Toyota pauses Czech production for a week after fire at supplier

PRAGUE -- Toyota is pausing production at its Kolin factory in the Czech Republic for nearly a week due to a parts shortage caused by a fire at a local supplier.

The plant, about 60 km east of Prague, produces the Aygo X mini crossover and the Yaris small hatchback.

Production is being halted from Aug. 22-27, Toyota told Automotive News Europe sister publication Automobilwoche.

Toyota declined to name the supplier involved but Czech media said the plastics supplier Novares CZ Zebrak has been unable to deliver parts after its production and storage facilities in Zebrak, in the Beroun region, were destroyed by a large fire last week.

Police are investigating whether the fire was caused by a technical fault or started deliberately, local media said.

The Zebrak factory employees 159 people.

The outage is the second this year at the Kolin plant which builds 1,000 cars a day after a break in February.

Last year, production at the factory rose by 35 percent to 202,255 cars.

Reuters contributed to this report