Suzuki Motor Corp. suspends production at all plants in Japan due to explosion at supplier

Suzuki Motor Corp. said Thursday that it had halted production operations at all three of its main facilities as an explosion at a parts supplier earlier this week has severely disrupted the automaker's supply chain.

The Hamamatsu-based automaker said that it hopes to reboot its production lines at its auto plants as early as Monday, but for the time being said its Kosai plant, Sagara plant and Iwata plant's production operations have been suspended.

Suzuki said, however, that operation at its three factories in Shizuoka Prefecture should resume as per normal on Monday next week.

The parts supply shortage follows an explosion on Monday at a plant operated by Aisin Advics Co. in Aichi Prefecture.

The company, which belongs to Aisin Seiki Co., and is an affiliate of Toyota, specializes in braking systems and is one of the main suppliers of its technology to Japanese automakers.

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

Toyota itself said on Wednesday that it had extended a suspension order on more of its production lines due to its own parts shortage issues owing to the same explosion.

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 initially at four of its plants issued on Tuesday. Endit