Subaru Stops New Forester, Outback Shipments Over Faulty Engine Sensor

Subaru Corporation has stopped shipment of the 2022 Subaru Forester, 2022 Outback, and Levorg models manufactured in Japan. A report from U.S. News says an engine sensor malfunction will temporarily cause the automaker to temporarily halt production of the models, a Subaru spokesperson said on Friday.

Will it affect the 2022 Forester and 2022 Outback sold in the U.S.?

It's good news for U.S. customers who have recently ordered a 2022 Forester compact SUV or 2022 Outback midsize SUV. Subaru of America does not offer the 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with the faulty sensor in the Forester or Outback. Subaru's new C18 engine is only sold in Japan, Australia, Europe, and Asian markets.

Subaru of America uses the naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter Boxer engine in the 2022 Forester and Outback and the 2.4-liter turbocharged Boxer engine in the 2022 Outback Wilderness and XT models.

Subaru said production of Forester, Outback, and Levorg models with the 1.8-liter turbocharged engine would be "halted in due course" without giving further details. The malfunction with the sensor causes the engine to fail to start and a warning sign to flash on the dashboard, the spokesperson said.

The U.S. News report says about 54,000 Subaru vehicles with the engine have been sold since October 2020 and are for the Japanese market only. The Subaru spokesperson declined to comment on the number of cars affected by the new model suspension.

Subaru has not decided whether to recall the Forester, Outback, and Levorg and said it would likely take 2-1/2 months before shipment is resumed. Subaru Corporation will continue to produce the U.S.-spec 2022 Subaru Forester compact SUV with the 2.5-liter engine shipped to the U.S. for Subaru of America.

Subaru recently stopped producing the 2022 Forester for two days on March 18 and 21, due to a major earthquake that hit Japan last month. That shutdown caused further delays in the refreshed 2022 Forester and Crosstrek shipped to North America.

Subaru Corporation has stopped shipment of some 2022 Forester and 2022 Outback models due to a faulty engine sensor. Because the 1.8-liter turbocharged engine is not sold in the U.S., U.S. car shoppers won't see any delays.

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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