Toyota boosts RAV4 production, now running overtime at all NA plants

Toyota boosts RAV4 production, now running overtime at all NA plants
By Drew Johnson - Posted December 11th 2009

Toyota has announced it will increase production at its Woodstock, Ontario crossover plant. The production boost at the Woodstock plant means Toyota is now running overtime at all of its North American plants. The Woodstock factory produces the Toyota RAV4.
Toyota made the decision to up the RAV4’s production at the Ontario plant following stronger than expected demand. “Despite the market decline, the model is selling better than last year,” Ray Tanguay, executive vice president in charge of Toyota’s North American manufacturing and engineering group, told Automotive News. “This is a vote of confidence that the market is recovering.”

Through the first 10 months of the year, Toyota has sold 132,346 units of the RAV4. That’s up 3 percent from the 128,255 RAV4 sales Toyota tallied during the same period last year.
Toyota will hire 800 new workers at the Woodstock plant in order to keep up with the new production schedule. Toyota expects to the Woodstock plant to be up to full capacity – 150,000 units annually – by April 1.
Several other Toyota models are experiencing increased demand – including the Corolla small car and Lexus RX luxury crossover – but Toyota says it has no plans to boost its North American capacity. Toyota will soon shutter is former GM joint-venture NUMMI plant and has yet to open a plant in Mississippi.
36 COMMENTS
1. alsvw230 days ago
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  Hopefully these new raver4′s don’t have the sudden acceleration issues that kill people. Sounds like toyodaa is a little worried about the new hyundai tucson.
  Or toyodaa is a noticing that the new forerunner is not going to be a big seller.
  
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2. Z06ified230 days ago
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  That’s good news, but man, I hate the look of the RAV4. For the life of me, I can’t understand the appeal of these vehicles. They are as interesting to drive as a refrigerator, and they look like crap.
  
  The new Chevy Equinox blows the RAV4 away on styling, inside and out, and feature content. But people are idiots – they just keep buying the same thing, over and over again.
  
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3. Borat230 days ago
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  I love those trucklettes. I had CR-V for many years, but this RAV outshines CR-V. Beautiful midsize AWD. I hope Toyota will not screw up with new generation. It could use overdrive transmission, after all it is 21st century, but even without one it shows very respectable mileage. This engine is very efficient.
  
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4. Borat230 days ago
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  Z06ified, so people who buy Chevy are naturally smarter (by breading?) or better educated smarter? Toyota customers have 70% college graduation rate, Chevy’s half of that. I wonder what is your definition of smart or stupid.
  
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5. johnnycanuck230 days ago
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  Borat, I miss those very early 2 door models… the ones that looked like Sidekicks. I actually made a half-assed attempt to look for one a few years ago but people wanted hefty sums for prime examples. I still maintain there’s a market for such a “trucklette” and I’m still hopeful that Kia goes ahead with the Soulster.
  
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6. Borat230 days ago
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  Johnny, I remember well those 2 doors: they were following after Suzuki models. Not exactly all terrain, but exactly what 95% of people need in rain, light snow. I was not impressed with the first RAV and when Honda came out with CR-V it won me over. I still have that first CR-V (it was my first large purchase over the internet). It is 12 years old, served me well , my older child and now younger one is using it in college. The current RAV I think is a great vehicle. Large, but not huge, 4 cyl. motor is amazing, considering that tranny is not overdrive. Unfortunately for us they don’t come with manuals and diesels, like in Europe. It is blast to drive a diesel one: 180 HP and 6 speed and tons of torque (I think as much as V6 in US). And I am guessing here about 40 mpg.
  
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7. wyVern230 days ago
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  R the zip-ties standard on these Rav4 or we have to pay for it?
  
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8. Architect230 days ago
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  Chevrolet Equinox owns the Rav4.
  
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9. alsvw230 days ago
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  Borat, please send me the link to the 70% of toyodaa buyers that have a college degree. This is a very interesting concept. Besides something that dr.filledwithcrap wrote on this site.
  
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10. 0-60230 days ago
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  Did someone forget to tell toyota that we are now limiting the number of vehicles they are aloud to sell in the U.S. now?
  I wonder if honda and nissan know that that goes for them too?
  
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11. 0-60230 days ago
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  @alsvw
  What he ment to say is 70% of toyota owners KNOW someone with a college degree.
  
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12. DenverGuy217230 days ago
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  The RAV4 Sport ( thankfully without the stupid rear tire) and with the V6 really flies. But, whoa talk about a lot of road noise intruding inside. It was surprisingly bad. And they still need to put a hatch on the back of that thing or at least add a door opening to the left rather than to the right.
  
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13. Elvacano230 days ago
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  I’ll say it again: Zip ties and sudden acceleration jokes and comments are getting old
  
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14. NickelDime230 days ago
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  Why would you buy a vehicle if you have an elevated level of doubt about its safety ??
  
  Friend at work is looking hard at a new 2009 Lexus ES. I forwarded her the LA Times articles from the last 2 weeks.
  
  She asked what I thought; my answer was simple – do you want to buy a new car that is already under recall?
  
  She is at the dealer right now picking up an Infiniti.
  
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15. Borat230 days ago
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  alsvw & 0-60 here is the link
  http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/06/car-personality-wealth-lifestyle-vehicles-gender-income.html
  I hope it helps.
  
