Subaru Corporation of Japan has delayed the distribution of certain of its three primary automotive models and expects to temporarily halt the manufacture of the models due to an engine sensor problem, the company announced on Friday.

According to a source for Subaru, the problem with the sensor in the CB18 engine used in the Forester, Outback, and Levorg models has been discovered, and production of those vehicles would be discontinued in the near future, without providing any details.

Since October 2020, over 54,000 cars with the engine have been sold in Japan for the market exclusively, according to the source, who declined to comment on the number of cars affected by the shipment suspension.

Subaru has not decided whether to recall the cars and it would likely take 2-1/2 months before shipment is resumed, the spokesperson said. According to the source, the company will continue to produce and sell models without the CB18 engine.

According to the spokesperson, the sensor problem causes the engine to fail to start and a warning light to blink on the dashboard.