On March 3rd, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) made an announcement regarding a modification in its senior management hierarchy. Starting from April 1st, Thomas J. Doll, the current President and Chief Executive Officer, will relinquish his day-to-day managerial responsibilities and instead become a Corporate Advisor stationed at the company's headquarters in Camden.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the contributions Tom has made over the past 40 years. I fondly remember the days we spent working together at Subaru of America from 2014 to 2017,” said Tomomi Nakamura, President and CEO of Subaru Corporation (SBR). “He is truly a great contributor. I am deeply grateful for his long-time dedication that has made Subaru what we are today. His commitment and friendship have helped to grow Subaru of America into a very strong position in the U.S. market and has created a strong and valued brand. But his leadership and the creation of the Love Promise initiative have truly elevated Subaru to be more than a car company.”

Starting April 1st, Tadashi "Tady" Yoshida will take over as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Subaru of America, Inc., succeeding Thomas J. Doll. Currently serving as Executive Vice President, Yoshida has been a part of Subaru of America for two years and has been associated with its parent company, SBR, for 34 years. Throughout his career, he has held several senior positions in SBR, including in Overseas Sales and Marketing, Global Marketing, and Customer Service Division.

Furthermore, Subaru of America, Inc. has announced that Jeffrey A. Walters will be promoted to the position of President and Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately. Walters has been associated with SOA for over 30 years and currently serves as Senior Vice President of Sales. He was appointed as Senior Vice President in 2014 after working as Vice President of Field Operations. Prior to that, he held several key positions, including Director of Field Operations, Regional Sales Manager, and Brand Strategy Manager.

“The Subaru brand and Subaru of America hold a special place in my heart. Since the day I arrived here 41 years ago, we have worked tirelessly to make Subaru more than a car company. The growth of this company has been nothing if not spectacular, but I am most proud of the good we have done with our Love Promise programs and the lives we have impacted. It is the employees of Subaru of America, the great friendships we have developed and our amazing customers and retailers who are the secret of our success,” said Doll. “We are headed into an exciting new time of growth for the industry, and I know we have an incredibly strong team in place to guide Subaru of America forward.”

During Thomas J. Doll's tenure as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in 2009, and subsequently as President in 2013 and CEO in 2018, Subaru of America witnessed an unparalleled growth trajectory. Thanks to his leadership, the company achieved 12 consecutive years of sales records from 2008 to 2019, with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic's production shutdown. Doll's association with SOA spans over 40 years, during which he has held various key positions such as Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Business and Strategic Planning, Director of Accounting, Director of Treasury Operations, and Manager of Treasury Operations.

Source: ​Subaru of America

The wheels on the Solterra go round and round... and might still fall off. In the middle of 2022, shortly after the start of production for the Solterra and the Toyota bZ4X (they are built as a partnership between Subaru and Toyota), a recall was issued because "the hub bolts on the wheels may loosen, causing a wheel to detach from the vehicle after low-mileage use."

It took Toyota and Subaru months to correct the problem, but it was fixed.. or so it seemed.

Now, Subaru is saying the third-party company (unnamed) that was contracted to conduct the repairs did not properly torque some bolts, which could lead to the wheels loosening and falling off the Solterra.

Owners are urged to stop driving their vehicles immediately and contact their local repair center. Luckily, it seems that the problem is much less complicated this time around and Subaru service centers will be able to inspect and tighten the wheel hub bolts to a proper spec. Owners will not be charged for the repair or the cost of having their vehicle towed to the service center. 

However, this isn't a good start to the production of the brand's first electric vehicle, and is likely to leave a bad taste for some owners. 

At this time there is no information that suggests the Toyota bZ4X is affected in the same way. The contractor for Subaru did not conduct the initial repairs for Toyota's vehicles.

As with all recalls, Subaru will be contacting current owners to inform them that their vehicle may be affected. Owners can also visit Subaru's Recall Website and enter the VIN of their vehicle.

VIN checking can also be done via NHTSA's website or by calling their Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 M-F 8am-8pm EST.