Volkswagen extends shutdown amid dispute

Volkswagen will extend a production shutdown to factories making its best-selling Golf compact as an unprecedented dispute with a supplier halts delivery of the parts and sends both sides to court.

Parts of six vehicle assembly plants will be shut down today, halting work on Volkswagen’s Golf line, along with the Passat, a spokesman has said. Work on the Passat sedan and wagon stopped late last week, and the dispute has slowed output at two plants that make chassis.

Workers in Emden producing the Passat will be on shortened work hours until Wednesday, while Golf production will be interrupted for a week, the spokesman said.