Understand the car behind the VIN

2003 Subaru Forester 2.5XS specifications

Build JF156656-3

Explore the specifications recorded for VIN pattern JF156656-3. Start here to understand this version, then check the full VIN for an individual car.

NHTSA vPIC decode · Pattern-level specifications

  • Decoded Sep 9, 2026
  • 1 known VINs

The essentials, explained

Engine, transmission & body specifications

As filed by Subaru with NHTSA for this VIN pattern. Fields the filing does not record are left out entirely — a missing row means no recorded value, not a missing feature.

Engine

Fuel type
Other

Body & chassis

NHTSA body type
PASSENGER CAR
Manufacturer
SUBARU CORPORATION

How this VIN pattern is read

A 17-character VIN carries two kinds of information: what was built, and which one it is. This page is the first kind — the nine highlighted positions.

VIN positions 1 through 8 read JF156656 and position 10 reads 3. Those nine characters define this build. Position 9 and positions 11 through 17 describe the check digit, assembly plant and production sequence; they are not part of this pattern.

Positions Characters What they encode
1–3 JF1 SUBARU CORPORATION · World manufacturer identifier
4–8 56656 Model, body style, engine and restraint system
9 × Check digit — computed per vehicle, not part of the build
10 3 Model year — 2003
11 × Assembly plant
12–17 ×××××× Production sequence number, unique to each vehicle

From a version to your vehicle

Is this the car you’re looking at?

Enter the full VIN — the 17 characters on the windshield or title — to open the vehicle’s page.

Before you make it yours

Three checks beyond the specification

History of the exact car

A shared engine says nothing about accidents or odometer changes. Review records for the full VIN.

Start with the VIN ↑

Recall status

Model-year campaigns alone cannot confirm whether a car was affected or repaired. Check its individual VIN.

Check with NHTSA ↗

Condition & equipment

Confirm installed equipment and arrange an independent inspection. Specifications cannot show wear or past modifications.

Explore actual vehicles

1 known VINs for this pattern

Every VIN we have decoded to JF156656-3 is associated with this pattern in our records. Shared specifications do not mean shared history, condition or installed options.

  • 1 Known VINs

Keep going

Useful answers, without the guesswork

2003 Subaru Forester: specification questions

Is this an original window sticker?

No. This page summarizes decoded VIN-pattern specifications. An original sticker or build record is needed to verify the optional equipment of a particular car.

Are the known VINs a production total?

No. These are VINs observed in our records. The count does not establish total production or rarity.

Does a missing specification mean the feature is absent?

No. Missing fields mean that a value is not recorded in this decode. Check the individual vehicle and its manufacturer documentation.

Where this data comes from

Specification fields are decoded from the manufacturer's filings in the NHTSA vPIC database, keyed on VIN positions 1–8 and 10. We publish the filed values as they stand and leave out anything the filing does not record.

Vehicle counts come from the 1 VINs of this build we have seen in dealer inventory. They are a sample of the road population, not a production figure.

About the NHTSA vPIC data source ↗

Pattern decode updated September 9, 2026.