2004 Forester front fender tags?

[Martha Bridegam]

We've just bought a 2004 Subaru Forester. It checks out OK at AAA except
the guy says there are no VIN-numbered (or other) tags on the front
fenders. However, I can't yet establish for a fact that there ought to
be such tags there or, if so, what they look like and where they ought
to be.

If anyone happens to have a 2004 Subaru Forester handy, would it be
possible to go open up the hood and see if there are visible tags? The
most likely place apparently is the area with the bolts on the top edge
of the fender where the hood sets down on it. But if the tags are placed
somewhere less accessible it would be a help to know that.

Many thanks,

/M

 

[Bertram]

Mine is on the driver's side strut tower next to the fender.

 

[Martha Bridegam]

Thanks much. I'll go look at ours now./M

Mine is on the driver's side strut tower next to the fender.

 

[Martha Bridegam]

We've looked at the tags with the help of our neighborhood Jiffy Lube
staff. There is, yes, a metal tag next to the fender on the driver's
side under the hood, and another metal tag on the driver's side door
jamb. But this only refines my question without answering it. What I
still can't figure out is whether the actual fenders should have
plastic/paper stickers on them bearing the VIN number surrounded by a
patterned background. Stickers of this type appear in several other
places on our Forester, including the latch area of the driver's side
door, the latch area of the rear hatch, and the underside of the front
hood. They don't appear, far as we can see, on the actual metal of the
actual front fenders. Should they?

Thx again,

/M