SUBARU’s Unique Relationships with Customers
Enhancing Relationships with Customers
We have defined our value statement for customers as “Enjoyment and Peace of Mind.” “Peace of Mind” is established only when there is a sense of trust in the brand that customers feel from the quality and their experience at the retailer, as well as how the company resolves social issues and its contribution to the revitalization of the local economy, in addition to the safety of our vehicles. We believe that “Peace of Mind” is a prerequisite of “Enjoyment”— not only the enjoyment of owning and driving a SUBARU but also the enjoyment of traveling by car, the enjoyment of life with a car in general, and the enjoyment of connecting with the SUBARU brand in day-to-day life and the enjoyment of sharing this with friends. With this value statement in mind, all Group companies and employees engage in a number of initiatives in anticipation of various positions and situations while regularly asking themselves, “Do our business activities resonate with customers and do customers feel affinity?” and “What can we do for our customers, shareholders, suppliers and local communities?”
The Starting Point of Our Relationships with Customers
Over the years, we have fostered relationships with our customers focused on our products. SUBARU, which has its roots in the aircraft business, believes that the most important basic performance of a car is safety. In the development of aircraft, “safety” was the top priority, and together with pilots as the user, we carefully created aircraft that performed according to pilot feedback and expectations. Car-making that considers the driver, meets their needs, and appeals to their emotions is a philosophy passed down from SUBARU’s predecessor.
SUBARU 360, which was released in 1958, was the first mass-produced minicar to accommodate four adults, and was the starting point of the family car. It provided the “enjoyment” of going out with the family, and was more than just a means of transport. In Japan, it was a time when automobiles were still an object of adoration and out of reach of many. Yet, SUBARU pioneered the motorization of Japan from starting from zero, conceiving the ideal packaging, reducing weight to provide ride comfort and performance, and minimizing costs, leveraging technologies such as a frameless monocoque structure that harnesses aircraft technology and reinforced plastic materials.
As exemplified by the Leone, the first mass-produced AWD passenger car in Japan, the Legacy, which led the station wagon boom, the Outback and the Forester, which created a new crossover SUV category, and the EyeSight driver assistance system, SUBARU has continuously created unique new value based on innovative, free thinking, combined with unique proprietary technologies, mainly in safety technology and AWD, and the ability to meet customer expectations.
SUBARU’s Value Among Customers
The long-term result of this cycle has made SUBARU an important part of our customers’ lives, and they often tell us about their lifestyles, experiences, and affinity using words that describe their SUBARU vehicle as a part of their lives. For example, not just safety and peace of mind but also in the feeling of caring for important family and friends beyond that, the fact that their SUBARU vehicle is more than just durable and long-lasting, it is always there with them as well as their family and friends creating important memories in life and leisure, translates functional value into emotional value.
Survey results have shown that many customers chose SUBARU by word of mouth from family or friends. With the rise of the internet and social media, the affinity for the SUBARU brand and its products is now generated even more from the posts of each customer who praises their SUBARU vehicle not just as a means of transport but also for the product and the functional value it brings. This results in SUBARU occupying a cherished presence in the hearts of its customers.
The Voice of Customers as Driving Force
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People who I meet for the first time start talking about SUBARU and their memories with SUBARU.
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When research companies interview SUBARU customers, many of them speak with a passion. They often receive feedback, such as the survey response rate is high.
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When they meet a SUBARU employee at the immigration checkpoint, many examiners will take longer than normal, asking questions about SUBARU vehicles, such as “I have a friend who drives the WRX. It’s a great car!” or “When will the new model come out?
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SUBARU vehicles can sometimes be seen clustering together in parking spaces at shopping malls and restaurants, or politely yielding the road to one another.
Our Goals of Being More Than a Car Company®: Love Promise® Initiatives
Launch of Programs with Love as the Keyword
In the U.S., a key SUBARU Group market, we have been conducting our Love Campaign since 2008. Every day, SOA receives messages from customers saying things like, “I love my SUBARU.” What really stands out is that so many people use the word “love” to express their feelings about their SUBARU. Launched with love as the keyword, the Love Campaign involves a variety of initiatives that are closely attuned to customer feelings and values. That approach is especially represented during the year-end holiday season by the Share the Love Event® campaign. Large discounts are the norm during the season, but the Share the Love Event® gives customers who buy a SUBARU vehicle during this period the chance to have SUBARU donate on their behalf to a charity of their choice. This program is closely attuned to the sensibilities of customers who are committed to community engagement, and has been running for the 17 years from 2008.
Evolution from Love Campaign to Love Promise–An Initiative That Makes Us More Than a Car Company
The Love Campaign began as a sales promotion initiative, and over the past 17 years has grown into a more significant activity that makes use of community networks built through collaboration with more than 640 retailers across the U.S.
SOA and retailers are participating in the Love Promise Community Commitment based on a core belief in helping those in need through charitable efforts, and the concept that everyone connected with SUBARU should feel loved and respected. Focusing on initiatives in five areas of interest, we are making the world a better place through activities for the communities and regions that each retailer calls home. Specifically, in addition to the four organizations1 that SOA partners with, retailers independently support community and regional organizations.
Love will guide our aspirations to transcend what it means to be an automaker with programs to link customers, SUBARU vehicles, and life and lifestyles.
*1： These four national charities are SUBARU’s partners during the Subaru Share the Love Event: The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), Make-A-Wish, Meals on Wheels, and the National Park Foundation.
The Subaru Love Promise® Retailer of the Year Awards
The Love Promise Retailer of the Year Award shines a spotlight on exceptional Subaru retailers who contribute to their local communities while taking efforts to turn customer transactions into lifelong owner relationships.
