Reading a Subaru VIN
JF1 and JF2 are Japanese-built Subarus, 4S3 and 4S4 mean Lafayette, Indiana — the Outback, Ascent, Legacy and most Foresters sold in the US are built there. Subaru's US plant volume has grown steadily, so on a recent Outback a 4S4 prefix is the expected result, not the exception.
Subaru WMI prefixes (VIN positions 1–3)
| Prefix | Manufacturer | Country of build |
|---|---|---|
| JF1 | Subaru | Japan |
| JF2 | Subaru | Japan |
| JF3 | Subaru | Japan |
| 4S3 | Subaru | United States |
| 4S4 | Subaru | United States |
| 4S6 | Subaru | United States |
Every prefix links to a full WMI page listing what that code covers. Position 11 narrows a vehicle down to the exact assembly plant — for Subaru that most often means Ota, Japan, Lafayette, Indiana, Yajima, Japan.
What a Subaru decode returns
The full factory record as filed with NHTSA: model and trim as built, engine displacement, cylinder count and horsepower where the manufacturer supplied it, transmission style and speed count, drive type, body class, door and seat counts, restraint system, and driver-assistance equipment such as forward collision warning, lane departure warning and backup camera. Every decode also runs the resulting make, model and year against NHTSA's recall database so open campaigns surface alongside the specs.
Common Subaru models that decode with full detail include Outback, Forester, Crosstrek, Impreza, WRX, Ascent. Older vehicles generally return fewer optional fields — manufacturers weren't required to file the extended safety attributes until the mid-2010s.
Subaru assembly plants
Subaru vehicles sold in the US have come from Ota, Japan, Lafayette, Indiana, Yajima, Japan. Plant identity matters more than most buyers realise: recall campaigns are frequently scoped to a single plant and a narrow production date range, so two identical-looking vehicles from the same model year can have entirely different recall exposure.
Position 10 tells you the model year — see the full table.
Frequently asked questions
How do I decode a Subaru VIN for free?
Enter the 17-character VIN in the box at the top of this page. The lookup runs against NHTSA's vPIC database — the federal record every manufacturer must file before selling a vehicle in the US — and returns model, trim, engine, transmission, drivetrain, body class, assembly plant and factory safety equipment, plus any open recall campaigns for that make, model and year. There's no signup and no lookup limit.
What do Subaru VIN numbers start with?
Subaru vehicles use the world manufacturer identifiers JF1, JF2, JF3, 4S3, 4S4, 4S6 in positions 1 to 3. The first character alone identifies the country of manufacture, so JF1 indicates Japan.
Can a Subaru VIN tell me the model year?
Yes — position 10 encodes the model year. Position 7 disambiguates the 30-year cycle: if position 7 is a number the vehicle is from 1980 to 2009, if it's a letter the vehicle is 2010 or later. Our year-code table lists every letter and digit against its year.
Does a Subaru VIN decode show accident or ownership history?
No. The VIN encodes how the vehicle was built, not what happened to it afterwards. Accident, title, odometer and ownership records live in paid databases such as NMVTIS, Carfax and AutoCheck. This page shows factory build data plus official NHTSA recall records — for title history you need a paid report.
Where is the VIN on a Subaru?
On the driver's side of the dashboard where it meets the windscreen, visible from outside the car, and on a sticker inside the driver's door jamb. It's also printed on the registration document, the insurance certificate and the title.
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