Toyota shuts down all but one assembly line

Toyota shuts down all but one assembly line

money.cnn.com

TOYOTA CITY, Japan (CNN) -- On what was to be a historic day halting all of Toyota's Japanese assembly lines, the automaker announced late Thursday that it kept one line running.

The late news sent copy editors and reporters to their laptops erasing headlines like "historic shutdown," but it did little to quell the pain for the tens of the thousands of workers idled across Japan as nearly every Toyota line stopped producing autos and auto-related equipment.

Nowhere was the silence more deafening than in Toyota City, home and birthplace to Toyota Motor Corp. (TM). Factories were shuttered and workers idled in an attempt to bring production in line with falling global demand.

(visit the link for the full news article)

From reading the article, It says that the shutdown of Toyota City is just for February, and March.
The Asia Pacific region is being hit hard.
Take a few moments to let the weight of this picture sink in.


money.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

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[edit on 5-2-2009 by dntwastetime]

the one left open is busy retrofittting the 1.3 million cars they had to recall.

it's not looking good for them, i wonder if they'll ever reopen those factories?

reply to post by dntwastetime


Stop, stop, stop.

This is business folks. You stop producing when no one is buying.

We avaerged 16.7 to 16.9 million car sales for 7 years. It never got above or below that until now because that was unsustainable numbers.

This market readjustment is necessary and will end soon. The average age of a car in the U.S. in 9 years. There is a TON of pent up demand world wide and general conscensus is by June we will be back to 13 million sales not the unrealistic 16.

People need to save up a down payment.
Car companies need to make cars people want.
The governement needs to stopp telling car companies what to build.
Banks need to never lend foolishly again.

I, We, my fiance and I have been looking to buy a specific vehicle in the past couple of months. What people want for the specific vehicle we are looking for is outrageouse, because we are not looking to buy a new one, which would equate to the price of buying a home.

I feel no need to pray for these people, who have kept us chained to vehicles that use a lot of gas, even the foreign makers.

People want alot of mileage for gas, which was recentley, where I live, over $4.oo a gallon. People are not so forgiving.

Are you asking us to feel sorry for people loosing jobs in an industry tied into the petroleum industries, whom I believe have caused the auto makers to keep us as slaves to what they charge us for gas?

I'm sorry, you should be outraged, at the industry!

It is sad that people are loosing jobs, but car makers are in a service industry, and if they can't supply what consumers want or need, there is where their employees need to look for a grievance. Not the econony, but what people need.

People won't buy the crap anymore, while the automakers suck up to petroleum companies.

It's time they met consumers needs, not the needs of big oil companies!

Imported cars are piling up at West Coast ports. Ports are leasing acres of land on which to store vehicles that need to be off loaded from the cargo ships.

Will car prices fall? Will people have jobs that make the income to buy the cars? People at my work were told not to buy a car or house in the near future, as there are going to be layoffs.

reply to post by desert


It makes sense, what people have been told. There was a thread recently on car dealerships closing, and not paying off leins on auto trade ins.

Look, people don't live in their cars. They need them to get from point A to B without spending a fortune on gas. Like I said, people are going to pay for their homes, before a vehicle, which can near the price.

Not only are cars outrageously expensive, then there is the gas, the upkeep, and the insurance to pay for.

Who can afford this?

Something's got to give, and if it means a re-structuring of the auto industry and the loss of jobs, sobeit! Those people have had gravy jobs for years, prior to the gas situation. People are just not going to live that way anymore. They should not be frustrated with the consumers, who are struggling to pay for anything, but their employers, who refused to make way for trends.

This is not with the consumer to blame for job loss, but to the industry who did not keep up with demand, or costs to the consumer. Consumers are also their own employers!

Anarchy, anyone?

It seems that the global recession is not just effecting the big three but the Japanese auto manufactures too. I have never bought a foreign car or truck but it seems to be doing as good as the US based one. I'd like to know how Honda is handling the slow down as well.

reply to post by Enthralled Fan


I have no idea what you are talking about. No one has you chained to a vehicle.

