I'm looking to buy a 2011 TE, and the local dealer in our small, rural Canadian town has a new one on the lot. When I asked today about ordering another colour and waiting for delivery he said that no 4Runners are being built since the tsunami and it's not clear when production will start up again.

He even showed me on his inventory screen that the 4Runners his dealership has ordered should have been completed in March or April, but haven't been. Is he being truthful, or is he just trying to create a "shortage" and move the one TE he's got at close to list price?

I realize that my concern is almost negligible compared to the tragedy which touched every citizen of Japan, but I would like to determine whether what he said is true. Presumably a large part of Japan's recovery rests on getting its auto industry going again.

Are you getting the same story about the supply of 4Runners where you live, or a different one? Thanks for any info.

Brent.

My 4runner arrived may 4th and i had ordered it just over a month before (beginning of April) it did arrive straight from Japan, but from what my dealer told me they really had to work to get it for me as there was very limited supply left coming out of the factory...

I'm also in a smaller Canadian town, and I paid full MSRP for mine as they had to bring it in and weren't willing to negotiate given the impending shortage...

My dealer told me the same thing after I got mine last week. He said he is already out of the Prius, with no word on when more will be coming.

The tag on my 4runner said built and assembled in Japan. I heard they were trying to get the factory back online by the end of summer. Then they still have a whole lot of back orders to fill.

Normally I would trust dealers too much, a lot of them can say everything to make a sale. But Japan now is in real trouble, I heard that factory manufacturing 4Runners is not affected directly but I would guess that it doesn't work in full speed because it needs parts from other plants; probably some workers gone helping to restore other Toyota plans. I easily see shipment delays, ports probably still very busy. And I suspect that Canada is not the bigest Toyota customer, so they might fill US back orders first in North America. It's purely my speculations of course but I wouldn't count on new 4Runners shipments any soon.

Very true. But he told me this after the sale when I got it detailed a few days later. So I believe him. It makes sense.

There is a thread on the forum in regards to this. Do a search if you want the details, but essentially production has been reduced, NOT stopped.