New Subaru Forester Is Delayed Longer With More Production Shutdowns

Subaru Corporation announced its plant that manufactures the 2022 Forester, and Crosstrek will stay dark an additional three days. See what it means for customers.

The refreshed 2022 Subaru Forester will be delayed even longer arriving in the U.S. showrooms. Subaru Corporation announced its plant in Gunma, Japan, that manufactures the 2022 Forester and Crosstrek would stay dark for another three days. The extended plant shutdown is due to interruptions in certain parts due to the ongoing global microchip shortage.

Torque News reported on September 1, Subaru would temporarily suspend production in Japan from September 7-10, 2021. On September 6, Subaru said they would stop operations from September 7-17, 2021, an additional five days. This new plant suspension period now runs from September 7-22, 2021, for a total of 12 working days.

The shutdown affects Subaru's main automobile plant and Yajima plant in Gunma, Japan, and its Oizumi engine and transmission plant. Subaru produces about 2500 vehicles per day at the main Gunma plant and the same at its Yajima plant, where they manufacture the 2022 Forester, Crosstrek, WRX, WRX STI, and BRZ for the U.S. and global customers.

Subaru could potentially lose close to 60,000 vehicles in the latest twelve-day shutdown. The production loss will affect Subaru of America's customers looking to buy a new 2022 Subaru Forester, Crosstrek, and its performance models, WRX, WRX STI, and BRZ sport coupe.

Subaru Report reached out to Craig Coven, Manager, Communications and External Relations at Subaru of Indiana Automotive, who told us the U.S. plant in Indiana would remain open. Subaru of Indiana Automotive manufactures the 2022 Subaru Outback midsize SUV, Ascent 3-Row SUV, Impreza compact sedan and hatchback, and Legacy sedan.

Craig Coven told Subaru Report, "Our production lines remain in operation. However, we continue to make adjustments based on parts availability. There are currently no plans to shut down this month due to supply issues."

How will the Japan 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 2022 Subaru Forester and Crosstrek in the color and trim level they want. Some customers have told us they are waiting two months to get the new all-wheel-drive Subaru SUV.

Automotive News (by subscription) reports tight inventories are a familiar problem for Subaru retailers. Subaru of America "has dealt with low inventories for years, and as a result, many Subaru retailers "are adept at selling deep into their production pipeline," AN says.

The 2022 Subaru Forester and 2022 Subaru Crosstrek will be delayed further due to the extended plant shutdown announced by Subaru Corporation today. The Subaru plants in Japan will restart operations on September 23, 2021.

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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