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If you are shopping for a 2021 Subaru Forester, 2021 Crosstrek, or 2022 Outback there are few models to be found. The global microchip shortage has hurt Subaru of America more than any car brand in America. According to Automotive News Research & Data Center, Subaru had the smallest supply of new cars among reporting automakers, at six days. In contrast, Ford’s, still historically low, was highest at 36 days. July 1 Subaru had an eight-day supply of cars, and it continues to shrink.
What does it mean for customers?
According to Cox Automotive estimates, Subaru is not alone as few car brands have ample inventories. Among vehicle segments, pickups, SUVs, and crossovers continued to have historically low stocks, with General Motors full-size and midsize pickup inventories at less than a third of their normal levels.
photo credit: Subaru of Gallatin TN
Subaru has experienced incredible growth in the past nine years, and the 2021 Subaru Forester compact SUV, 2022 Outback midsize SUV, and 2021 Crosstrek subcompact SUV are in high demand. The 2021 Subaru Forester Sport and 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Sport are two of the hardest-to-find models in the lineup.
Customers can order a new model in a color and trim level they way and wait, but it could take until October or longer for the latest model to arrive. New models are arriving, but nearly 100 percent are already sold. Subaru retailers are improvising by getting as many low mileage previously owned models as they can get their hands on.
photo credit: Patrick Subaru
Used Subaru models are in high demand. Customers turning in a 2018-2019 Subaru Forester, Outback, or Crosstrek can buy back their vehicle and resell it for a significant profit ($5,000) because of the new vehicle shortages. You can read the full report here.
New model launches are delayed because of plant closures and microchip shortages. Subaru of America has yet to announce the newly-refreshed 2022 Subaru Forester, and the 2022 Crosstrek model change could be months away.
Subaru Corporation reported yesterday, production at the Gunma Japan factory, where they make the Forester and Crosstrek decreased 27 percent in July, and production at the Lafayette, Indiana plant where the 2022 Outback is manufactured decreased eight percent in July.
Subaru said it expects its vehicle shortage to temper sales for the full fiscal year, dropping as many as 40,000 off its original volume target for the whole year. That’s an entire month of sales in a typical year.
If you shop for a 2021 Subaru Forester, 2021 Crosstrek, or 2022 Outback inventory is minimal. Subaru has the tightest supply of any automaker, and it’s not where they want to be number one.
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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
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