Mine is a 2008 Forester XT Sports and my VIN: JF1SG66628G724543

 

Yep, my 2008 Forester Sports XT is also an SG6 according to the VIN plate.

 

SG5 chassis code
--> Any Forester in the Japanese Domestic Market from what we consider here in the United States Domestic Market to be '03-'08 but for the JDM is '02-'07. Literally any and all trim levels to include all N/A and Turbo variants as long as it isn't the Forester STi (SG9).


SG9 chassis code
--> This chassis code is reserved for the Forester STi and ONLY the Forester STi. It was produced from '04-'08 by USDM market standards/years but for the JDM market it was is '03-'07.

I am sorry but I think it is incorrect. My understanding is:

SG5 any EU or JDM 03-08 with 2.0liter engine

SG9 any EU or JDM 05-05 with 2.5liter engine

 

My Vin No is JF1SG9**********

It is a 2008 Forester 2.5l turbo XTEn. 230bhp.

 

Hmm....intersting. Perhaps the "SG9" portion of the VIN is related to all 2.5L motors outside the US market (USDM) then.

My 04 and 05 are both SG6 XT's

This would make sense and coincide with the previously mentioned statements.

Interesting. My vin indicates I am an SG6, I had assumed that all 2008 SG's were SG9, but I guess I was incorrect. In retrospect: that shoulda been obvious.

Haha, we all make these kind of mistakes. I just think there is a lot of misinformation floating around out there and even within this website and I'm trying to clear it all up as best possible.

It's always kind of bothered me how people throw around these designations (SG5 vs. SG9) to differentiate between pre-facelift and facelifted SGs, as if they were grounded in anything factual. Much like people used to refer to the 2.5RS or any pre-new age Impreza as "GC8" - when GC8 specifically stood for the JDM 2.0 WRX, which never existed in the US.

I'm glad we're seeing an effort here to clear up the confusion this naming convention has created.

Agreed, A LOT of misinformation and confusion when it comes to the identification and naming convention for the respective SG chassis years and where they are located. Just trying to provide clarity for any and all who might care or want/need to know.

This should clear things up a bit for you all

SG6 might mean an SG series with a certain engine, designed for a specific market - for example, the American market where the quality of fuel is lower and therefore will require a different map etc to take into account the lower octane fuel.

If anyone has a copy of the US manual, it would be interesting to compare

Hmm.....this is very interesting TMX. The VIN Decipher .pdf you attached would certainly help in identifying at least some portion of the VIN's, however, it doesn't really cover all of them and certainly excludes the US market (USDM). It does seem to substantiate though that the SG9 part of a VIN is used to identify 2.5L motors as opposed to 2.0L motors.

In Europe, did they switch over from a 2.0L to a 2.5L or did it just become an additional option? I was fairly certain the European market (EDM) mirror'd the Japanese Market (JDM) and that in the Japanese market (JDM) the only Forester to have a 2.5L motor was the Forester STi which left all other trim models to have the 2.0L motor, N/A or Turbocharged.

I wish I knew where to locate a copy of the US manual to link and compare the differences between your .pdf and the .pdf that would be the US manual.

Additionally, I wouldn't say our quality of fuel is lower/less over here in the US, it's just measured differently than it is in the Japanese (JDM) or European (EDM) markets, that's all.

 

My 04 and 05 are both SG6 XT's

 

Interesting. My vin indicates I am an SG6, I had assumed that all 2008 SG's were SG9, but I guess I was incorrect. In retrospect: that shoulda been obvious.

 

It's always kind of bothered me how people throw around these designations (SG5 vs. SG9) to differentiate between pre-facelift and facelifted SGs, as if they were grounded in anything factual. Much like people used to refer to the 2.5RS or any pre-new age Impreza as "GC8" - when GC8 specifically stood for the JDM 2.0 WRX, which never existed in the US.

