It’s reported that Toyota has told some of its suppliers that it has lowered its production targets for the fiscal year ending March 2023, following ongoing issues with chip shortages and factory lockdowns.
Reuters reports that the company has reduced its production target for the year to 9.5 million units, although the word came from a private source and not Toyota themselves.
Toyota had previously expressed hopes to produce 9.7 million units over the course of the fiscal year.
The brand was resilient with this figure in spite of several months of production shortfalls. These included falling 150,000 units short of target in August.
The brand has had to shut down numerous factories and production lines this year due to shutdowns prompted by COVID-19 outbreaks and extreme weather.
The revised figure still represents a year-on-year rise for the marque, having produced some 10% less vehicles the previous year. But that target could be further reduced before the year is out.
The production issues are likely to cause additional strain on the brand’s global delivery delays.
At the time of writing, Toyota New Zealand’s website says that those ordering 2022 and 2023 RAV4s will either have to wait until early next year for delivery, or that the model has been sold out for that model year, depending on the trim selected.
It’s a similar story for the recently launched Corolla Cross. Hilux double-cab models meanwhile are slated to arrive in early 2023, with Yaris hatchback arrivals spread between early and mid-2023.
