Subaru VIN Number Lookup
It doesn’t matter how old a Subaru is, how much damage it has, or how many people have owned it — the Subaru VIN number stays the same. You can use our Subaru VIN decoder to find important VIN information, like the car’s specifications, options, features, and Vehicle history. Just type the VIN below, and you’ll get all the details in seconds.
What is a Subaru VIN Number?
A Subaru VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), is like a car’s fingerprint — no two are the same. It’s a unique code with 17 characters for modern vehicles, while older classic Subaru models manufactured before 1981 may have between 5 and 14 digits.
This VIN code tells important details about the car, such as where it was made, its model year, engine type, and more. Understanding and using the VIN can help you check for recalls, confirm specifications, look up the vehicle history, and ensure proper maintenance, making it valuable for both buyers and sellers.
Subaru VIN Number Breakdown: How to Read a Subaru VIN Number
Note that the letters I, O, and Q are not included in a VIN to avoid confusion with the numbers 1 (One), 0 (Zero) and 9 (Nine)
Now, let’s break down what all those characters in a Subaru’s VIN mean. A VIN is made up of 17 characters (except in classic vehicles), and each one gives you a clue about your Subaru's specific details. These characters are also grouped into three sections to make decoding easier, they are:
- World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) This includes the first three characters (characters 1 - 3) and signifies the vehicle’s country of origin and manufacturer.
- Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) This section includes the 4th to 8th characters (characters 4 - 8) and contains information about the vehicle’s make, engine specs, model, and more.
- Vehicle Identifier Section Here, you will find the 9th to 17th characters (characters 9 - 17), which encode details like the model year, manufacturing plant code, and a serial number unique to each vehicle.
What Does Each Character of the VIN Mean?
In this section, we will break down each character of a 2003 Subaru Legacy VIN
| Position | Number | Position | Number |
| 1st | 4 | 10th | 3 |
| 2nd | S | 11th | 6 |
| 3rd | 3 | 12th | 2 |
| 4th | B | 13th | 0 |
| 5th | E | 14th | 0 |
| 6th | 6 | 15th | 0 |
| 7th | 3 | 16th | 0 |
| 8th | 5 | 17th | 1 |
| 9th | X |
1st Character (Country of Origin):
The first character(4) indicates the Subaru country of origin - where it was manufactured. This helps identify the country of production. From the characters below, the sample VIN starting with "4" means the truck was built in the US.
2nd Character (Manufacturer):
The second character (S) in the VIN identifies the vehicle's manufacturer. With the sample VIN, the second character “S” denotes Subaru as the manufacturer. Other characters include
3rd Character (Vehicle type or Manufacturing division):
The third character(3) shows the vehicle type or the division. The sample VIN with "3" as the third character means we are dealing with a passenger car. Here are some common characters
4th Character:
This represents the line type (the product line). Common characters include
5th Character:
This represents the body type, e.g., Legacy wagon, Impreza sedan etc. Common characters include the following
6th Character:
This represents the engine type which can vary by year. Common characters include
7th Character:
This represents the model type and trim. This can be very tricky as you need to know the model to decode the correct trim. For our sample VIN whose model year is 2003, here are some trim levels with their characters
8th character:
This represents restraint. From the sample VIN with “5” as the eighth character, the Subaru car has manual seat belts with dual front airbags. Other characters include “6” which denotes manual seat belts with dual front and dual side airbags.
9th Character:
This is the check digit(X), which verifies that the VIN is authentic and not a fake string of random characters. It is calculated using a specific algorithm developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Sorry, it’s a mystery - we have no idea how this works.
10th Character:
The tenth character (3) indicates the model year and alternates between numbers and letters. Each letter represents a specific year; ‘3,’ from the VIN example, signifies the Subaru truck is a 2003 model.
Here’s a table that can help you quickly identify any car’s model year:
| Code/Year | Code/Year | Code/Year | Code/Year | Code/Year |
| A 1980 B 1981 C 1982 D 1983 E 1984 F 1985 G 1986 H 1987 J 1988 K 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 D 2013 E 2014 F 2015 G 2016 H 2017 J 2018 K 2019 | L 2020 M 2021 N 2022 P 2023 R 2024 S 2025 T 2026 V 2027 W 2028 X 2029 |
11th Character:
The eleventh character (6) shows the manufacturing plant and transmission. For instance, the sample VIN has “6” as the 11th character, indicating the Subaru car was assembled in the USA (SIA), and it’s a 5-speed manual AWD. Other variations include
12th to 17th Characters:
These characters (200001) make up the unique sequential number (serial number) of the Subaru. This changes yearly based on the line.
You can spend the whole time trying to decode a VIN manually and this is usually prone to errors. To get accurate information as quickly as possible, we recommend you use a reliable VIN decoder.
Subaru VIN Number Location: Find the VIN on Your Subaru
So, where is the VIN on Subaru cars? The various Subaru VIN number locations include the following:
- On the dashboard of the vehicle, near the windshield.
- On the driver’s side door jamb.
- On the car’s title, registration, maintenance book, or the auto insurance policy
Now that you’ve found the VIN, it’s time to retrieve all the information available from the VIN.
What Information Can I Get from Decoding a Subaru VIN Number?
A Subaru VIN number lookup tool can help you access everything about a new or used Subaru, including vehicle specifications, features, build sheets, and past history records.
