Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru shut plants after Japan earthquake

[DainBramaged]

Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co. and Subaru suspended production at plants in Japan today and were assessing damage after an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast, triggering a tsunami and shaking buildings as far away as Tokyo.

The shutdown could affect exports to the United States of such cars as the Toyota Yaris sedan, Scion XB and Scion XD, as well as the Honda Fit subcompact, Accord sedan and CR-V crossover. The temblor also affected production of the Acura and Infiniti lineups.

Toyota, the world's largest carmaker, said it evacuated workers from several factories in the quake zone. Toyota has two parts plants in northern Japan and two affiliates, Kanto Auto Works Ltd. and Central Motors Co., that assemble small cars in the region.

The status of those plants was being evaluated, Toyota spokesman Dion Corbett said. "We are still trying to get information from them," he said.

At least one person died at Honda's r&d facility, and fires erupted at two Nissan plants.



Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110311/OEM/110319992/1117#ixzz1GKNdaJWL


An aerial shot shows vehicles ready for shipping being carried by a tsunami tidal wave at Hitachinaka city in Ibaraki prefecture in Japan earlier today.



Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110311/OEM/110319992/1117#ixzz1GKOPCgC9

Photo credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images/Newscom

[somone]

1. This could be a severe disruption to their operations

[DainBramaged]

3. If you look losely at the top of the image, it appears the ground is heaved up

I think it is suppossed to be flat

[FLAprogressive]

2. if you ask dumb right-wingers all of their cars are made in America so this shouldn't matter

:eyes:

[godai]

4. A number of those cars are on fire now.

Watching NHKWorld and about 50 cars, in a line, are burning.