--- title: "Explosion at Toyota Supplier Halts RAV4 Production for Second Time in Two Years" date: "2025-03-07" modified: "2025-03-07" authors: - name: "Byron Hurd" job_title: "Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/byron-hurd" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/explosion-at-toyota-supplier-halts-rav4-production-for-second-time-in-two-years" categories: - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Toyota News" tags: - "RAV4" - "suv/crossover" - "Toyota" --- # Explosion at Toyota Supplier Halts RAV4 Production for Second Time in Two Years ![Toyota RAV4 in blue.]() *\Toyota\* Toyota was forced to halt production of its [RAV4]() and Harrier crossovers in Japan after an explosion at a manufacturing facility in the city of Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, killed one worker and injured two others. The explosion happened at the Fujioka plant, which is operated by Chuo Spring Co. around 8 a.m. local time on Thursday, [according to *Kyodo News*](), and early reports suggest it was caused by a [dust collector](). Per [*Automotive News*](), Toyota said it will suspend operations at three of its production lines in Japan (one at its Takaoka assembly plant, which makes the RAV4 and Harrier; the other two at another facility where the RAV4 is assembled) until at least Monday, March 10. "Around noon" that day, the company said, it will reassess the situation. Toyota imports about one-fifth of its U.S. RAV4 volume from Japan. Toyota told *AN* that it is taking steps to offset the lost output and could not speculate on the exact impact on production. "There was a loud bang and shaking during the morning meeting, and then I saw smoke," an employee told *Kyodo*. First responders needed three hours to bring the resulting blaze under control, and the exterior wall and roof of the building were both [visibly damaged]() by the fire. As the name suggests, Chuo Spring Co. produces suspension springs for Toyota; the company also manufactures control cables (think [parking brake](), hood release, etc.). This process produces a large amount of fine metal dust, which can become [highly unstable]() in the right concentrations. [An explosion at the same plant]() injured multiple employees and shut down 13 of Toyota's assembly lines in October 2023, disrupting production of the RAV4 and [Land Cruiser](). That explosion occurred in the factory's steel drying furnace. It took 10 days for Toyota to resume operations. *Got tips? Send ’em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Byron is an editor at The Drive with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories. He brings a light, punchy style to all of his content, believing that there's plenty out there to be laughed at—himself included. Born and raised in Maryland but now based just a stone's throw from Detroit, Byron is an auto enthusiast and generalist who enjoys building and tinkering with things of all kinds, from cars, computers and digital cityscapes, to the new garage that will soon house his fleet (a CT4-V Blackwing, a JK Wrangler and an NA Miata). Inspired by an early love of rollercoasters, Byron quickly caught the high-performance driving itch. He's been tracking and auto-crossing his cars since 2007. In his downtime, Byron enjoys reading, playing city builders, and studying the history of the Motor City. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()