Report: Deadly Explosion Halts Toyota RAV4 And Harrier Production

The Toyota RAV4 sees its production in Japan halted following a deadly blast at a parts maker's facility that killed one worker and injured two.

A deadly explosion at a Toyota parts maker’s facility in Japan late last week has prompted the Japanese automaker to halt production for two of its best-selling crossover SUV models – the RAV4 and Harrier.

The blast reportedly occurred at the Chuo Spring Co. plant situated in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture – close to Toyota’s main production hub – on March 6, killing one worker and injuring two others. The incident is also set to snarl up the domestic supply chain supporting the production of both models too.

Production of the Toyota Harrier model are also set to be halted as a result of the deadly blast that occurred late last week at the Chuo Spring Co. plant.

The same facility reportedly suffered a similar blast back in Oct 2023 that injured several workers, prompting Toyota to halt 13 production lines across eight plants at the time too. The latest explosion happened in a dust collector, reports national broadcaster NHK.

Toyota is Chuo Spring’s biggest shareholder, with a stake of around 24%. Following the recent deadly blast, Toyota elected to suspend a line in the Takaoka plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, which produces both the RAV4 and Harrier models.

The automaker also halted two lines in Toyota Industries's Nagakusa Plant in Obu, Achi, which produces the RAV4.

Toyota says it's presently too early to assess the stoppage's impact to both production and sales of the Harrier (left) and RAV4 (right).

“Regarding the impact on production numbers, we are considering recovery production, so we cannot provide a clear outlook on the impact on production numbers at this stage,” said a Toyota spokesperson quoted by Automotive News.

The stoppages could impact output and sales of both the Toyota RAV4 and Harrier models. Closer to home, the Harrier is officially on sale locally through UMW Toyota Motor priced at RM274,000.

It has not been decided when the lines will be restarted, though reports in Japan indicate a decision will be made sometime soon this week.