New Subaru Forester And Crosstrek Begin Rolling Off Assembly Lines Today

The 2022 Subaru Forester and Subaru Crosstrek production restarted today after a twelve-day shutdown. When will the new models arrive in the U.S.?

Subaru of America announced the 2022 Subaru Forester last week, but when can customers buy the newly-refreshed compact SUV? Subaru Corporation has been hit hard with the global microchip shortage and shut down the plant in Gunma, Japan, that manufactures the Forester, Crosstrek, WRX, WRX STI, and BRZ models. The plant was dark for twelve days, from September 7 through 22, 2021.

Subaru will restart the plant today, and the 2022 Forester assembly lines are running again. Subaru lost approximately 60,000 vehicles in the latest twelve-day shutdown, and it has a direct impact on the new models shipped to U.S. customers. Automotive News reports Subaru is not the only automaker with a tight supply of new cars. Most car brand’s new car inventories remain at record lows.

How will the Subaru plant closure affect customers?

The number one selling Subaru Forester and number three selling Crosstrek are already in short supply, and inventory levels have dwindled before the new 2022 models arrive. The new Forester and Crosstrek will remain hard to find, as most new models arriving from Japan have already been sold before they reach Subaru retailers.

Many customers who can wait are ordering the new Subaru Forester and Crosstrek in the color and trim level they want. A source close to Subaru told us this week, a new 2022 Forester ordered now will arrive in January. Wait times are less for the Subaru Crosstrek and BRZ sport coupe.

The Subaru plant in Lafayette, Indiana, has continued to operate and has adjusted most of its production to keep the 2022 Subaru Outback assembly lines running. Craig Coven, Communications and External Relations Manager at Subaru of Indiana Automotive, told us, ”Our production lines remain in operation. However, we continue to make adjustments based on parts availability.”

Our source told us they have two Outback models on their lot, and all other new vehicles are in transit and are already pre-sold. Many Subaru retailers across the U.S. have very few 2022 Subaru Ascent, Impreza, Legacy, WRX, and WRX STI models on their lot. There are no BRZ sport coupes, and new 2022 BRZ models should arrive in December.

The plant that manufactures the refreshed 2022 Subaru Forester compact SUV and Crosstrek subcompact SUV restarts today, but customers won’t see new models arrive until November or early next year. What is the price of the 2022 Subaru Forester? Check out the complete Forester model guide below.

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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