Inventories are down to a 5-day supply.
Normal levels are at 45 days.
The global chip shortage is to blame.
Subaru was on a near three decade long run with consecutive sale increases. The marathon came to an end in 2020 due to the global pandemic and the microchip shortage. The issues continue in 2021 where Subaru once held a 45-day supply, they are now down to only five days’ worth.
And it’s not getting better as Subaru is tallying on an extra 10,000 vehicle orders per month that it is unable to deliver. In fact, as it stands, Subaru has a 45,000-vehicle backlog in the US. For the moment, all the Japanese automaker can do is keep assembly lines running and deliver what they can.
“We still have uncertainty in front of us, considering the semiconductors situation,” Nakamura said to Automotive News (subscription required). “So it might be difficult to recover that in December or January. So we are seeing a gradual increase of inventories and gradual recovery of supplies. And that is going to take about a year.”
Subaru hopes to return to normal inventory levels in 2022. Unlike the 45-day supply, they will aim to have a 30-day supply to better respond to market demands.
