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The 2022 Subaru Forester sales have now fallen seven months in a row. Subaru of America (SOA) reported August sales, and the refreshed 2022 Subaru Forester sales fell again. The last month Forester saw an increase in sales was January to start the new year. With ongoing car shortages, here is what's going on now and how it affects customers looking for a new Forester compact SUV.
The 2022 Forester compact SUV was down 17.4 percent compared with August 2021, with 10,477 models delivered to customers compared with 12,688 in August 2021. Forester is down 42.8 percent for the first eight months of 2022, still the most of any all-wheel-drive SUV in SOA's lineup. Forester has 69,151 total sales in 2022 compared with 120,888 in 2021 when it was the top-selling model for SOA.
How does Forester compare with Outback and Crosstrek sales?
The Crosstrek is way ahead of Forester in 2022 and is the top performer in August. Crosstrek is SOA's best-selling model, with 15,126 subcompact SUVs delivered to customers in August. That's a 30.5 percent increase over August 2021 sales (11,587). Crosstrek is now the best-selling all-wheel-drive model for SOA, with 99,252 models delivered to customers through the first eight months. Crosstrek is one of the few models with a sales increase in 2022, up 11.3 percent.
The 2022 Subaru Outback drops to second in the lineup in sales through the first eight months of 2022 and decreased 23.2 percent in August. SOA delivered 10,928 Outback models to customers in August, compared with August 2021 (14,219). Outback has 96,907 models sold to customers in 2022, a decrease of 16.4 percent compared with 2021.
The 2022 Outback model sales are down because the remodeled 2023 Outback trims have just begun rolling off the assembly lines in Lafayette, Indiana. New models are expected to arrive early this fall.
Why has Forester dropped so much this year?
Demand for the 2022 Subaru Forester is high, but many customers are unwilling to wait for the refreshed compact SUV. A source close to Subaru told us that the Forester wait times are longer than any other model in Subaru of America's all-wheel-drive lineup. Last month the source said he has two 2022 Forester compact SUVs on order for customers, and it will likely be six months to get delivery from when they placed the order.
According to the most recent sales and export report from Subaru Corporation, the microchip shortage dropped its export total from Japan by 4.9 percent in July. Subaru manufactures the Forester in Japan, supplying all global markets and limited supplies to U.S. customers.
Subaru Corporation reveals exports from the Subaru plant in Gunma, Japan, where the 2022 Forester is manufactured, has seen a drop of 6.4 percent in the first seven months of 2022. Subaru says it's the second consecutive month of decrease.
When will Forester inventory improve?
Subaru Corporation has to fill new Forester orders for its U.S. customers, Japan, Australia, Canada, and Europe. A recent report says Subaru has a backlog of 100,000 back orders worldwide, many of which are new Forester compact SUVs. About 50,000 customers in the U.S. are also waiting for a new Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and other new models to be delivered.
Subaru's recent financial report says the automaker kept its forecast unchanged for a big bounce-back in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023. Subaru Corporation says global sales will rebound 28 percent to 940,000 vehicles.
Meanwhile, Forester customers had to wait, and the refreshed 2022 Subaru Forester sales fell for the seventh month and dropped over 40 percent through the first seven months of 2022. It's likely because many customers aren't willing to wait six months to get one.
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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Photo credit: Subaru USA
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Another reason for the sales
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Another reason for the sales dip in August could be the fact that in the first week of August the dealerships were telling customers that they could no longer order a 2022 Forester. At that time, they said orders were shut off and customers now have to wait for the 2023, which is still unannounced.