JF1 — Subaru
A VIN beginning JF1 identifies a vehicle built by Subaru in Japan, covering Japan-built WRX, BRZ and Forester. The first character, J, is the region marker; the two that follow narrow it to the manufacturer and division.
Other Subaru codes
Large manufacturers hold several WMIs, usually split by plant or vehicle class.
Also built in Japan
Questions
›What car has a VIN starting with JF1?
A Subaru built in Japan — typically Japan-built WRX, BRZ and Forester. The three characters identify the manufacturer and plant region, not the specific model; characters 4–8 describe the model itself.
›Is JF1 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 JF1?
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.