Subaru Announces Another Plant Closure Affecting New Forester Production

Subaru Corporation announced today (February 15) it would temporarily suspend production at its primary automobile manufacturing facilities in Japan again. The reason for the shut down is “due to interruptions in the supply of certain parts that use semiconductors,” Subaru said.

Subaru says they will close the plants manufacturing the refreshed U.S.-spec 2022 Subaru Forester, Crosstrek, WRX, WRX STI, and BRZ. The shutdown will be for two working days on February 18 and 21.

photo credit: Competition Subaru

Two Subaru manufacturing plants will be affected by the closure; the main automobile plant in Gunma and Yakima plant. The engine and transmission plant in Oizumi will also be idle for two days in February.

The new Subaru plant closure comes on the heels of another plant shutdown. The two plants were idle from January 28, January 31 through February 2, and February 7 - 8. The recent shutdown was for six working days.

photo credit: Schumacher Subaru

What does it mean for shipments of cars to the U.S.?

The two-day loss of production will further slow the number of new cars available for U.S. customers. Subaru manufactures the refreshed 2022 Forester compact SUV and 2022 Crosstrek subcompact SUV at its Yakima plant. It makes the 2022 Subaru WRX and WRX STI performance sedans and 2022 Subaru BRZ sports coupe at its main plant in Gunma, Japan.

Automotive News (by subscription) says Subaru is especially susceptible to the shortage of semiconductors “because of its small size and extensive use of commonized components, executives say.” CFO Katsuyuki Mizuma told Automotive News it was still unclear when supply chains and production levels would return to normal.

What does it mean for customers?

Customers in the U.S. will see fewer new 2022 Subaru Forester compact SUVs and 2022 Crosstrek subcompact SUVs available in showrooms this winter and spring.

The production shutdowns and bottleneck “are causing backorders to balloon as Subaru fails to deliver the product,” Automotive News said in the new report.

Will the 2022 Outback, Ascent, Impreza, and Legacy be affected?

Subaru of Indiana Automotive in Lafayette, Indiana, where Subaru manufactures the 2022 Outback, Ascent, Impreza, and Legacy, has not announced any plant shutdowns. The Japan announcement could affect the four models because they get some parts from Japan.

The 2022 Outback, Impreza, and Legacy have 40 percent of their parts shipped from Japan. The 2022 Ascent 3-Row family hauler has 30 percent of its parts from Japan.

Customers looking for a refreshed 2022 Forester, Crosstrek, WRX, WRX STI, or BRZ will be harder to find this spring. If customers have recently ordered a 2022 Subaru Forester or 2022 Subaru Crosstrek from a U.S. retailer, delays will be likely unless they are already in the pipeline for delivery. Stay tuned to Subaru Report for the latest new model news.

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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: main image Schumacher Subaru