Is Subaru Forester And Outback Quality Improving? Two New Reports Say Yes

At Subaru's recent retailer meetings, Subaru discussed quality. See what it means for Subaru customers in 2021.

Are Subaru vehicles dependable? What about the 2021 Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and Ascent models' dependability and quality? New reports from J.D.Power and Consumer Reports say Subaru quality is improving. Subaru Corporation has prioritized improving quality in its Japanese and U.S. manufacturing plants after dependability slipped the past few years.

Subaru of America CEO Tom Doll told Automotive News that the main focus in 2021 is improving its facilities and vehicle quality in recent retailer meetings. Both are good news for customers. Taking a Subaru in for service is taking longer as the brand grows in the U.S. market. Subaru gained market share last year, and it puts more strain on Subaru's service departments.

Photo credit: Competition Subaru

Customers are also benefitting from Subaru Corporation's focus on vehicle quality and dependability. Customers saw many recalls in 2019, and the number of recalls dropped significantly in 2020.

"With the growing units in operation that we have, when you have some recalls as we've had over the past couple of years, too much of the service capacity is used up on recalls, and not enough is devoted then towards normal repair and maintenance work," Doll told AN.

Photo credit: Competition Subaru

Doll went on to say," Subaru Corp. has done, I think, a great job of addressing these issues and making sure that they've got real good fixes in their production process."

Torque News reported one year ago, Subaru Corporation is spending $1 billion over the next five years to improve quality in the Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, Ascent, and other models. It seems to be working. J.D. Power ranked the Forester one of the top 3 Small SUVs in dependability.

Consumer Reports just included the 2021 Subaru Forester compact SUV and 2021 Outback wagon/crossover in its Top-10 Picks of 2021 list. They are picked exceptional performance models in safety, reliability, and owner satisfaction.

Patrick Wergin, executive vice president at Annapolis Subaru and Gateway Subaru in Maryland, and chairman of the Subaru National Retailer Advisory Board, told AN Subaru has done much to improve vehicle quality and can now react quickly to issues.

"The investments are made, and we have the full support of the parent company (Subaru Corporation) to ensure that we are going to be the leader in quality and dependability." He told AN.

Is Subaru quality improving? According to recent reports, the 2021 Subaru Forester and 2021 Outback rank highest in their categories. Subaru spending $1 Billion over the next four years is good news for customers.

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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