Don't blame the auto industry for not makin the car you want.

Ther are 6,798 makes for sale in the U.S. If you can't find what you want in that choice it means you are too picky.

You want a 35 MPG Full Size SUV they don't exist. You want it made then the manufacturers nedd to spend about 300 million to design and build. That car will now cost $85,000.

You want a 5 star crash rated compact that has 4wd then same thing applies.

Stop blaming the industry for failing to fulfill your desires. Oil companies will GO BROKE if you don't buy from them and they see the writing on the wall.
The BIGGEST developer of alternative fuesl are SHELL and BP...OIL COMPANIES.

Originally posted by bigvig316
I have never bought a foreign car or truck but it seems to be doing as good as the US based one.

My American Jeep (which I love) turned out to have a Toyota transmission, which a mechanic friend, who was familiar with that year, said should get me another 100,000 miles on it.

When I was young, Americans bought Toyotas for their reputation of longevity.

Originally posted by crmanager

I have no idea what you are talking about. No one has you chained to a vehicle.

No, I have the vehicle I love to drive. As I said, looking for something specific, and not to be used all the time. A vehicle for a specific purpose. One that I don't expect descent mileage out of, a work horse vehicle. So, nope I am not chained to a vehicle, I am looking for something specific.

Don't blame the auto industry for not makin the car you want.

............this is so humorous, I nearly bust my gut laughing. I love the vehicle I drivel, which I purchased used, because I am not willing to make a house payment on a new car...........catch my drift? It isn't only me who can blame the auto industry.

Ther are 6,798 makes for sale in the U.S. If you can't find what you want in that choice it means you are too picky.

Suppose I told you I lived on a farm and had a specific need for a vehicle to use on the farm, how would that narrow down the 6,798? Do you get my drift? Yes, I do blame the auto makers!

You want a 35 MPG Full Size SUV they don't exist. You want it made then the manufacturers nedd to spend about 300 million to design and build. That car will now cost $85,000.

Where did I say this? And, it is not my fault that auto makers do not supply to demand. It is not the fault of the workers, it's the fault of the desingners who do not produce for public demand. If all they can produce is a $65,000 car, then they all need to fold. It isn't what most consumers can afford.

You want a 5 star crash rated compact that has 4wd then same thing applies.

Every consumer deserves this, even from the cheapest car, to the most expensive. Are you saying people who can't afford thisl, deserve less? Because they can't afford it?

Stop blaming the industry for failing to fulfill your desires. Oil companies will GO BROKE if you don't buy from them and they see the writing on the wall.
The BIGGEST developer of alternative fuesl are SHELL and BP...OIL COMPANIES.

You got that right, and maybe that is what needs to happen! I do blame auto industries as well as oil companies for this fiasco, as they go hand in hand!

[edit on 5-2-2009 by Enthralled Fan]

Originally posted by crmanager
reply to post by Enthralled Fan

 

Ther are 6,798 makes for sale in the U.S. If you can't find what you want in that choice it means you are too picky.

First... there are 6,798 MODELS. Second, America has the lowest reliability rating of any country for their cars. Even thought they know it they haven't gotten much better in the past 4 years.

You want a 35 MPG Full Size SUV they don't exist. You want it made then the manufacturers nedd to spend about 300 million to design and build. That car will now cost $85,000.

The Toyota Highlander Hybrid gets pretty close and it isn't anywhere near 85,000. I think you under estimate the auto industries ability to put out good low MPG cars of respectable size. Yes the Highlander isn't as large as a Tahoe. Here are 5 Midsized SUV's with 30-40 MPG: Mercury Mariner, Mazda Tribute, Ford Escape, Saturn Vue, Suzuki SX4. The Tahoe Hybrid gets 22 MPG, and thats a 5,000+ lb vehicle.

You want a 5 star crash rated compact that has 4wd then same thing applies.

What are you talking about??? Both the Nissan Sentra and the Subaru Impreza (both 09 models) are 5 star rated and much less than 85,000. The Ford Focus is also a 5/5 and it's American.

