Subaru VIN Decoder

Decode Your Vehicle Identifications Number for Free.

FAQ

Where is the VIN number on a Subaru?

Please make sure your Subaru is made by a US manufacturer.
Location A appears on the front part of the dashboard on the driver's side of the vehicle, at the base of the windshield. A highly recommended way to find your VIN is to look through the windshield from outside the car.
Location B should be on the driver's door post. Open the door first, and you will find the VIN near the area where the door latches to the vehicle.
Location C is under the hood. A gasoline-powered vehicle usually has the code stamped on the front of the engine block. For older cars, the VIN can also be located at the front end of the frame.
Location D can be found on your vehicle's title, car registration, or insurance documents.
Four possible locations for a VIN number You should be able to find a Subaru's VIN at the locations above.

What is a VIN number (Vehicle Identification Number)?

A vehicle identification number, more commonly referred to as VIN, serves as a car's fingerprint. It is a unique code with 17 characters (digits and capital letters) assigned to each Subaru sold or manufactured in the US. Each part of the code stands for the exact information about your vehicle. It displays a Subaru's history including the year, model, and engine size, as well as the nation and factory where the vehicle was produced. Additionally, a VIN shows when a Subaru is purchased, sold, or maintained. And it can be used, by a manufacturer or state agency, to track recalls, registrations, thefts, or warranty claims.

If a Subaru was made before the year 1981, you will find the VIN has as few as 5 digits to as many as 13 digits. The standardization was not achieved until January 1981, when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) finalized the present 17-digit format. Our free Subaru decoder works fine with a standard 17-digit VIN.

Why my Subaru VIN number doesn't decode?

Decoder error? Here's a check list.
Possibility A: If you find our decoder fails to process successfully, please make sure that you put all the 17 letter-and-number combinations in a correct way.
Possibility B: To avoid confusion, the standard VIN format does not contain the letters I, O, and Q. Check if your Subaru's VIN is along with these letters.
Possibility C: Your car was made before the year 1981 so it was not accompanied by a standard VIN certified by the NHTSA, as referred to above.
Possibility D: An imported vehicle may not be assigned with a VIN. Check your Subaru's origin before using our free lookup tool.

How to decode a Subaru VIN number?

Curious about what hides behind a Subaru's VIN number?
  • The very first character tells you the exact country or region of the manufacturer.
  • Number two digit reveals the vehicle manufacturer.
  • Digit three is to specify what kind of vehicle it is, an SUV, truck, etc. The first three digits are known as WMI (World Manufacturer Identifier ).
  • Positions four to eight give a general report of a vehicle. They are put together as VDS (Vehicle Descriptor Section).
  • Number nine serves as the check digit, which is based on a mathematical formula from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
  • The tenth character refers to the model year of your car.
  • The eleventh position indicates information about what plant your vehicle is from.
  • The final six digits denote the vehicle's production sequence numbers.
Now enter your Subaru's VIN in the decoder above to check its history for FREE! Precise meanings of the 17-digit VIN number

What Subaru models can be deciphered by our free VIN decoder?

Our Subaru VIN decoder recognizes practically any model on the road, including Subaru Legacy, Impreza, Forester, Outback, WRX STI, and many more. One can effortlessly get a full report of a Subaru through our reliable VIN search, which covers exact information, for instance, the origin of the manufacturer, fuel type, body style, etc. We use specific mathematical formulas to determine each section of the VIN code.

However, since Subaru began its production in the middle of the 20th century, a Subaru model that was built back then fails to be suitable for a VIN check. Please make sure that your Subaru was born after 1981 before you get specs information from our Subaru VIN lookup tool. Select precise parts for your Subaru in our massive online catalog after a VIN decode.