JA3 — Mitsubishi
A VIN beginning JA3 identifies a vehicle built by Mitsubishi in Japan, covering Japan-built Lancer and Eclipse. The first character, J, is the region marker; the two that follow narrow it to the manufacturer and division.
Decode a full Mitsubishi VIN →
Also built in Japan
Questions
›What car has a VIN starting with JA3?
A Mitsubishi built in Japan — typically Japan-built Lancer and Eclipse. The three characters identify the manufacturer and plant region, not the specific model; characters 4–8 describe the model itself.
›Is JA3 the same as the country of origin?
The first character alone gives the region — J indicates Japan. All three together identify the specific manufacturer and division within it.
›Can I tell the model year from JA3?
No. The WMI says who built the vehicle, not when. Character 10 carries the model year, and character 7 helps resolve which of its two possible years applies.