Toyota cuts May 2022 production due to parts shortage

Toyota Motor has announced another adjustment to its production schedule, this time for May 2022. The Japanese automotive manufacturer pinned the parts shortage on the COVID-19 pandemic, as it has caused turmoil for the company, its suppliers, and its customers around the world.

According to reports, affected vehicles entering the Philippines could include an assortment of Lexus models, namely the LS and IS sedans, RC sports coupe, and NX and UX crossovers. For the main Toyota brand, affected local bound models include the RAV4 and Coaster. It’s not immediately clear how this will affect local stock for the Lexus and Toyota brands in the local market.

In March, Toyota announced new production plans, penciling in the period of April to June 2022 as an “intentional pause” in its vehicle manufacturing and assembly. Now the company is further cutting production next month by approximately 100,000 units. The current global production plan now stands at around 750,000 units, with 200,000 units going to its home market of Japan and another 550,000 units worldwide.

This May, Toyota will be shutting down 10 production lines in nine of its plants, with possible shutdowns of a day to as many as six days. Toyota says the global semiconductor shortage has made it challenging to predict the next few months in terms of production, but assures its customers and stakeholders that it will do its best to deliver as many models as it can at the earliest possible time frame.

With COVID-19 winding down in many parts of the world, it would be easy to assume that things will go back to normal soon. However, it will likely take a while for the semiconductor industry to get back on its feet and resume full production in the post-pandemic era. Toyota and other automakers will have to scramble in the coming months to meet the demand for vehicles in 2022 and beyond.