Note - this unofficial independent Subaru research site is designed to help you learn about Subarus. It is not sponsored, authorized,  supported or approved by Subaru or any dealer and is not connected to or affiliated with, any dealer. Always contact your local dealer. Inspect any vehicle prior to purchasing.
Information subject to change, correction, updating.

looking for 2014 VINs - 2012 VINs, 2011 VINs, 2010 VINs, 2009 VINs - older VINs -
homepage -  sitemap - contact.

Where is it located: Left front corner of dashboard, driver's door jam, various body panels and engine components, on your registration and title

A code's specific meaning may be different on a yearly basis but the position remains the same.
 

Positions 1-2-3 Manufacturer ID code.
subject to change, correction

1: country code. J is Japan, 1 or 4 is USA, (2 is Canada, 3 Mexico, K Korea, S England, W Germany, Z Italy etc)
2. manufacturer. F is Fuji Heavy Industries (for example A is Audi, B BMW, C Chrysler, F Ford, G GM, H Honda, S Subaru SIA, V VW etc)
3. Vehicle type: #1 is passenger vehicle made in Japan (Impreza 4 and 5 door), #2 is MPV made in Japan (Forester, Crosstrek); #3 is passenger vehicle made in SIA; #4 is MPV made in SIA (Outback, Tribeca).

JF1  is made in Japan, by FHI Fuji Heavy Industry, passenger vehicle (Impreza),
JF2  is made in Japan, by FHI Fuji Heavy Industry, MPV vehicle, (Forester, Crosstrek)
4S3 is made in US, by SIA Subaru-Indiana factory, passenger vehicle (Legacy)
4S4 is made in US, by SIA Subaru-Indiana factory, MPV/SUV multi purpose vehicle (Outback, Tribeca)

Position 4 model ie line or model type, ie. what product line.
subject to change, correction

B is Legacy, Outback, G is Impreza, Crosstrek, WRX, STI, S is Forester, W is Tribeca, Z is BRZ

Position 5- body  what kind of body
subject to change, correction. This code can change yearly.

C coupe; H wagon; J 4 door sedan; M sedan; P 5 door waqgon; R wagon/5 door wide body; X SUV

Position 6 - Engine types, varies by year. This can change yearly . subject to change, correction

Impreza, Crosstrek, WRX, STI, BRZ, Tribeca: A- 2.0L RWD (BRZ), 7- 2.5L turbo, 8- 2.5L STI turbo, 9- 3.6L
Legacy/Outback A- 2.5L, B 2.5L, C 2.5L, D 3.6L, E 3.6L, F (blank), G 2.5L, H 2.5L, J 3.6l, K (blank), L 2.5L, M 3.6L |
Forester A-2.5L PZEV, B-2.5L, C 2.5L Canada, D- 2.5L Canada, E- 2.5L Canada, F- 2.5L Canada, G- 2.5L turbo, H- 2.5L, turbo Canada, J- 2.5L turbo Canada
 

Position 7 - model type and trim.
First, you have to know the model, then you can decipher the correct trim.

Notes awp: all weather package (heated seats, defrosting outside mirrors, front wiper deicer); mr: moonroof, nav: navigation; hk: harmon/kardan audio,

