Enter the 17-character VIN of your Subaru Forester to see the factory basics. Free, with no registration.
Look on the dashboard, the driver's door frame or in the registration document.
Type all 17 characters. The letters I, O and Q are never used in a VIN.
See the factory basics for free, and order a full report for the history behind the VIN.
Looking at a model Subaru Forester? Enter its 17-character VIN here and the free decoder tells you the manufacturer, the model year and the manufacturing country. Our data for the model Subaru Forester covers the years 1997 - present, with versions in our data: 9. Body styles: SUV; power: 241 hp. Three facts come straight from the code: who made the car, which model year it belongs to and where it was manufactured. The assembly plant is a bonus when the maker encodes it.
A VIN does not contain accidents, mileage readings, theft records or the number of previous owners. That information comes from a paid vehicle history report. Before you buy a car Subaru Forester, make sure the VIN on the vehicle is identical to the one in the registration document and in the sales contract.
1997 - present
Production years
122 - 241 hp
Power
1
Body styles
9
Versions
Versions and generations in our data. Use the VIN to confirm which one you have.
| Version | Years | Body | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subaru Forester I | 1997 - 2002 | SUV | 122 - 170 hp |
| Subaru Forester II | 2002 - 2008 | SUV | 125 - 211 hp |
| Subaru Forester III | 2007 - 2010 | SUV | 149 - 230 hp |
| Subaru Forester III (facelift 2010) | 2010 - 2013 | SUV | 147 - 150 hp |
| Subaru Forester IV | 2012 - 2015 | SUV | 150 - 241 hp |
| Subaru Forester IV (facelift 2016) | 2016 - 2018 | SUV | 147 - 240 hp |
| Subaru Forester V | 2018 - 2021 | SUV | 150 - 182 hp |
| Subaru Forester V (facelift 2021) | 2021 - 2024 | SUV | 145 - 182 hp |
| Subaru Forester VI | 2024 - present | SUV | 136 - 180 hp |
The 10th character of the VIN is the model year. For the Subaru Forester, with model years 1997 - present in our data, these are the characters to expect. The letters repeat every 30 years, so always confirm the year against the car itself.
On the driver's side, visible through the windshield.
On a sticker on the door frame or the edge of the door.
Printed in the vehicle registration or title.
Stamped on the firewall or the frame on many models.
A VIN is built from six parts, and each one says something about the vehicle. Our guides explain how to read it and what it can and cannot tell you.
Enter the 17-character VIN and see the factory basics in seconds.
Our data lists model years 1997 - present across 9 versions of the Subaru Forester. The VIN of a particular car shows its model year in the 10th character.
It is the 10th character. For the Subaru Forester the characters to expect are 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).
9 versions, in 1 body style, with power up to 241 hp. Use the VIN to confirm which one you have.
The usual places are the dashboard just under the windshield, the frame of the driver's door and the registration document. Compare them with each other.
Accidents, mileage, theft and owners. The free result is limited to what the VIN itself carries, which is the manufacturer, model year, country and, where coded, the plant.
No registration is needed. You type in the VIN and get the manufacturer, model year and country of manufacture at no cost.