Stop blaming the industry for failing to fulfill your desires. Oil companies will GO BROKE if you don't buy from them and they see the writing on the wall.
The BIGGEST developer of alternative fuesl are SHELL and BP...OIL COMPANIES.

The Auto Industries did the same thing that Wall Street and the housing market did. They are equally to blame for all the problems, especially the problems with big oil. You need to look deeper than what you see on the front page... because the auto industry, especially the big three, have wasted money trying to fill their pockets. Have you SEEN the GM head quarters????



They wasted billions of dollars on pointless affairs and allowed electric cars to fail early because the oil companies told them to. Stop defending the problem.

And by the way... oil companies only recently started putting money into alternative fuel. (The last 10 years), but Brazil has been developing this technology since the 1980's and is now the largest largest developer of Alternative Fuel in the world... and they hate the foreign oil companies. Branco is one of the larger developers in Brazil

IN FACT: The big oil JUST bought into Brazils sugar cane in may 2008. So they haven't been the primary developers of alternative fuel.

The truth is, there are many many small companies that make up the bulk of the alternative fuel developers. The big oil companies haven't cared about alternative fuel until recently. Why do you think that only 1,900 of the 200,000 United States gas stations carry E85?

They have no interest in the well being of any of the tax payer... neither the auto industries nore big oil... so I'll stick with Enthralled on this... and continue to be enraged.

Lets not forget companies like Shell killing hundreds in Africa, or ENRON stealing money.

And lets not forget all the CEO pay raises from the Stimulus packets and the over seas development by United States Auto industries.

I think the point is clear.

My compact Toyota is 11 years old. It gets good mileage. I have put one new battery in it and replaced the starter. That is ALL I have ever had to do for it, aside from routine maintenance.

It may never wear out! But if/when it does I will buy another Toyota, even if it has to be a used one, even if I have to live on rice and beans for awhile.

I certainly hope they continue to build them in the U.S., though production has slowed down so tremendously in Japan.

Here's one satisfied customer waiting in line.

Wow get your facts striaght...

Highlander is a Mid size SUV. Full size is EXPEDITION>>>>


18 MPG is it.

Mariner Tributr Escape all are Hybrids and compacts.

Sentra and Focus are NOT 4wd.

Learn your cars.

NEXT...


Brazil is going to have to develop their MASSIVE oil deposits due to the fat that you CAN'T burn your breakfast in your tank. It costs MORE for sugar ethanol then oil ethanol. The market is already collapsing.

Go back to the point...out of 6798 CARS for sale if you can't fing one you like it is YOUR FAULT for bring to pick.

They CAN'T make every car for every need and keep it 5 start rated AND give it 40 MPG and keep it under $10,000.

BO wants to tell the companies what to build and this is NOT what we want.

[edit on 8-2-2009 by crmanager]

Originally posted by desert
Imported cars are piling up at West Coast ports. Ports are leasing acres of land on which to store vehicles that need to be off loaded from the cargo ships.

Will car prices fall? Will people have jobs that make the income to buy the cars? People at my work were told not to buy a car or house in the near future, as there are going to be layoffs.

That's very interesting news about the imported vehicles starting to pile up at ports, a true economic indicator if ever there was one.

May I also ask what industry you work in, I'm trying to keep track of those most affected by the economic downturn.

reply to post by Retseh

Retseh, it's worse than I can imagine, as a poster in another thread said that she saw cars on the east coast (Georgia?) being driven to empty fields to wait. I hadn't thought about that one.

I respectfully decline to state exactly in what industry I work, but I will say this, in California at least no one is immune from being either laid off or hours of work decreased.

It boils down to this. Yes, we need lenders to be able to make car loans again, but unless we have jobs to afford car payments, the cars will continue to sit. My mother said that in the Great Depression home/land prices were cheap; it's just that no one had the money to buy one.

haha all the above talk about different cars reminds me of the time years ago my friend drove her new Ford Explorer into a car space labeled "compact only". I was horrified, but she said that it was classified as a compact car.