Does Subaru use Mitsubishi turbos?
No. Subaru's factory turbochargers have historically come from IHI (Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries), and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has not been a standard supplier for Subaru's OEM turbo units.
To understand this, this article examines Subaru's turbocharger sourcing across its model history, clarifies which manufacturers have supplied the turbochargers for Subaru’s forced-induction engines, and dispels a common myth linking Mitsubishi to Subaru’s turbo hardware. It also notes where aftermarket choices diverge from factory supply.
Historical turbocharger suppliers
Subaru's turbocharged engines have relied on a single dominant supplier for most of the company’s modern generations. The list below identifies the primary OEM source cited in automotive literature and official catalogs.
- IHI (Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries) — the primary and most consistently cited turbocharger supplier for Subaru's turbocharged boxer engines (notably the EJ-series and FA-series engines used in the WRX, Legacy GT, and Forester XT).
In practice, this means the majority of factory turbo units found on Subaru performance models over several decades were designed around IHI-turbo assemblies. There is no widely circulated official Subaru document listing Mitsubishi as a factory turbo supplier for these engines.
Current status and common misconceptions
As of the 2020s, Subaru’s turbocharged platforms continue to rely on IHI-derived turbochargers for factory installations. Some discussions and rumors occasionally mention Mitsubishi, but these do not reflect Subaru’s standard OEM supply chain. It’s important to distinguish between factory equipment and aftermarket modifications, where a range of brands (including Mitsubishi by some aftermarket shops) may be used by enthusiasts.
Context on collaborations and supply chains
Subaru’s broader corporate collaborations (for example, joint development efforts with Toyota on future platforms) involve product planning and engineering partnerships, but they do not imply a switch in the OEM turbo supplier. For model-year specifics, the best sources are Subaru’s official parts catalogs and dealership documentation, which consistently reference IHI as the turbo supplier for turbocharged Subaru engines.
Summary
The short answer remains that Mitsubishi is not a standard OEM turbo supplier for Subaru. IHI has been the primary source of turbochargers for Subaru’s forced-induction boxer engines across multiple generations, with no widely acknowledged official shift to Mitsubishi for factory turbos. Enthusiasts should still distinguish between factory hardware and aftermarket or custom setups, where various brands may be used.