Here are some Subaru specifications you can access when you use a Subaru VIN decoder:
- Year
- Make
- Exterior dimensions
- Number of doors
- Ground clearance
- Standard seating
- Transmission style
- Fuel type
- Braking
- Range extender
- Engine Description
- Front airbag information
- Emissions
- Cargo dimensions
- Model
- Valve train design
- Interior dimensions
- Suspension
- Traction battery
- Engine Size and specs
- Drive Type
- Tank capacity
- Trailering
- Displacement
- Mileage
- Tire pressure and size
- Wheels
- Electrical powertrain
- Trim
- Country
- Delivery charges
- Steering
- Weight
- MSRP
- Body type
- Seating
- EPA Class
- Engine model
- Engine configuration
- Seat belt type
- Off-road attributes
- Electrical specifications
Buying a Used Subaru? Look Beyond a VIN Decoder or a Window Sticker Lookup Tool
The VIN number is like your car’s personal ID—it’s key to verifying important details like where the vehicle was made and its specific features. But there’s more to it than just that. When you’re thinking about buying a used Subaru, whether it’s a car or a truck, you should dig deeper. By using our reliable Subaru VIN lookup tool, you can uncover important past records, such as accident reports, previous ownership, and maintenance history. This helps you make a smart and confident buying decision.
By conducting a Subaru VIN number lookup, you can track the vehicle history records from when the vehicle first left the factory. Below are the records you can uncover:
- Mileage
- Odometer Readings
- Sales History
- Auction History
- Accident History
- Title Brand
- Salvage Title
- Hail Damage
- Flood Damage
- Structural Damage
- Ownership History
- Usage History
- Ownership Duration
- Lien & Loans
- Maintenance Schedule
- Warranty Status
- Repair Cost
- Recalls History
How to Decode a Subaru VIN Number For Detailed Vehicle Information
When you’re looking up information about a car, using a free VIN decoder is a good first step. It can give you some basic details, but it often doesn’t tell the whole story. To get a complete picture of a Subaru, including specs, features, options, MSRP, fuel economy, safety ratings, warranty, color, and more, we recommend using our Subaru window sticker lookup by VIN. You can also search using the car’s US license plate or by entering its year, make, and model.
If you’re buying a used Subaru for sale and curious about the history and condition, simply use our Subaru VIN number lookup tool to uncover any hidden records.
Follow these simple steps to get your Subaru vehicle history reports within seconds:
- In the form above, enter the Subaru VIN, email, and phone (optional) in the above form. Our tool can decode standard VINs (17 characters) and classic VINs (5 – 14 characters).
- Click on ‘Search VIN’ to preview the vehicle specs and some records.
- Complete the payment process to generate and view your vehicle history report. You can download or print the report as a PDF for future reference.
- To get the window sticker, click “Get window sticker” in the form above to get redirected to the Subaru window sticker lookup page. Follow the instructions that follow.
Common Uses of the Subaru VIN Number
The VIN can serve different purposes depending on what you’re searching - basic specs, detailed specs and features or the vehicle history. Some of the common uses of the Subaru VIN are:
Vehicle Verification
The VIN can be decoded to reveal the vehicle profile like year, make, model, engine etc. This help ensures the vehicle matches its factory description and as advertised by the seller.
Vehicle Registration
A vehicle registration is only possible by providing the unique identifier - the VIN. This is mandatory before you can legally drive the vehicle on the road. Documents like the ownership papers, bills of sale, and titles usually have the VIN for proper identification.
Insurance Purposes
The VIN helps insurance firms to obtain accurate vehicle information for insurance and registration purposes.
Vehicle History Checks
This is one of the main reasons why the VIN is important. A VIN check tool can decode the Subaru VIN to reveal any used Subaru history and condition. You can uncover records including ownership history, theft, sales records, lien accidents, salvage brands, rebuilt titles, warranty coverage, and more. This helps you avoid car scams like buying a stolen car or detecting a car with an odometer rollback. The rule of thumb is never to purchase a used car without checking its history.
Safety Recalls
Since manufacturers have VINs in their database, they can easily identify specific vehicle models that get recalled and notify the owners to get them fixed as soon as possible. Before purchasing, car buyers can also run a recall check by VIN for pending recalls on any used car.
Police Checks
If a vehicle is reported stolen, the police can track it using its VIN. They can even place police markers on those VINs and receive alerts at checkpoints.
Popular Subaru Models to Explore with our Subaru VIN Decoder
You can easily decode any Subaru VIN format - standard 17-digit or classic car VINs ( 5- 14 digits long) using our Subaru VIN number decoder. Here are some Subaru models you may be interested in:
| Outback | BRZ | BRZ Limited |
| Forester | Solterra | Legacy Touring XT |
| Crosstrek | Crosstrek Hybrid | Ascent Onyx Edition |
| Impreza | Impreza Sport | Forester Sport |
| Ascent | Forester Wilderness | Outback Limited XT |
| WRX | Outback Wilderness | Crosstrek Premium |
| Legacy | WRX STI |
← Scroll horizontally to see more →
Other Available Subaru VIN Tools
Frequently Asked Questions
Simply use our Subaru window sticker lookup tool to assess Basic information including detailed features, fuel economy, original paint colors, MSRP, factory installed options and packages, warranty info, and more.