Subaru Forester, Crosstrek Will Be Even More Scarce After Latest Shutdown

After a six-day shutdown, Subaru Corporation restarted production at its automobile manufacturing facilities in Japan today. The shutdown was due to interruptions in the supply of certain parts. The Japanese automaker manufactures two of Subaru of America's top-selling models, the refreshed 2022 Subaru Forester and 2022 Subaru Crosstrek.

The Subaru automobile plant in Gunma, the Yakima plant, and the engine and transmission plant in Oizumi were idle from January 28, January 31 through February 2, and February 7 - 8.

photo credit: Riley Subaru

If things were normal, Subaru produces about 2500 vehicles per day at the main Gunma plant and its Yajima plant. Subaru would normally lose close to 30,000 cars in the six-day shutdown. But with the microchip shortage, the number of new vehicles produced at the plants is down considerably.

What does it mean for customers?

Subaru now has the tightest inventory of any automaker at four days and includes vehicles in transit from Japan. The number one selling 2022 Forester, new Forester Wilderness, and number three 2022 Crosstrek are hard to find now and will be affected most by the new shutdown.

photo credit: Cross Creek Subaru

The 2022 Subaru WRX and 2021 WRX STI performance sedans and 2022 Subaru BRZ sports coupe are also manufactured at the main plant in Gunma, Japan. The 2022 WRX is scheduled to arrive this spring, and more delays are expected.

The 2022 Subaru BRZ has already sold out because the sports car’s initial order allotment was met. Subaru of America says they stopped 2022 BRZ orders on January 13, and a report from Kelly Blue Book says if you want a new BRZ, you’ll have to wait a year. “Subaru has taken as many orders as it can fill for the 2022 model,” says KBB.

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

The plant in Lafayette, Indiana, where Subaru manufactures the 2022 Outback, Ascent, Impreza, and Legacy, will remain open, but the four models could also be affected by the Japan announcement. The Outback, Impreza, and Legacy have 40 percent of their parts shipped from Japan. The Ascent 3-Row family hauler gets 30 percent of its parts from Japan. If customers have custom ordered a 2022 model year from a U.S. retailer and production started before the shutdown, they should stay on the current delivery schedule.

Customers looking for the 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 winter and spring.

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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 Subaru of Wakefield