International is a USA carmaker founded in 1986, now part of TRATON Group (Volkswagen Group). The cars themselves are another matter: across 2 VIN prefixes on record they came off lines in 2 countries — Mexico 86%, Canada 14%. 6 models are tracked here (1983–2026). Reliable? yes, and comfortably so — 4.3 out of 5 across 6 rated models, though the spread between model years is far wider than the badge suggests (every model ranked →).
Who makes International
International Motors LLC (formerly Navistar International Corporation, formerly International Harvester) is an American truck and engine manufacturer headquartered in Lisle, Illinois, and since 2021 a wholly owned subsidiary of TRATON SE (Volkswagen Group's commercial-vehicle subsidiary). The original International Harvester Company was founded in 1902 through the merger of McCormick Harvesting Machine Company and Deering Harvester Company; the truck and engine operations spun off as Navistar in 1986 after IH's agricultural-equipment division was sold to Tenneco. The truck brand reverted to International Motors in 2024. International produces Class 4-8 commercial trucks including the LT highway tractor, RH regional haul, MV medium-duty truck, HV vocational and the eMV battery-electric medium-duty truck. The brand was a major engine supplier (DT466, MaxxForce family) until joint-venture engine work with Cummins replaced in-house programs in the 2010s. International holds approximately 12-14% of North American Class 8 market share. International Motors' parent TRATON Group trades on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange as 8TRA. Recall data for every International VIN sold in the US is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org decodes any International VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original delivery price.
International Harvester was founded in 1902 by the merger of McCormick (the inventor of the mechanical reaper) and Deering (a competing reaper-and-mower maker). The company expanded into truck production with the 1907 Auto Wagon and into industrial equipment, refrigerators and farm tractors. After 1979-1985 financial struggles, International Harvester sold its agricultural division to Tenneco (which became Case IH) in 1985, and the truck/engine operations spun off as Navistar International in 1986. Volkswagen-Group commercial subsidiary TRATON began acquiring Navistar in 2017 and completed full ownership in 2021.
| International | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founded by | International Harvester / Navistar predecessor |
| Headquarters | Lisle, USA |
| Owned by | TRATON Group (Volkswagen Group) |
| Slogan | «For the Driver» |
| Assembled in | 2 countries |
Technology it is known for: Cummins X15 / X12 engine integration, International A26 (12.4L) engine, Diamond Logic electrical system, OnCommand Connection telematics, International Driver Display.
This page covers International Motors (formerly Navistar) — not the broader International Harvester (the agricultural-and-truck conglomerate of 1902-1985, now split between Case IH for ag and International for trucks).
Where International cars are actually built
A badge says where a company is registered, not where its cars were bolted together. The first three characters of any VIN — the world manufacturer identifier — say the second thing, and that is what we counted: 50 vehicles on record, 2 distinct manufacturer codes.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 3HS | 2003–2025 | |
| Canada | 2HS | 2006–2010 |
Read your own: the first character is the region, the first three together identify the plant's manufacturer. A International beginning 3HS was assembled in Mexico.
All International models 6
Every International model we track, grouped by body type. Click any model for its VIN decoder, recalls, MPG, safety and ForCar Reliability Score — broken down by year.
International More models 6
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| International Lonestar | 2015–2015 | 4 | — | — | 4.0/5 |
| International 9800 | 1983–2026 | 3 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| International 5000 | 1984–2026 | 12 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| International Prostar | 2015–2015 | 7 | — | — | 4.0/5 |
| International LT625 | 2017–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| International 9900i | 1983–2026 | 53 | 3 | — | 4.5/5 |
International by the numbers
What the federal records say about the marque. Each line links to the full breakdown by model and year.
| Topic | International | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 79 campaigns | Most recalled: Equipment:recreational Vehicle/trailer |
| Owner complaints | 3+ filed | Most reported: 9900i |
Compare model years like a dealer does.
- Full research report on any model year
- Market chart: how this model holds value
- Exact values with mileage adjustment
- Price-drop alerts on the trims you're watching
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Get a International window sticker by VIN
Recreate any International's original Monroney label — MSRP, factory options, EPA MPG and safety — free from the VIN.
International window stickers →How to read a International VIN
Every International built since 1981 carries a unique 17-character VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). It encodes where and when the vehicle was made, its engine and body — here's what each part means:
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a International and the country it was built in (real International codes below).
- VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled it.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
- USA1HP · 1HS · 1YJ · 1YV · 1ZV · 1ZW
- Hong KongR2T · R38 · R5B · R8C
- Brazil93M · 93S · 93V
- Mexico3HR · 3HS
- ChinaR2X
The remaining digits — engine (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard. To decode a VIN number position by position, including the year-code table and where to find the number, use our free tool.
Who owns International, and what you get
International belongs to TRATON Group (Volkswagen Group). International competes in the North American Class 8 long-haul, regional, vocational and medium-duty segments against Freightliner, PACCAR (Kenworth/Peterbilt), Volvo, Mack and Western Star. Within TRATON Group, International joins MAN, Scania and Volkswagen Truck & Bus as the four-brand commercial-vehicle structure. The 2024 brand reversion to International Motors signaled a positioning return to the heritage truck brand.
| International | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | USA |
| Ownership | TRATON Group (Volkswagen Group) |
| Basic warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Assembly countries | Mexico, Canada |
⚠ Worth knowing before you rely on it: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, while basic cover here runs 3 years / 36,000 miles. See when International models actually start to break →
International — frequently asked
Is International usa?
International is a USA company, headquartered in Lisle and founded in 1986. The cars are a separate question: 86% of the International vehicles in our records were assembled in Mexico.
Where are International cars made?
Across 2 manufacturer codes on record, assembly splits as: Mexico (86%), Canada (14%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the manufacturer and plant country — that is where these shares come from.
Who owns International?
International is part of TRATON Group (Volkswagen Group).
How many International models are there?
We track 6 International models spanning 1983–2026. The full list is above, ordered by how often each is searched.
What is the International warranty?
New vehicles come with 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Terms vary by model year and market — confirm with a dealer.
Is International reliable?
It depends far more on the model and year than on the badge. Every International model is ranked by complaint rate here, along with the age at which each starts to fail.
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