Subaru VIN Decoder

List of Subaru Models

• Ascent
• B9 Tribeca
• Baja
• Brat
• BRZ
• Crosstrek
• DL
• Forester
• GL
• GL-10
• GLF
• Impreza
• Justy
• Legacy
• Loyale
• Outback
• RX
• Solterra
• Standard
• SVX
• WRX
• XT
• XV CrossTrek

Subaru VIN Number Lookup

Our DMV VIN check tool translates the numbers and letters in the VIN into a form you can read. Our Subaru VIN number lookup tells you the model, year, engine, and more. This is useful for learning more about vehicles for sale and verifying the seller's information is correct. That way, you don't waste time looking at cars you don't want. It also helps you avoid questionable vehicles, like that “STi” that is really a WRX with some extra badges.

Before you spend your hard-earned cash, order a VIN report on the vehicle you want to buy. Our system can pull information from national, state, and institutional records to create a vehicle history. The report includes vehicle owner lookups, registrations and available data from all 50 states. This helps you avoid vehicles that have been in accidents or may have legal issues due to an unpaid lien or theft report.

Don't have the VIN handy? We also have a license plate lookup service. This uses publicly-available databases to find records on the vehicle. From there, it finds the VIN associated with the license number and gives you the same information you get with our Subaru VIN lookup.

Where to Search for the VIN?

Some sales listings include the VIN number, making it easy to do a VIN check. You can also find it in several places around the vehicle:

Look through the windshield at the dashboard. You should see a plate with the VIN on the driver's side, next to the A-pillar.

Open the driver's door. You should see a sticker on the B-pillar. This sticker may be to the right of the door sill or below the door latch.

Open the hood. There are three locations where you may find a sticker or plate with the VIN printed on it:

• on the top left of the firewall
• on the inside of the left front fender
• on the driver's side shock tower

The VIN can also be found on the title, insurance policy, and other official documents. This lets you find and decode the VIN without direct access to the vehicle.

Comprehensive VIN Decoder Guide

Here's what you can learn about a vehicle when you look up the VIN on our website.

First Character: Country of Assembly

Second Character: Manufacturer

Some older Japanese-build models use Subaru's old parent company name, “Fuji Heavy Industries”.

Third Character: Brand Division

Fourth Character: Model Line

Fifth Character: Body Type

Sixth Character: Engine and Drive System

Two wheel drive

Four wheel drive

Seventh Character: Steering Wheel Position

While most automakers only sell left-hand drive vehicles here, Subaru also offers right-hand drive cars for use as mail delivery vehicles.

Eighth character: Safety Equipment

This identifies the active crash protection equipment installed at the factory.

Ninth Character: Check Digit

This digit is generated using a standard formula based on other characters in the VIN. This helps identify errors when the VIN is entered into databases.

Tenth Character: Model Year

This alternates between numbers and letters. Some letters, like “I” and “O” are omitted, so they aren't confused with numbers. 2023 model year vehicles use a “P” for this position, while numbers 1-9 were last used from 2001 to 2009.

Eleventh Character: Assembly Plant and Drive System

This identifies the vehicle's final assembly plant, as well as the type of transmission used. Most vehicles have one of 6 characters in this position:

Vehicles built at Subaru of Indiana Automotive (USA)

Vehicles built at Ota City, Gunma, Japan

Older vehicles built in Ota City use “G” for this character, regardless of transmission or drive system.

Characters Twelve to Seventeen: Serial Number

There is no standard for issuing serial numbers, and it's possible for two vehicles from the same model year to have the same number. However, no two vehicles will have a completely identical VIN.