Toyota suspends more production lines following explosion at parts supplier

Toyota Motor Corp. on Wednesday said it had extended a suspension order on more of its production lines due to a parts shortage following an explosion at one of its suppliers earlier this week.

The Aichi Prefecture-based automaker said that production has now been halted on 14 of its lines at nine production hubs around the country, with the lines suspended rising from six lines at four of its plants issued on Tuesday.

Toyota, the world's largest automaker, has been plagued with suspension woes this year following parts shortages, most recently following the series of earthquakes that rocked the Kyushu region in Japan's southwest.

Prior to that, the maker of the ubiquitous Prius hybrid and Corolla sedan, was forced to halt all of its production operations in Japan owing to an explosion in February following an explosion at a steel plant owned by Aichi Steel Corp., one of Toyota's major suppliers.

The latest suspensions followed an explosion on Monday at a plant operated by Aisin Advics Co. in Aichi Prefecture.

The company, which also belongs to Aisin Seiki Co., and is an affiliate of Toyota's, specializes in braking systems and is one of the automaker's main suppliers in this area.

Following the explosion, four people were rushed from the plant to hospital with at least one person reportedly having sustained serious injuries.

A spokesperson for Toyota initially said the suspension would only be for a few days, but the disruption to the supply chain has seen the suspension both broadened and extended. Endit