Subaru Shuts Down Forester And Crosstrek Assembly Lines For The 6th Time

Yesterday we covered a story about Subaru production increasing in Japan and the U.S., and now Subaru Corporation announced another plant closure that affects the 2022 Subaru Forester and 2022 Crosstrek production. This year, the automaker’s two top-selling all-wheel-drive models for Subaru of America have been directly affected.

This is the sixth plant closure this year. Subaru has shut down assembly lines at its main automobile plant in Gunma, Japan, and its other manufacturing facility in Yakima again. The engine and transmission plant in Oizumi will also be idle.

photo credit: Budds Subaru

Subaru will shut down production at the manufacturing plants for two days this week, June 2 and June 3, 2022. The plant closure is again due to interruptions in the supply of certain parts. The Subaru plant closure directly affects the refreshed 2022 Subaru Forester and the hot 2022 Crosstrek models for U.S. customers.

This week, the Subaru Corporation plant closure comes after five other plant shutdowns in 2022. The two plants were idle from January 28, January 31 through February 2, February 7 - 8, February 18 and 21, and March 18 and 21 due to a major earthquake that struck Japan. And another closure on April 28 and April 29, 2022.

photo credit: Schumacher Subaru

This latest shutdown is now the sixth time the plant has been idle in 2022 now for fourteen working days. 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. The shutdown also affects the 2022 Subaru WRX and WRX STI performance sedans and the 2022 Subaru BRZ sports coupe manufactured at its main plant in Gunma, Japan.

What does it mean for U.S. customers?

Subaru Corporation has not announced how many vehicles have been lost to the plant closures this year. Customers in the U.S. will see even fewer 2022 Subaru Forester compact SUVs and 2022 Crosstrek subcompact SUVs available in showrooms this summer.

Will the plant closure affect Outback, Ascent, Impreza, and Legacy?

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, 2022 Crosstrek, 2022 WRX, or 2022 BRZ will be harder to find this summer because the plant is closing again this week. If customers have recently ordered a Forester or Crosstrek from a U.S. retailer, delays will be likely unless they are already in the pipeline for delivery. Stay tuned to Torque News and 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: Subaru USA