3BD-S500J · EBD-S500J
Subaru Sambar Truck S500J specs
S500J is the model code of the Subaru Sambar Truck, a kei car (registered in Japan as a goods vehicle). Japan’s transport ministry lists it in its fuel economy lists from 2015–2026 under 2 model types 3BD-S500J, EBD-S500J. A genuine car’s chassis number starts S500J-.
S500J at a glance
- Make
- Subaru
- Model
- Sambar Truck
- Model code
- S500J
- Model types
- 3BD-S500J, EBD-S500J
- In MLIT’s lists
- 2015–2026
- Engines
- KF 658 cc petrol
- Gearboxes
- 4-speed automatic, 5-speed manual, CVT automatic
- Drive
- rear-wheel drive
- Kerb weight
- 740–850 kg
- Official fuel economy
- 13.2–21 km/L (37–59 mpg)
Fuel economy is from Japan’s official tests and is usually better than you’ll see on UK roads. MLIT doesn’t list power or torque.
3BD-S500J
Listed 2021–2026. The 3BD prefix (our explanation, not MLIT’s) means petrol goods vehicle or bus certified to Japan’s 2018 emissions rules. Check 3BD-S500J against ULEZ and clean air zones.
| Engine | Gearbox | Drive | Weight | Seats | Fuel economy | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KF658 cc petrol | 4-speed automatic | rear-wheel drive | 770–810 kg | — | 13.2 km/L37 mpg, WLTC test | 2021–2026 |
| KF658 cc petrol | 5-speed manual | rear-wheel drive | 780–830 kg | — | 19 km/L54 mpg, Japanese JC08 test | 2024–2026 |
| KF658 cc petrol | 5-speed manual | rear-wheel drive | 760–830 kg | — | 15.3–15.6 km/L43–44 mpg, WLTC test | 2021–2026 |
| KF658 cc petrol | CVT automatic | rear-wheel drive | 800–850 kg | — | 21 km/L59 mpg, Japanese JC08 test | 2024–2026 |
| KF658 cc petrol | CVT automatic | rear-wheel drive | 800–850 kg | — | 16.5 km/L47 mpg, WLTC test | 2024–2026 |
EBD-S500J
Listed 2015–2020. The EBD prefix (our explanation, not MLIT’s) means petrol goods vehicle or bus certified to Japan’s 2007 emissions rules. Check EBD-S500J against ULEZ and clean air zones.
| Engine | Gearbox | Drive | Weight | Seats | Fuel economy | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KF658 cc petrol | 4-speed automatic | rear-wheel drive | 750–810 kg | — | 17.4–18.4 km/L49–52 mpg, Japanese JC08 test | 2015–2020 |
| KF658 cc petrol | 5-speed manual | rear-wheel drive | 740–800 kg | — | 18.6–19.6 km/L53–55 mpg, Japanese JC08 test | 2015–2020 |
Each row is one version as MLIT lists it. A version can appear twice when MLIT gave figures on two tests that year. Low-emission stars and trim names aren’t shown. MLIT gives fuel economy in km/L; the mpg figures are our conversion to UK gallons. Japanese tests are gentler than real UK driving, so expect less.
S500J build year by chassis number
Japan’s carmakers list the chassis numbers each code was built with every year from 2015. Find the serial below, or use the build year finder.
| Built | Chassis numbers |
|---|---|
| 2015 | S500J-000732 to 002055 |
| 2016 | S500J-002056 to 003510 |
| 2017 | S500J-003511 to 004650 |
| 2018 | S500J-004651 to 005800 |
| 2019 | S500J-005801 to 007038 |
| 2020 | S500J-007039 to 007835 |
| 2021 | S500J-007836 to 008582 |
| 2022 | S500J-008583 to 009198 |
| 2023 | S500J-009199 to 009657 |
| 2024 | S500J-009658 to 010098 |
| 2025 | S500J-010099 to 010438 |
From the JAMA chassis number lists: 車台番号一覧表. We keep only the chassis code, serial ranges and year. JAMA calls them reference information, not a certificate.
Check an S500J before you buy
Make sure the car is what the advert says: the chassis number on the V5C should start S500J-, and the engine and gearbox should match one of the versions above. Our free check reads the UK MOT history and compares it with the chassis code.
Other Subaru Sambar Truck model codes
Questions
What engine does the S500J have?
MLIT lists the Subaru Sambar Truck S500J with KF 658 cc petrol.
What fuel economy does the S500J get?
Officially between 13.2 and 21 km/L (about 37–59 mpg), depending on the version, on Japan’s own tests. Real-world figures are usually lower, especially against the older 10-15 mode test.
How heavy is the S500J?
Between 740 and 850 kg kerb weight, depending on the version.
Is 3BD-S500J the same as S500J?
Yes. 3BD-S500J is the full model type: the letters before the hyphen are Japan’s emissions code, which changed as the rules were tightened, and S500J is the model code. The chassis number starts with S500J-.
About these figures
The model types, engine codes, capacities, gearboxes, drive, weights, seats and km/L figures are copied from MLIT’s yearly lists of cars on sale in Japan each March, so “listed” years are list years, not exact production dates. The English model names, mpg conversions, emissions code explanations and chassis number matching are ours. Lists before 2013 were printed as PDFs that we read by machine; where an older list gives an engine code that doesn’t match its capacity, we’ve used the figure the same model type has in other years. Check anything that matters against the car’s own papers. Spotted a mistake? Email [email protected]. All Subaru model codes.
Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), Japan, fuel economy lists 2004–2026, used under the Public Data License 1.0. Edited and translated by JDM History.