Why It Takes Much Longer To Get A New Subaru Forester Than An Outback This Year

If customers order a 2022 Subaru Forester compact SUV, it will take significantly longer for customers to take delivery than if they ordered a 2022 Outback midsize SUV. Why can customers get the 2022 Subaru Outback much quicker than the Forester? Subaru Corporation reveals the answer in a recent sales and export results report.

A source close to Subaru tells us that the 2022 Subaru Forester wait times are longer than any other model in Subaru of America's all-wheel-drive lineup. Our source told us he has two 2022 Forester compact SUVs on order for customers, and it will likely be six months to get delivery from when they placed the order.

photo credit: Cross Creek Subaru

If a customer orders a 2022 Subaru Outback, they can take delivery in two to three months. The Outback Wilderness is taking about three months. Why are delivery dates shorter for Outback and significantly longer for the Forester?

A recent report from Subaru Corporation reveals production at the Subaru plant in Gunma, Japan, where the 2022 Forester is manufactured, has seen a drop in production (-0.8%) in the first six months of 2022. Subaru says it's the first year-over-year decrease in two years.

photo credit: Cross Creek Subaru

The same Subaru Corporation report reveals production at the Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA) plant where the 2022 Subaru Outback is manufactured has seen a +4.0 percent increase in the first six months of 2022. Subaru says it's the second consecutive year-over-year increase for the U.S. plant.

Why is production less at Subaru's Japan plant?

We reported earlier that the plant in Gunma, Japan, has shut down numerous times in 2022. We contacted Craig Koven, Communications and External Relations Manager, who told us they adjusted the two assembly shifts to keep the plant open. Except "For our usual two-week summer shutdown" in July, the plant in Lafayette, Indiana, has remained open, says Coven.

What can Subaru do to produce more Forester compact SUVs?

Subaru of America is the Japanese automaker's largest market, selling nearly 70 percent of its vehicles. But only 35 percent of its cars are manufactured by Subaru Indiana Automotive (SIA). How can Subaru fix its lack of Forester models to sell to its U.S.customers?

Subaru needs to make production changes. We think Subaru Corporation needs to shift the U.S.-spec Forester compact SUV production to the plant in Lafayette, Indiana. Subaru could expand the plant to accommodate another assembly line to produce the popular Forester for North American customers. The wait for the Forester is now six months.

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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: Cross Creek Subaru