Identify · owner & buyer reference
Where the numbers hide.
A modern US-market Subaru carries the same standardized 17-character VIN as every other post-1981 vehicle sold here — but a kei car or a pre-1981 Leone doesn't, and this project hasn't researched those conventions yet. Read the era first, then the number.
Pre-1981 · not yet researched
Leone-era and earlier Subarus used manufacturer-specific serial conventions distinct from the modern VIN. This project hasn't researched that structure yet — flagged as an open thread in the research corpus rather than guessed at.
JDM & kei cars · not yet researched
The 360, Sambar, R-2, Rex, Vivio, and Pleo — and any JDM-only vehicle generally — use market-specific identification conventions this project hasn't researched. Don't apply the US 17-digit rules to a kei car or a JDM-only STI special.
Standardized VIN · 1981–present
The 17-character ISO 3779 / NHTSA standard. Subaru's confirmed World Manufacturer Identifiers: JF1 (Japan-built passenger car), JF2 (Japan-built MPV), JF3 (still registered under the pre-2017 "Fuji Heavy Industries" corporate name), 4S3 (Subaru of Indiana Automotive-built passenger car), 4S4 (Indiana-built MPV). Position 9 carries a calculated check digit; position 10 carries a model-year letter that repeats every 30 years, resolved against position 7.
Chassis codes vs. VIN
Enthusiasts identify a generation by its internal chassis code (GC8, BE, VA) at least as often as by model year — these codes aren't encoded directly in the VIN and come from a separate research thread. See each vehicle family page for its generation ledger, and the compare tool to put two generations side by side.
What a decode is — and is not
Reading the characters tells you what the VIN claims. It is labelled decoded: a rule-based interpretation, never proof of authenticity, never "matching numbers", never a factory certificate. Physical inspection, factory records, and marque-specialist forums outrank a decode every time. SubaruFacts does not certify authenticity, ownership, or value.
Read yours
The VIN reader detects the model-year and WMI, calculates the check digit, and explains every position — entirely in your browser, with nothing uploaded or logged. For deeper context, see the methodology and the coverage ledger.