Subaru announced that it will stop the operation of its Yajima factory, the company’s sole manufacturing facility in Japan, after discovering a possible defect in the electric power steering unit.
The production at Subaru’s one of two factories worldwide was stopped on January 16, with the possible defect affecting the Impreza, Forester and XV (Crosstrek) models, according to the company’s press release.
However, production of all the other models has also stopped (Legacy, Outback, Revor, WRX, BRZ, Toyota 86) because they use the same assembly line.
Subaru’s investigation about the defective component is still ongoing, saying that the production period of models that may have the faulty part is roughly between late December 2018 and January 16.
The Japanese car maker says that when the defect occurs, it will cause the steering control unit light to come up in the instrument panel and the steering will lose all assistance, becoming heavier than normal. Subaru advises its customers to stop driving immediately and contact their local dealer, in case such a situation occurs.
It’s not known yet when production at the Yajima factory will resume, with Subaru saying that they continue with their investigation in order to determine the cause of the defect. Until then, all production and shipping from their Japanese factory is halted.
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