I'm glad we're seeing an effort here to clear up the confusion this naming convention has created.

 

Here is the "European, Australia and General" version of the 2003-2005 manual, and it calls the 2.0L "SG5" and 2.5L "SG9"

I can't find a download source for the USDM OR 06-08 version anywhere... share if you have them!

 

Right, but that just deals with the '03-'05 and covers the "European, Australia and General"........however......Pleiad did post the USDM manual for the same years for the USDM makes just below so at least there's that much.

Here's the VIN decoder for the USDM MY04 Forester, as provided by Joe Spitz at cars101.com:

................Now we just need to try and finds something a little newer from the '06-'08 years to close the loop and then start digging into it to try and find out what makes the SG6 different from the SG9 as we have already established that the SG5 is basically your 2.0L from '03-'05.

Starting in '05 SoJ started producing the 2.5L and phased the 2.0L out it would seem though so perhaps with the case of the SG5 it really can be used as a pre-facelift identifier EXCEPT when it comes to the engine since it both were available options for '05.

Hmm......more info and research is needed here......

 

Here's the VIN decoder for the USDM MY04 Forester, as provided by Joe Spitz at cars101.com:

 

It seems in some markets there is an SG3, SG6 and SG7 too !

From a MY07 manual - not sure what part of the world it was intended for but it makes reference to US, Canadian and Californian Emissions

Edit: No inclusion of the 2.0 N/A engine so the manual must be for the North American market?

Edit2: Hopefully the tables show now

 

Wow....an SG3 and an SG7 as well?

W.T.F. SoJ.......

There has got to be a reasonable explanation somewhere that can be found explaining why there are so many different SG codes and what the key differences are between them.

Hmmm......

 

Based on searches on Japanese website
this is my understanding

****************
SF = 1st gen Forester
SG = 2nd gen Forester
SH = 3rd gen Forester
SJ = 4th gen Forester
***********************************
SG5 = 03-05 body style
SG9 = 06-08 body style

Has nothing to do with the VIN nor the decoding of the vin numbers

***********************************

SJ5 14-16 N/A Forester body style
SJJG 14-16 Turbo Forester Body style

 

Interesting thread. For the record: Australian MY03 Forester XS 2.5 N/A Auto (build date Dec-02). VIN: JF2SG9KR53Gnnnnnn

 

Hi!

New here, and is about (maybe) to buy an facelift GS 2.5XT 230hp.
I'm looking at two MY06 AT, and both have GS9 in the VIN.

 

It would seem to me then (thus far anyway) that the main difference between SG5 and SG9 would be the use of the 2.0L versus the 2.5L engines and that the SG6 is basically an SG9 but with different emissions equipment and regulations while still using the 2.5L engine.

 

Clearing the air on Chassis codes for 03-08 Foresters.

There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding on the terms SG5 or SG9 for the 03-08 model year foresters. I wanted to shed some light for a proper technical understanding that comes from Subaru of Japan since they are the ones producing the cars and designing them.

For this discussion we are talking only about the SG chassis code - model years 03-08 for the USA. However the engine size code does apply to all Chassis that use the SOJ (Subaru of Japan) engine designation when the cars are produced.

So here it goes:

SG5 - SG (chassis) code, 5 (engine code)

5=all 2.0L engines

SG9 - SG (chassis) code, 9 (engine code)

9=all 2.5L engines

So if you have a 2.5L forester then your vehicle code is SG9, NOT SG5
no matter what year your car is between 03-08.

The same for SH models. In Japan there is a SH5 because the Japanese model is a 2.0L engine. There is a 2.5L SH9

The same on Legacy models. BL5 (sedan) or BP5 (wagon)
2.0L engines.

There was a BP9 and BL9 for the 2.5L models.

Just my two cents.

 

While on the same topic would I be able to put on the SG5 JDM front on onto my 2006 SG6? I had a traffic incident and looks like I will be needing these parts.

