Top Subaru Dealer Talks About Baltimore Bridge Collapse And How It Will Impact Customers

Will the collapse of the Baltimore Bridge affect the arrival of new Subaru cars at the port? Hear how it will impact customers from the top Subaru dealers in America.

How will the collapse of the Baltimore bridge and port closure affect Subaru customers in America? If you live on the East Coast, at least for now, it should have a minimal impact, but more could happen soon.

In an interview with WCVB Channel 5 in Boston, Ernie Boch Jr., Subaru’s top dealer with 64 dealerships in six New England states, discussed its impact on customers.

How is the Baltimore Bridge Collapse affecting new Subaru Model Deliveries?

The Baltimore Bridge collapse halts car deliveries to dealers in the Port of Baltimore. This is wreaking havoc on new car dealers because Baltimore is the top port in the country for importing foreign cars like Subaru. 

Ernie Boch says his latest shipment of new Subaru Forester and Crosstrek vehicles from Gunma, Japan, left Baltimore just before the bridge came down in less than six hours.

Boch says, “Before that, my ship came to New England with over a thousand Subarus, so we got out just in time.”

Will Subaru Models be Delayed Because of the Baltimore Bridge Collapse? 

Boch says future shipments from Japan “could be delayed.” And he’s not alone. He went on to say, “It’s not just me; it’s Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Mercedes-Benz. Anybody that produces cars outside of the U.S. has to come to Baltimore.”  

In fact, 850,000 vehicles pass through the port every year. Many of those vehicles are Subaru Forester and Crosstrek SUVs manufactured in Gunma, Japan.  

Until the Baltimore Port opens, many Subaru cars are redirected to other ports. But logistics experts say not all ports can handle cars like Baltimore, requiring special equipment, trucks, and railcars to transport Subaru vehicles and bring them to dealers. 

I reported in a previous story that Ernie Boch Jr.’s New England dealers sell more cars than the Japanese automaker’s next largest market, Canada, and third largest market, Australia. Boch Enterprises sells more than 10 percent of SOA’s total U.S. sales in the six New England states.

To summarize, Subaru dealers on the East Coast will have enough Subaru Forester and Crosstrek models for their customers. However, that could change depending on how long the cleanup takes.  

In other Subaru news, Subaru Is Shut Out of KBB’s “New” Consumer Choice Awards

Thanks for reading, everyone. See you tomorrow for my latest Subaru Report story.

I am Denis Flierl, a top Torque News and Subaru reporter since 2012. I’ve invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role, working with every major car brand. I am an experienced Rocky Mountain Automotive Press member. You'll find my expert Subaru analysis here. Follow me on my The Dirty Subaru website, Dirty Subaru blog, X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Subaru