number	Tribeca	Forester	Legacy	Outback	Impreza	Crosstrek	BRZ
A	-	2.5X base/XT Premium	2.5i base	2.5i base	2.0i base	-	-
B	-	2.5 alloy wheel value pkg	Premium	Premium	2.0 Premium	2.0 Premium	2.0 Premium
C	-	2.5X Premium	Premium, AWP	Premium, AWP	2.0 Premium, awp	2.0 Premium, awp	2.0 Limited
D	-	2.5X Premium awp	Premium, H/K	Premium, H/K	2.0 Premium, mr	-	-
E	-	2.5 Limited	Premium, mr	Premium, mr	2.0 Premium, nav / WRX	-	-
F	7pass Premium	2.5 Limited Nav	Premium, HK  AWP	Premium, HK, AWP	2.0 Premium, mr, nav/WRX	-	-
G	7p Ltd Limited	2.5 X/XT Touring	Premium, awp, mr	Premium, awp, mr	2.0 Limited	2.0 Limited	-
H	7p Limited Nav	2.5 X/XT Touring nav	Premium, awp, hk, mr	Premium mr, awp, hk	2.0 Limited, mr/STI	-	-
J	7p Limited, DVD	-	Limited	Limited	2.0 Limited, nav/STI sedan	-	-
K	7P Limited Nav and DVD	-	Limited, hk,mr	Limited, hk, mr	-	2.0 Limited, mr, nav	-
L	-	-	Limited, mr, Nav	Limited, mr, Nav	2.0i Sport	-	-
M	-	-	Limited, mr	Limited, mr	2.0 Sport, mr	-	-
N	-	-	Limited, mr, hk, eyesight	Limited, hk, mr, eysight	2.0 Sport, nav	-	-
P	-	-	Limited, mr, nav, eyesight	Limited, mr, nav, eyesight	2.0 Sport, mr, nav	-	-
R	-	-	-	-	2.0 Sport Limited	-	-
S	-	-	-	special appearance package	2.0 Sport Limited, mr	-	-
T	-	-	-	-	2.0 Sport Limited, nav	-	-
U	-	-	-	-	2.0 Sport Limited, nav	2.0 Premium, awp, mr	-
V	-	-	-	-	-	2.0 Premium, awp, nav	-
Y	-	-	-	-	-	2.0 Premium, awp, mr, nav	-

Position 8 is the restraint system based on GVWR.
1- manual seat belts, dual front airbags, dual side airbags (seat bag), front/rear curtain airbags (on roof).
6- manual seat belts, dual front airbags, dual side airbags (on seat back), front/rear curtain airbags (on roof).
C: Class C (4001-5000lbs) MPV manual seat belts, dual front airbags, dual side airbags (on seat back), front/rear curtain airbags (on roof)
D: Class D (GVWR 5001-6000lbs) manual seat belts, dual front airbags, dual side airbags (on seat back), front/rear curtain airbags (on roof)

Position 9: check digit. A mathamatical formula that takes all the other characters in the VIN and comes up with a value of 0-9 or X, thus ensuring accuracy.

Position 10: Model year:  D- 2013, (E 2014)

(J is 1988, K is 1989, L 1990, M 1991, N 1992, P 1993, R 1994, S 1995, T 1996, V 1997, W 1998, X 1999, Y 2000, 1 2001, 2 2002, 3 2003,
4 2004, 5 2005, 6 2006, 7 2007, 8 2008, 9 2009, A 2010, B 2011, C 2012, 

Position 11- Manufacturing plant and Transmission: can vary by year
 

SIA (US Built)-  1: 6spd manual, awd 2: 5 spd automatic, awd 3: CVT, awd 4: 5spd automatic, awd

FHI (Japan built)  1: FR-6spd manual (FR: front engine, rear wheel drive) 2: FR-6spd automatic (FR: front engine, rear wheel drive) G: 5spd manual, awd H: 4 spd automatic, cvt, awd  L: 6 spd manual, awd

Position 12-17- sequential production numbers. Changes yearly, based on the model

600001-699999 BRZ 002001-199999 Legacy sedan  200001 -399999- Outback wagon

400001-599999 Forester, Tribeca 002001-199999 Impreza, Crosstrek, WRX/STI 4 door 200001-399999 Impreza, Crosstrek, WRX, STI 5door

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START 2013 FORESTER, made in Japan
 Information subject to change, correction, updating.

