Toronto, Ontario — Toyota is calling for all-hands-on-deck to fight against the ongoing automotive materials shortage, announcing that they will permit the use of scratched, blemished, and otherwise “imperfect” parts from suppliers while global supply chains level out.
This announcement sets a new precedent for the automaker known for strict quality control.
“We are careful about the outside of our vehicles, the parts you can easily see. But there are plenty of places that people don’t notice unless they really take a good look,” said Takefumi Shiga, Toyota’s chief project leader for vehicle development during a press briefing.
Notably, Toyota has fared comparatively well amid the past year’s supply chain issues and expects to be building vehicles at full production capacity by the end of December.
According to a report from Reuters, Shiga and other Toyota engineers are expanding a programme begun in 2019 to meet component suppliers, even third-tier ones, to assure them that scratches or blemishes are acceptable as long as they do not affect vehicles safety and performance, and are unlikely to be noticed by car buyers.
“It requires some courage on their part,” Shiga said.