  Reply
16. easyrider230 days ago
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  the equinox is made just outside of Woodstock and is a much better vehicle. So where does the smart money go, to Japan or America?
  
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17. easyrider230 days ago
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  Like it has been said, if you buy the RAv your stupid.
  
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18. alsvw230 days ago
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  Borat– the word Toyota was not used in the article. Try reading the article again, then post your mistake.
  
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19. 03T4R230 days ago
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  This is surprising considering the Equinoxes are selling like hot cakes. My local dealer hasn’t had any in stock in months. I also have a client that owns a Chevy dealer in Vermont and he can’t keep any in his lot.
  
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20. tastyorange230 days ago
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  I really like cute utes with tires on the back. I like it when the drivers (usually girls) back into the car behind them in the city and leave curved shaped dents in the hood.
  
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21. HoosierHero230 days ago
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  Great, will every freaking article about Toyota have to start off with some retard going on about the acceleration problems?? I think I’d rather hear the usual domestic/import banter than that crap.
  
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22. carstuff230 days ago
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  I can believe the education data.
  
  The domestic 3 have a lot of buyers who are older while a larger percentage of Honda buyers are younger. And if you look at age vs degrees there is a much higher percentage of non degreed older folks and a higher percentage of degreed younger folks.
  
  And that just shows that older folks are smarter than younger folks:)
  
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23. NickelDime230 days ago
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  Hoosier: Yeah, those 26 deaths and 1,000 incidents are so pesky. Let’s talk return to the Gung Ho talk track. So much more exciting.
  
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24. alsvw230 days ago
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  carstuff- true, I could see the honda buyer having a higher education level over chevy or ford. But, I do not believe that toyodaa has the same educated buyer. The Honda buyer knows about cars and enjoys well a engineered auto.
  
  Hoosier- sorry to bother you with people being killed by cars that run out of control, and a company that wanted to fix it with zip ties. Such boring stuff.
  
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25. 03T4R230 days ago
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  Honda buyers can’t be that smart if they don’t notice the notorious road noise issues and terrible styling that plague just about every Honda model. I think the discrepancy between imports and domestics is the fact that the big 3 sell the majority of trucks to blue collared workers, most of which do not have degrees.
  
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26. steve333230 days ago
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  I’ll take an Equinox over this anyday.
  
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27. DrFill230 days ago
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  Don’t playa-hate
  Appreciate!
  
  If you have seen it win countless comparison tests in Car & Driver, this vehicle is better off-road than almost anything in it’s class (Save the Forester)
  Plus it’s V6 power makes it the most powerful, and fastest
  And it scores #1 with Consumer Reports for small SUVs
  AND it’s real world efficiency usually beats CRV and Escape gas CUVs
  AND……….
  DrFill
  
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28. NickelDime230 days ago
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  trying….to…..resist……can’t……hold…….back…….
  
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29. Borat230 days ago
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  alsvw, the demographics for Honda and Toyota have nearly identical demographic. So if you read Honda you can substitute Toyota.
  
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30. HoosierHero230 days ago
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  NickelDime
  Hoosier: Yeah, those 26 deaths and 1,000 incidents are so pesky. Let’s talk return to the Gung Ho talk track. So much more exciting.
  
  alsvw
  Hoosier- sorry to bother you with people being killed by cars that run out of control, and a company that wanted to fix it with zip ties. Such boring stuff.
  
  I know it’s not trivial guys, but how long will you crucify them in every post? We could easily dig up statistics of other manufacturer mistakes and do this for every domestic and import manufacturer out there. Thanks for keeping it civil in your responses. I wish THAT happened more often on here!
  
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31. NickelDime230 days ago
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  Hoosier – you can’t ignore the magnitude of this story. Toyota, in its race to #1, hastily cuts corners and damages the one thing that made it so successful – their reputation for quality. They built the brand on that (Lord knows it ain’t styling or driving dynamics).
  
  The story remains relevant because it’s going on NOW and it’s not over. I get that the jokes get old (thus my “resist” post that could have so easily followed DrFill’s “AND…..” ending), but Audi would get the same treatment on a LLN BBS (circa 1987).
  
  Toyota does not deserve a pass. We’re not there yet. And in the mean time, it’s relevant.
  
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32. easyrider229 days ago
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  toyotas kill people and Hondas bore people to death.
  
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33. bradleygt229 days ago
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  Since when does a college degree indicate a level of intelligence? Although I am working on finishing my degree for personal goal reasons and have gained more ‘knowledge’ it does not mean I am any intelligent. The definition of intelligence is ” : the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations : reason; also : the skilled use of reason (2) : the ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one’s environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria ” http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intelligence
  
  In my own personal experience, I have met many people with and without degree who are successful in life and drive a variety of vehicles. I have had self-made millionaires without a degree and with one buy Chevrolets from me. I have also had people come in with degrees who lack the common sense and ability to comprehend basic math. A degree is just a piece of paper folks, it is what you do with it and how you apply your knowledge that make you truly ‘intelligent’
  
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34. BuyUSA229 days ago
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  DrFill lives!
  
  He was noticeably silent on the last Toyota article involving another recall.
  
  Hmm…maybe he was busy that day?
  
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35. zoomzoomer229 days ago
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  The plants are running overtime? Just like the accelerator pedals in other Toyotas? Interesting choice of words there LLN!
  
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36. Borat228 days ago
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  bradleygt, if you sell chevys for living, I can’t agree more with you.
  
  Reply
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