Subaru VIN decoder
NHTSA has 7 world manufacturer identifiers on file for Subaru cars, SUVs and trucks, registered in 2 countries. Enter a Subaru VIN to decode it, or check the table to see what the first three characters mean.
What a Subaru VIN starts with.
The first three characters of a VIN are the world manufacturer identifier (WMI). These are the ones NHTSA lists for Subaru passenger cars, SUVs, trucks and incomplete vehicles.
7 Subaru WMIs
| WMI | Registered to | Country | Vehicle type | Makes on this WMI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4S3 | Subaru of America, Inc United States · Passenger car | United States | Passenger car | Subaru |
| 4S4 | Subaru of America, Inc United States · SUV / MPV | United States | SUV / MPV | Subaru |
| JF1 | Subaru Corporation Japan · Passenger car Shared: Toyota, Subaru | Japan | Passenger car | Toyota, Subaru |
| JF2 | Subaru Corporation Japan · SUV / MPV | Japan | SUV / MPV | Subaru |
| JF3 | Fuji Heavy Industries U.S.A., Inc. (C/O Subaru of America) Japan · Truck | Japan | Truck | Subaru |
| JTE | Toyota Motor Corporation Japan · SUV / MPV Shared: Toyota, Lexus, Subaru | Japan | SUV / MPV | Toyota, Lexus, Subaru |
| JTM | Toyota Motor Corporation Japan · SUV / MPV Shared: Toyota, Subaru | Japan | SUV / MPV | Toyota, Subaru |
Reading a Subaru VIN.
After the WMI, positions 4–8 hold Subaru’s own coding for model, body, engine and restraints; position 9 is the check digit, 10 the model year and 11 the plant. The last six are the serial number.
Subaru VIN questions.
What does a Subaru VIN start with?
NHTSA lists 7 world manufacturer identifiers (WMIs) for Subaru road vehicles. The ones registered for passenger cars and SUVs are 4S3, 4S4, JF1, JF2, JTE and JTM. The first three characters of the VIN are the WMI.
Where are Subaru vehicles built, according to their VINs?
Subaru WMIs are registered to manufacturers in Japan and United States. The WMI shows the registering company and country; position 11 identifies the exact assembly plant, which the decoder shows for each VIN.
How do I decode a Subaru VIN?
Enter the 17-character VIN above. We decode it with NHTSA’s vPIC database, which uses the coding Subaru files with NHTSA for positions 4–8, then show the model year, trim, engine, transmission, plant and reported safety equipment.
Does a Subaru VIN show recalls?
After decoding, we list every NHTSA recall for that Subaru model and model year. Whether one specific vehicle has been repaired can only be confirmed with its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or by a Subaru dealer.