A deadly explosion Thursday at a Toyota Motor Corp. supplier plant in Japan has led the automaker to suspend local production of the RAV4 SUV, a company spokesperson confirmed in an email to Automotive Dive.
However, the disruption in Japan will not impact U.S. production of the SUV at Toyota’s facility in Georgetown, Kentucky, the spokesperson said.
Toyota is working to resume production in Japan but declined to provide additional details on how the incident will impact its vehicle manufacturing operations.
At least one person was killed and two others were injured when a dust collector exploded inside the Chuo Spring facility in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, the Japan Times reported. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
The facility produces suspension springs, precision springs and cables used in parking brakes and automatic transmissions.
The RAV4 unseated the Ford F-150 as the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. in 2024, selling 475,193 units, a 9% improvement from the previous year.
