Motor industry giant Toyota has delivered a warning to its Japanese customers, saying they may have to wait for up to four years for their Land Cruiser deliveries.
(Photo : TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP via Getty Images)
Motor industry giant Toyota has delivered a warning to its Japanese customers, saying they may have to wait for up to four years for their Land Cruiser deliveries. That means Japanese buyers who will place their orders now may get their Land Cruisers in the year 2026 at the latest.
Toyota refused to comment on the reasons behind the Land Cruiser's long delivery time, but the world's biggest carmaker emphasized that the delay is not related to either the supply chain crisis or the global chip shortage that the entire auto industry is experiencing right now.
Toyota released a statement on its website, saying, "As Land Cruiser is very popular, not just in Japan but around the world, we apologize it is expected to take a long time before we can deliver the product."
Japanese customers face lengthy wait for Land Cruisers
Toyota then confirmed the possibility of deliveries taking place four years after the orders are placed. The Japanese automaker appeals for its customers' understanding regarding the delay, saying they will do their utmost to shorten the delivery time of the Land Cruiser.
Toyota launched the Land Cruiser back in 1951, making it the company's longest-selling vehicle. Toyota has sold a total of 10.6 million units of the Land Cruiser as of August last year. The Land Cruiser remains popular as ever, with the BBC reporting that there has been strong demand for its new model.
Toyota is strongly considering ramping up its production of Land Cruisers in the medium and long term. However, Toyota has been strongly affected by the current semiconductor shortage. Last month, the carmaker announced that it would extend stoppages at some of its Japanese factories because of the supply chain issues.
Toyota said that the COVID-19 pandemic had wreaked havoc on its components factories in South East Asia. That has resulted in plenty of disruptions, with the production of Lexus and Land Cruiser being hit hard by the delays.
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COVID-19 pandemic slowing Toyota's production
It did not help matters for Toyota, that COVID-19 infections also surged in its home nation of Japan. Several workers of Toyota tested positive for the coronavirus, forcing the automaker to slow its production at up to 11 of its Japanese plants.
Toyota announced early last year that it would reduce its worldwide vehicle production by 40 percent in September due to the continuing chip shortage. The problem is not exclusive to Toyota, though, with rival carmakers Daimler, BMW, Renault, General Motors, Ford, and Nissan also cutting vehicle production in recent months.
Toyota just launched the latest 300 series of the Land Cruiser in June of last year, its first new model since 2007. The all-new Land Cruiser uses the TNGA-F platform, which underpins the Toyota Tundra pickup and Sequoia SUV, which cater to the North American market.
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