Toyota, the world's largest automaker, faced a significant production setback as it halted operations at twelve of its fourteen factories in Japan on Tuesday due to a perplexing system glitch.
However, the company swiftly denied any involvement of a cyberattack, emphasizing that the incident was a technical malfunction rather than a security breach.
A Toyota spokesperson disclosed that the glitch incapacitated twenty-five production lines across the twelve affected factories, rendering them unable to process orders for vital components.
"At this point, we believe it is not a cyberattack," stated the spokesperson, further adding, "We will continue to investigate the cause of the matter and will restore it as soon as possible."
The company refrained from divulging further specifics regarding the nature of the glitch, keeping the focus on restoring normal operations.
Read More
It remains uncertain when full-scale production will resume, and Toyota did not provide information regarding the status of its factories located abroad.
Remarkably, the malfunction did not impact all of Toyota's facilities.
The automaker's factory situated in the southern Kyushu region and a subsidiary Daihatsu's factory in Kyoto continued their operations uninterrupted.
The news rippled through financial markets, causing a temporary dip in Toyota's stock prices.
Trading at 2,421.0 yen, the company's shares experienced a decline of 0.64 per cent.
However, the downward trend showed signs of stabilizing as the midday break approached in Tokyo markets.
Toyota's proactive response to the situation has been evident as the company announced that it will restart its assembly plants in Japan on Wednesday.
Operations are expected to resume in phases, with twenty-five production lines across twelve plants restarting in the morning and the remaining two plants resuming activities in the afternoon.
The glitch's ramifications extended beyond Toyota's immediate operations.
Group company Toyota Industries reported a partial suspension of activities at two engine plants due to the ripple effects of the automaker's technical issues.
While the cause of the system glitch remains a puzzle, its occurrence in the backdrop of recent harassing phone calls to businesses and government offices has raised concerns.
These calls, believed to originate from China, are thought to be linked to Japan's release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean.
As the day came to a close, Toyota's share price settled at 2,431.5 yen, reflecting a 0.21 per cent decrease after fluctuating between negative territory and partial recovery throughout the morning.
The company's concerted efforts to address the glitch and swiftly resume operations reflect its commitment to maintaining its stature as a global automotive leader.