Makes

Subaru VIN decoder

Decode any Subaru VIN for manufacturer specifications and NHTSA safety recall campaigns, and see which World Manufacturer Identifiers NHTSA has on record for Subaru.

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Enter all 17 characters. The decoder reads the make, model and year from the whole VIN, not just the first three characters.

Subaru WMI codes

The first three characters of a VIN are the World Manufacturer Identifier. NHTSA lists 6 of them for Subaru. They were issued across 2 countries: Japan and United States (USA). They span 3 vehicle types, listed separately below.

The country shown is where the identifier was issued, which usually but not always matches where a given vehicle was assembled. The eleventh character identifies the specific plant. A single WMI can cover more than one vehicle type, so some codes appear in more than one table.

Passenger Car 3 codes

Subaru WMI codes — passenger car
WMI	Registered entity	Country
4S3	SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC	United States (USA)
JF1	SUBARU CORPORATION	Japan
JF4	FUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES U.S.A., INC. (C/O SUBARU OF AMERICA)	Japan

Truck 1 code

Subaru WMI codes — truck
WMI	Registered entity	Country
JF3	FUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES U.S.A., INC. (C/O SUBARU OF AMERICA)	Japan

Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) 2 codes

Subaru WMI codes — multipurpose passenger vehicle (mpv)
WMI	Registered entity	Country
4S4	SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC	United States (USA)
JF2	SUBARU CORPORATION	Japan

Source: NHTSA vPIC, GetWMIsForManufacturer. Retrieved 2026-10-21.

Common Subaru models

Some of the Subaru models you are most likely to be decoding, as NHTSA spells them. Recall searches by year, make and model need that exact spelling.

Outback
Forester
Crosstrek — vPIC also lists the earlier name XV CrossTrek.
Impreza
Legacy
Ascent
WRX
BRZ
Solterra

Model names checked against NHTSA vPIC.

Notable Subaru recalls since 2018

A few of the largest or most serious recent safety recalls covering Subaru vehicles. They are examples, not a complete list: a single model year can have a dozen campaigns. A recall on the model does not mean it is still open on a particular car, so check the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup, or see every campaign for a year and model with our recall lookup.

Electrical system: engine control software

Vehicles: Certain 2017-2019 Subaru Impreza and 2018-2019 Crosstrek vehicles.

The engine control module can keep powering the ignition coil after the engine is switched off, which can cause a short circuit and a blown fuse. If that happens while driving, the engine can stall, raising the risk of a crash.

Dealers update the engine control software and inspect and replace the ignition coil as needed, and replace the front exhaust pipe on vehicles with confirmed coil damage, at no charge.

NHTSA campaign 19V743000, reported 18 October 2019, about 466,205 vehicles across every brand in the campaign.

Suspension: rear stabilizer bracket

Vehicles: Certain 2018-2019 Subaru Crosstrek, 2019 Crosstrek Hybrid and 2019 Forester vehicles.

The bolts holding the rear stabilizer bar bracket can loosen and fall out. A bracket that shifts without its bolts raises the risk of a crash.

Dealers retighten the bolts and replace any that are missing at no charge.

NHTSA campaign 21V263000, reported 15 April 2021, about 408,271 vehicles across every brand in the campaign.

Electrical system: wiring (cabin heater ground)

Vehicles: Certain 2019-2022 Subaru Ascent vehicles.

The bolt that secures the ground terminal of the supplemental electric cabin heater (PTC heater) may not have been fastened properly. The terminal and nearby parts can then melt, increasing the risk of a fire.

Dealers replace the heater ground bolts, and the ground wire and connector holder if needed, at no charge; until then owners are told to park away from buildings, not to leave the vehicle running unattended, and to stop and switch off if they see or smell smoke from the dash or driver's footwell.

NHTSA campaign 22V907000, reported 8 December 2022, about 271,694 vehicles across every brand in the campaign.

Fuel system: fuel pump

Vehicles: Certain 2019-2020 Subaru Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy and Outback, and 2018-2019 BRZ and WRX vehicles; the campaign also covers 2018-2019 Toyota 86 vehicles.

The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank can fail. A failed pump can stall the engine while driving, raising the risk of a crash.

Dealers replace the low-pressure fuel pump at no charge.

NHTSA campaign 21V587000, reported 29 July 2021, about 175,968 vehicles across every brand in the campaign.

Air bags: front passenger occupant detection sensor

Vehicles: Certain 2020-2022 Subaru Outback and Legacy vehicles.

A capacitor in the front passenger seat's occupant detection sensors can crack and short circuit. That can keep the front passenger air bag from deploying in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Dealers replace the occupant detection sensors in the front passenger seat at no charge.

NHTSA campaign 24V227000, reported 22 March 2024, about 118,723 vehicles across every brand in the campaign.

Recall details from the NHTSA recalls API, checked 26 October 2026.

Reading the rest of a Subaru VIN

Characters 4 to 8 describe the vehicle — model, body style, engine, restraint system. Subaru assigns that scheme itself and files it with NHTSA, which is why decoding requires a lookup rather than arithmetic. Character 9 is the check digit, character 10 is the model year, and character 11 is the assembly plant.

See how to read a VIN for the full breakdown, or model year codes for the position 10 table.

Where the VIN is on a Subaru

On the driver's side dashboard, readable through the windshield, and on a sticker in the driver's door jamb. The door jamb sticker usually carries a scannable barcode, which is more reliable than transcribing 17 characters by eye — the decoder can read it with your camera.

More detail in where to find the VIN.