No parts equals no cars.
We live in unprecedented times. Not only are we reeling from a global pandemic, but we’re also faced with the possibility of a third world war, a global economic recession, and another Britney Spears breakdown. To top it all off, the motor industry is still suffering from a major shortage of semiconductor chips and a backlog of parts in general. Subaru has experienced this firsthand. Last year it posted disappointing sales figures, and at one stage had to stop all car production due to the global logistics crisis. Earlier this year it even had to stop taking orders of the popular Subaru BRZ due to the semiconductor shortage, and now it has once again announced that it will halt production at its manufacturing facilities in Japan.
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In an official statement released by Subaru, the Japanese manufacturer announced that it would be halting manufacturing at most of its major plants in that country. The statement simply reads “Subaru Corporation will temporarily suspend production at its automobile manufacturing facilities in Japan due to interruptions in the supply of certain parts. Operations at the Gunma Manufacturing Plant, Yajima Plant, and the Oizumi engine and transmission plant will be temporarily suspended. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to our customers and all other stakeholders.”
Thankfully the plants will only be closing for two working days, on April 28 and 29, but even such a short delay can cost millions in lost profits and cause a ripple effect that will cause even longer delays down the line.
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Last year the Yajima plant also faced a shutdown after the company ran out of semiconductor chips. That delay, which lasted a total of 13 days, resulted in a loss of 10,000 cars. The Yajima plant is responsible for the manufacturing of halo models such as the Impreza, Crosstrek, WRX, STi, and BRZ. This comes at a time when Subaru is hoping to recover from a dismal 2021 sales slump. With sales of the new BRZ looking good, and pre-orders for Subaru’s first EV going well, this stoppage couldn’t come at a worst time. Subaru does enjoy a very loyal following however, and its new products speak for themselves, so a two-day delay shouldn’t mean the end of the world.
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