Toyota's investment in the UK will be under threat if a no-deal Brexit goes ahead, the company's head of European operations has said.
Speaking to the BBC, Johan van Zyl said Toyota would lose its competitiveness if the Brexit "hurdles" are too high.
The Japanese carmaker is currently increasing production of its Corolla model in the UK with a £240 million investment, but stressed that it is critical to avoid disruption, describing free trade with the EU as "vital".
He said: "We want a regulatory framework between the UK and EU which is the same. We hope still that that can be the outcome."
While Toyota has made short-term provisions for disruption caused by a possible no-deal Brexit, Mr van Zyl said it could be "very difficult" long-term.
He also criticised politicians for a lack of clarity, and not coming to an agreement in parliament. With the Brexit deadline on 29 March, Mr van Zyl said "we thought that by now we would have had a decision already about what is going to happen".
Toyota is the latest organisation to deliver a stark warning about the impact of a no-deal Brexit on the car industry. In February, the UK's trade body, the SMMT, revealed the number of cars built in the UK fell for an eighth straight month in January due to slowing demand.
Fellow Japanese manufacturers Honda and Nissan also gave bad news for the industry. Honda said it will close its plant in Swindon, putting 3,500 jobs at risk. And Nissan scrapped plans to build its X-Trail model at its Sunderland plant, though other production will continue.
Elsewhere in February, Ford described a no deal as "catastrophic" and warned it will do "whatever is necessary" to protect itself, including pulling out of the UK.