 

Yes, but you will need more than just the lights, bumper and fender. You will need proper rad support and more. Someone has the parts list here somewhere.

 

I found the correct manual.
Here is the USDM 2007 Forester VIN decoder, which shows that this car will have a SG6 VIN rather than the SG9 VIN.
There is no such thing as a USDM SG9.

 

I have vin numbers listed below from a MY 2008 XT sports and 2007 XT sports.

2008.

JF1SG66658Gxxxxxx

2007

JF1SG696X7Hxxxxxx

and our other 2007 XT sports

JF1SG6968Hxxxxxx

Granted, everything minus the last 6 digits are there but the 08 is 666, where as the 07's are 696.

 

Yeah, that's what I'm coming to the conclusion of here.

In the USDM market, there is no such thing as an SG9.......we only ever saw the SG6 from 03-08 for the SG chassis.

In the JDM market though, it seems as though the SG5 versus SG9 was a dileniation(sp?) between the 2.0L and the 2.5L chassis.

 

Everyone wants to be JDM so they refer to then using the Japanese chassis code.

 

Yeah, it does seem like they all want to be JDM.....but I think that's just because the JDM models had better options and styling than the USDM models.

Yes, but you will need more than just the lights, bumper and fender. You will need proper rad support and more. Someone has the parts list here somewhere.

This is correct. You'll basically need to do a front clip swap in order to convert to the older 03-05 body style.

 

Just to add to the discussion I have a late 2002 Forester that is an early build of the SG series that was released here in Oz in 2003. My vin code starts with JF2SG9 and has an EJ25.

 

You're right it is personal preference, but to say they have better options wouldn't be true then. If a lack of options is a preference then it's just that.

When I have cruise control I use it all the time. Not just on long hauls. It's good for gas mileage and for keeping my foot out of it so I don't get speeding tickets.

 

More Perspective... What Does your VIN Plate Say?

I know that this thread hasn't been touched for a while, but I figured I would chime in with some additional info from my perspective... icon_confused:

My Car: 2004 Forester 2.5X
Designation Per Reading Here: SG5
Designation Per VIN: JF1SG63654XXXXXXX
Designation per VIN Plate: SG9 (See Photo Attached) with an EJ251

 

More Perspective... What Does your VIN Plate Say?

I know that this thread hasn't been touched for a while, but I figured I would chime in with some additional info from my perspective... icon_confused:

My Car: 2004 Forester 2.5X
Designation Per Reading Here: SG5
Designation Per VIN: JF1SG63654XXXXXXX
Designation per VIN Plate: SG9 (See Photo Attached) with an EJ251

It's only been ~6yrs ... time for me to dig into this thread!

Honestly, I think that there's a mistake on your VIN plate - the only way your vehicle would be classed as an SG9 was if it was in the European/Australian/General market (i.e. not the US). This is going to sound like I'm joking but it's quite feasible that someone could have misread the full VIN as 'SG9' instead of 'SG6' - for example, if they had dyslexia 🤷‍♂️. That is, of course, assuming that there is a process whereby a human has to manually create the 'Applied Model' code.

 

Bit more info - my car details - 2004 (54) plate UK car.
VIN states SG9, and although registered in March 2004 is MY2005

Please see attached.

 

I live in Romania.
My NA 2.0 AVCS(EJ204) 2006 Forester is SG5. My "new" 2.5 XT(EJ25) 2007 Forester is SG9.
2.5 NA is VERY rare around here(I think they are imported from US/Arabia) and 2.5 XT pre-facelift was only sold in 2005 and I only saw one. Don't know if it has the short gearing like USDM pre-2006 XT has.

 

I'm also curious about the chassis differences. Sg5/6 pending years. Are they just the motor differences? 2.0t/na being sg5, and 2.5na being 2g6, 2.5t being sg9?

 

@07nasohcfoz666 Have a read of this thread and all will be revealed ;-)