In 2024, Five Star Subaru of Grapevine, a retailer in Grapevine, Texas, was named Retailer of the Year, which is the most prestigious of the awards.
Initiatives by Five Star Subaru of Grapevine, recipient of the 2024 Subaru Love Promise® Retailer of the Year Award
Since opening in 2016, Mr. Tony Hooman, General Manager and his team have been diligently focused on Subaru Love Promise initiatives at Five Star Subaru of Grapevine under the guidance of owner Sam Pack. Over the last eight years, they have donated more than $1.3 million to over 50 local and national charities, most notably partnering with Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange (GRACE) and Serving Our Seniors (SOS). These are two local organizations that support children, families, and senior citizens living in Tarrant County, Texas. In 2023 alone, Five Star Subaru of Grapevine employees volunteered over 900 hours and continue to assist community organizations and customers in need. The retailer has been a top-selling store since its first year of business, nurturing customer relationships and earning the Subaru Love Promise Customer and Community Commitment Award since its inception.
U.S. Accolades for the SUBARU Brand
Our programs, including Love Promise® initiatives with retailers and customers, rank highly in U.S. consumer brand evaluations for all industries and in U.S. customer satisfaction surveys. This has helped to enhance the SUBARU brand.
Ranked as Top Automaker in Forbes2 Best Brands for Social Impact for Third Consecutive Year
For the third consecutive year, SUBARU has been ranked #1 among 19 well-known automotive brands for social impact, according to Forbes.
*2：A leading global economic magazine based in the U.S.
Ranked Highest in Customer Service Index by J.D. Power3
With retailers, we have achieved the #1 ranking for customer satisfaction among Mass Market Brands in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study. SUBARU earned the top rating across every Voice of the Customer measure evaluated—including service initiation, service advisor, service facility, vehicle pick-up, and service quality.
*3：Earned the top rating for mass market brands, mass market SUVs/minivans, and mass market passenger vehicles in J.D. Power's 2025 U.S. Customer Service Index Study, measuring satisfaction with service at franchised dealer and aftermarket service facilities for maintenance or repair work among owners and lessees of one- to three-year-old vehicles.
Top Ranking in 2025 American Customer Satisfaction Index Survey Automobile Study
SUBARU was ranked No. 1 overall in the 2025 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) Automobile Study. The result highlights SUBARU’s strength in safety and dependability among other top-category claims. SUBARU earned an overall score of 85, up 2% over last year's ranking, and pulled ahead of all other brands in the mass-market segment.
The ACSI study and rankings are based on customers’ opinions of their own vehicles, and results are reported on a 100-point scale. In the ACSI 2025 Automobile Study of mass-market vehicles, SUBARU was rated4 as follows.
・Brand for Vehicle Safety, six years in a row
・Brand for Product Quality, five years in a row
・Brand for Overall Product and Service Quality, three years in a row
・Brand for Perceived Value, three years in a row
・Brand for Dependability, two years in a row
・Brand for Driving Performance, two years in a row
*4：Compared to all other measured automotive companies in their respective segments in the 2025 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) survey of customers rating their own automotive company’s performance. ACSI and its logo are registered trademarks of the American Customer Satisfaction Index LLC.
SUBARU's unique customer relationships
Fostering Customer Relationships: Creating Shared Experiences through SubieEvents
SUBARU returned as title sponsor of the 2025 Subiefest Enthusiast Events—a nationwide celebration of Subaru owners and fans held across six U.S. cities. More than a promotional effort, this program serves as a platform for building lasting relationships through shared values and immersive experiences.
The enthusiast events attract thousands of Subaru vehicles and fans who can experience unique opportunities like test driving the latest Subaru EV, hybrid, and gas models, get a ride along with a SUBARU Motorsports USA driver, participate in an autocross course with their personal vehicle, attend tech seminars, and more.
To support the Subaru Loves Pets® pillar of the Subaru Love Promise®, SUBARU partners with local pet organizations to have animals for adoption at every enthusiast event, as well as shaded, grassy “rest stops” for all dogs who attend the events.
These family friendly experiences allow customers to connect emotionally with the brand, build a stronger connection within their community, and deepen their sense of belonging.
Subaru Ambassadors Program
Subaru Ambassadors are customers who share a deep empathy and passion for the SUBARU brand, actively support our Love Promise initiatives in their communities, and voluntarily share the appeal of our products and brand. In 2024, our ambassadors volunteered hundreds of thousands of hours and hosted 4,661 events in their local communities, making a meaningful impact while sharing their love of SUBARU. Their efforts help strengthen connections with other customers and local communities, while also generating authentic, customer-driven messages that resonate in ways traditional corporate communications often cannot.
Together with these passionate and proactive Ambassadors, SUBARU is committed to realizing our vision of becoming More Than a Car Company.
Toward Achieving an Enjoyable and Sustainable Society
SUBARU’s manufacturing has always been centered on the lives of our customers. SUBARU cars have created memories for their owners, and our customers feel “love” for their cars and for SUBARU. In the U.S., “love” has evolved into the Subaru Love Promise, the philosophy and initiatives to which Subaru and our retailers are deeply committed. With products at its core, the Subaru Love Promise creates a strong bond between SUBARU, its customers, its retailers and its communities. We believe this is a source of our value creation for society and the future, and we intend to protect and expand it.
We at SUBARU will continue to work with our retailers to be a trusted part of our customers’ lives. Together With products, we will work to achieve an enjoyable and sustainable society.