model code	Forester model	option package code and description	transmission	starting VIN	VIN key
DFA	2.5X	01- base	5 spd manual	JF2SHAACXDG	400001
DFA	2.5X	21- alloy wheel/roof rack value package	5 spd manual	JF2SHABCXDG	400001
DFB	2.5X	01- base	4 spd AT	JF2SHAACXDH	400001
DFB	2.5X	21- alloy wheel/roof rack value package	4spd AT	JF2SHABCXDH	400001
DFE	2.5X Premium	02- all weather package	5 spd manual	JF2SHADCXDG	400001
DFE	2.5X Premium	24- awp, Plus Value Pkg	5 spd manual	JF2SHADCXDG	400001
DFF	2.5X Premium	01- base	4spd AT	JF2SHACCXDH	400001
DFF	2.5X Premium	02- awp	4spd AT	JF2SHADCXDH	400001
DFF	2.5X Premium	24- awp, Plus Value pkg	4spd AT	JF2SHADCXDH	400001
DFF	2.5X Premium	33- awp, Tom-Tom navigation	4spd AT	JF2SHADCXDH	400001
DFI	2.5X Limited	01- base	4spd AT	JF2SHAECXDH	400001
CFI	2.5X Limited	10- navigation	4spd AT	JF2SHAFCXDH	400001
DFJ	2.5X Touring	01- base	4spd AT	JF2SHAGCXDH	400001
DFJ	2.5X Touring	10- navigation	4spd AT	JF2SHAHCXDH	400001
DFM	2.5 XT turbo	01- base	4spd AT	JF2SHGACXDH	400001
DFN	2.5 XT Touring turbo	01- base	4spd AT	JF2SHGGCXDH	400001
DFN	2.5 XT Touring turbo	10- navigation	4spd AT	JF2SHGHCXDH	400001

end 2012 Forester

start 2013 WRX AND STI
4dr sedan and 5 door hatchback
made in Japan. Information subject to change, correction, updating.
 

model code	WRX and STI 4 door sedan model	model option code and description	trans	starting VIN	VIN key
DWN	WRX 2.5T 4 door	01- base	5spd manual	JF1GV7E6XDG	002001
DWO	WRX 2.5T Premium 4door	01- base	5spd manual	JF1GV7F6XDG	002001
DWO	WRX 2.5T Premium 4 door	14- navigation	5spd manual	JF1GV7F6XDG	002001
DWP	WRX 2.5T Limited 4 door	01- base	5spd manual	JF1GV7F6XDG	002001
DWP	WRX 2.5T Limited 4 door	14- navigation	5spd manual	JF1GV7E6XDG	002001
DWV	STI 2.5T 4 door	01- base	6spd manual	JF1GV8J6XDL	002001
DWV	STI 2.5T 4 door	10- navigation	6spd manual	JF1GV8J6XDL	002001
DWW	STI 2.5T Limited 4 door	01- base	6spd manual	JF1GV8J6XDL	002001
\DWW	STI 2.5T Limited 4 door	10- navigation	6spd manual	JF1GV8J6XDL	002001
model code	WRX and STI 5 door hatchback model	model option code and description	trans	starting VIN	VIN key
DXN	WRX 2.5T 5 door	01- base	5spd manual	JF1GR7E6XDG	200001
DXO	WRX 2.5T Premium 5 door	01- base	5spd manual	JF1GR7E6XDG	200001
DXO	WRX 2.5T Premium 5 door	14- navigation	5spd manual	JF1GR7E6XDG	200001
DXP	WRX 2.5T Limited 5 door	01- base	5spd manual	JF1GR7E6XDG	200001
DXP	WRX 2.5T Limited 5 door	14- navigation	5spd manual	JF1GR7E6XDG	200001
DXV	STI 2.5T 5 door	01- base	6spd manual	JF1GR8H6XDL	200001
DXV	STI 2.5T 5 door	10- navigation	6spd manual	JF1GR8H6XDL	200001

all info subject to change, correction
-

end BRZ

START 2013 XV CROSSTREK
made in Japan
all info subject to change, correction

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the end