first half of the year saw a remarkable 29% increase in output, marking the first such rise in two years. During this period, the average daily Japan output stood at around 13,500 vehicles, excluding vehicles produced by affiliated automakers Daihatsu and Hino.
Operational Setbacks and Resilience
This is not the first time Toyota has faced operational disruptions. In the past, a cyberattack on a supplier halted operations temporarily, causing challenges in parts ordering. The company had to utilize a backup network to resume operations.
Supply Chain Complexity
Toyota’s just-in-time inventory management strategy, designed to control costs, can expose production to risks when supply chain issues arise.
Market Reaction and Outlook
Toyota’s share price experienced a minor dip, closing down 0.21% at 2,431.5 yen. The incident underlines the potential vulnerabilities faced by even the most established companies due to technical malfunctions.
While the cause of the recent malfunction remains unclear, it coincided with reports of harassing phone calls to businesses and government offices. The Japanese government attributed these calls to China, relating them to Japan’s handling of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
As Toyota resumes operations and investigates the root cause of the glitch, the company’s ability to adapt and respond to operational challenges will remain a focus for the industry.
