10/02/2026
Japanese automakers often build the same models on both sides of the Pacific. Do you look for a J on the first digit on the VIN?
Canadians shopping for a Subaru have started checking one character before anything else.
The first letter of the VIN.
"J" means the car was built in Japan. "4" means Indiana.
On one Canadian dealer's website this week, every new Subaru in stock started with J.
That's new. Until last year, many Subarus sold in Canada came from the company's plant in Lafayette, Indiana.
In April 2025, the U.S. put a 25 percent tariff on Canadian vehicle exports, and Ottawa answered with matching duties on American-built cars.
Subaru and Nissan responded by shifting Canadian supply from U.S. plants to Japan, or dropping U.S.-built models altogether, Automotive News reports.
The Subaru Ascent and the Nissan Pathfinder, both built in America, are no longer sold in Canada.
Subaru, Nissan and Toyota all posted double-digit increases in overseas imports to Canada in the first half of 2026.
The Port of Vancouver's auto terminal handled 264,284 vehicles in six months, its highest ever.
Sales of American-made vehicles in Canada fell 20 percent over the same period, according to J.D. Power.
Canadian buyers on Reddit are blunt about why they prefer the J: fewer rattles, tighter panel gaps, "probably better built than the US version anyway."
Toyota's Tahara plant in Japan, which builds the 4Runner and Land Cruiser, has a reputation among owners that borders on legend.
Japanese automakers build the same cars on both sides of the Pacific.
