Parts Shortage Cuts VW Passat Production

Volkswagen AG’s factory in Emden, Germany, has reduced production of its popular Passat midsize sedans because of a major fire that occurred three weeks ago at a key supplier’s plant in Czech Republic, according to Automobil Produktion.

The blaze heavily damaged operations at a Recticel NV facility in the city of Most. The plant is the auto industry’s sole source of a proprietary spray-on polyurethane material called Colo-Fast used to coat interior trim part such as door panels and glovebox doors.

The Brussels-based supplier warned at the time that the disruption could affect vehicle production worldwide. Recticel supplies many of the industry’s largest interiors trim makers. The report says VW has run short of glove box doors and is looking for storage space for 20,000 Passats that lack that part.