Subaru restarted production at its Japanese plant that manufactures the 2022 Forester and 2022 Crosstrek. See what it means for customers and new car shoppers this year.
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After another plant closure, Subaru Corporation restarted production at its automobile manufacturing facilities in Japan today after being idle for two days, on February 18 and 21. The Japanese automaker manufactures two of Subaru of America's top-selling models; the refreshed 2022 Subaru Forester compact SUV and 2022 Subaru Crosstrek subcompact SUV at the Japanese plant.
Both Forester and Crosstrek and the WRX and WRX STI performance sedans and BRZ sports coupe are manufactured at the main automobile plant in Gunma and Yakima plant. The engine and transmission plant in Oizumi was also idle for two days. The reason for the shut down was "due to interruptions in the supply of certain parts that use semiconductors," Subaru said.
photo credit: North Fort Lauderdale Subaru
Subaru Corporation announced on February 15 it would temporarily suspend production at its primary automobile manufacturing facilities in Japan. The Subaru automobile plant in Gunma, the Yakima plant, and the engine and transmission plant in Oizumi was idle earlier this year for six days, from January 28 and January 31 through February 2.
How many vehicles were affected by the plant closure?
Subaru Corporation did not announce the number of Forester, Crosstrek, WRX, WRX STI, and BRZ models affected by the recent plant shutdown. If things were normal, Subaru would produce about 2500 vehicles per day at the main Gunma plant and its Yajima plant. With the microchip shortage and supply chain issues, the number of new cars produced at the plants is down considerably.
Photo credit: Subaru of America
What does it mean for new car shoppers?
Subaru has the tightest inventory of any automaker at four days, and the number includes vehicles in transit from Japan. The refreshed 2022 Forester compact SUV, new rugged Forester Wilderness trim level, and number three-selling 2022 Crosstrek are hard to find now and will be affected most by the recent shutdown.
The 2022 Subaru WRX and WRX STI performance sedans and 2022 Subaru BRZ sports coupe are manufactured at its main plant in Gunma, Japan. The plant shutdown will now put the production of both sports cars behind even further. The next-generation 2022 WRX should have made its dealer launch last fall, but delays will push it back further this spring.
Customers looking for the refreshed 2022 Forester compact SUV, Crosstrek subcompact SUV, 2022 WRX sports car, 2021 WRX STI performance sedan, or 2022 BRZ sports coupe will be harder to find this spring and summer. Check out the complete 2022 and 2023 model guide in the link 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 USA
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