Free VIN Decoder & Lookup: What Each VIN Digit Means

Where to find the VIN on a car, truck or title

On a car or light truck the VIN is visible through the windshield at the lower left of the dashboard and on the driver-side door jamb. On paperwork, look at the certificate of title, the registration card and the insurance ID card. All copies must match exactly.

Vehicle identification number

1HGCM82633A004352

MakerModel & engineYearSerial

DashboardDoor jambEngine bay / frame

1
Dashboard, driver side
Look through the windshield in the lower left corner, where the dash meets the glass.
2
Driver-side door jamb
The sticker or plate on the B-pillar or door edge (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard label).
3
Engine bay or frame
Stamped on the firewall or, on trucks, on the frame rail near the front wheel.

Certificate of title with the VIN in its own box

1
Title certificate
Every state title shows the VIN near the year, make and model.
2
Registration card
The registration card in the glove box repeats the VIN.
3
Compare with the car
If the VIN on the title differs from the one on the dashboard, do not buy until it is explained.

1
Insurance ID card
Your insurance card or app lists the VIN of each covered vehicle.
2
Policy documents
The declarations page of the policy shows the full VIN too.
3
Service records
Repair orders and dealer invoices usually carry the VIN as well.

The VIN

What is a VIN?

Length17 letters and digits

Where it isDashboard, door jamb, title

First characterCountry of manufacture

The vehicle identification number (VIN) is a unique code given to every car, truck, motorcycle and trailer at the factory. Since the 1981 model year it has 17 characters, without spaces and without the letters I, O and Q, which could be read as 1 and 0. Each section says something about the vehicle: where and by whom it was built, the model and engine, the model year, the plant and its serial number.

Step by step

How to decode a VIN number

Tap or hover over a part of the example VIN to see what it means. The three sections: WMI (1–3), VDS (4–9) and VIS (10–17).

1HGWMICM826VDS3Check3YearAPlant004352Serial

Position 1–3Country and manufacturer

The first character is the region or country (1, 4, 5 = USA); the first three together identify the maker (1HG = Honda, USA; 1FT = Ford trucks; JTD = Toyota, Japan).

Position 4–8Model, body and engine

Each maker codes the model line, body style, engine and restraint system here (CM826 = Accord EX-V6 coupe, 3.0 L V6).

Position 9Check digit

Computed from the other 16 characters; mandatory in the US and Canada. A wrong check digit means a typo or a fake VIN.

Position 10Model year

The model-year code: 3 = 2003 (see the table below). The model year can start in the previous calendar year.

Position 11Assembly plant

The factory that built the vehicle (A = Marysville, Ohio, for this Honda).

Position 12–17Production number

The unique serial number of the vehicle on that line.

Free decoder

How to use the VIN decoder

1Copy the VIN
From the dashboard, the driver-side door jamb, the title, the registration or the insurance card.
2Enter the 17 characters
In the field above, then press “Decode free”.
3See what the vehicle is
Make, model, trim, engine, model year, plant and safety equipment for US-market VINs (NHTSA data); the likely model and specs from our catalog for European VINs.
4Open the history
For accidents, title brands, odometer readings and past listings: the full carVertical report.

The decoder is built for vehicles made from 1981 onward; older vehicles can have shorter VINs. US, Canadian and Mexican VINs are decoded with the free NHTSA vPIC service (the official US source). For European VINs the model and engine are estimated from VINs with the same pattern decoded before.

How the check digit works

Each letter gets a value (A=1, B=2 … J=1, K=2 … S=2 … Z=9), each position a weight (8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 10, 0, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2). Multiply, add up and divide by 11: the remainder is the 9th character (10 is written as X). A VIN that fails this test has a typo, or was altered.

Engine code from the VIN

For US-market vehicles the 8th character usually encodes the engine, and the NHTSA data names it (displacement, cylinders, fuel). The engine number itself is stamped on the block; our catalog lists the engine codes for each version.

Free decode vs. history report

The free decode tells you what the vehicle is: make, model, year, engine, plant and equipment. It does not tell you what happened to it. Accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and past listings are in a paid history report; theft and total-loss records are free at NICB VINCheck.

Model year codes (10th character)The same code repeats every 30 years (“A” = 1980 or 2010); the 7th character tells them apart on US vehicles (a digit before 2010, a letter from 2010).

Code	Year	or	Code	Year	or	Code	Year	or
A	1980	2010	L	1990	2020	Y	2000	–
B	1981	2011	M	1991	2021	1	2001	–
C	1982	2012	N	1992	2022	2	2002	–
D	1983	2013	P	1993	2023	3	2003	–
E	1984	2014	R	1994	2024	4	2004	–
F	1985	2015	S	1995	2025	5	2005	–
G	1986	2016	T	1996	2026	6	2006	–
H	1987	2017	V	1997	2027	7	2007	–
J	1988	2018	W	1998	–	8	2008	–
K	1989	2019	X	1999	–	9	2009	–

World manufacturer identifier (WMI): country codesThe first three characters identify the maker; the first one is the region, and the first two usually the country.

First character	Region	Countries
A–H	Africa	AA–AH South Africa
J–R	Asia	J Japan · KL–KR South Korea · L China · MA–ME India · MF–MK Indonesia · ML–MR Thailand · PL–PR Malaysia · RF–RG Taiwan
S–Z	Europe	SA–SM United Kingdom · SN–ST and W Germany · SU–SZ Poland · TA–TH Switzerland · TJ–TP Czech Republic · TR–TV Hungary · TW Portugal · UU–U7 Romania · VA–VE Austria · VF–VR France · VS–VW Spain · XL–XM Netherlands · X3–X0 Russia · YA–YE Belgium · YF–YK Finland · YS–YW Sweden · ZA–ZR Italy
1–5	North America	1, 4, 5 United States · 2 Canada · 3 Mexico
6–7	Oceania	6A–6W Australia · 7A–7E New Zealand
8–9	South America	8A–8E Argentina · 8F–8J Chile · 9A–9E and 93–99 Brazil · 9F–9J Colombia

FAQ

VIN decoding in short

Is the VIN decoder really free?

Yes. Decoding the VIN (make, model, model year, engine, plant and, for US vehicles, trim and safety equipment) is free and needs no sign-up. The vehicle history – accidents, title brands, odometer readings – is a paid carVertical report; theft and total-loss records are free at NICB VINCheck.

What does each digit in a VIN mean?

Characters 1–3 are the manufacturer (WMI), 4–8 describe the model, body and engine, 9 is the check digit, 10 the model year, 11 the assembly plant and 12–17 the serial number.

How do I find the model year from a VIN?

Read the 10th character and look it up in the year table above: for example K = 2019, L = 2020, R = 2024, S = 2025. Letters repeat every 30 years; on US vehicles a letter in position 7 means 2010 or later.

Can a VIN tell me if a car was in an accident?

Not by itself. The VIN is the key to the records: a history report searches insurance, salvage, title and police databases by VIN and shows accidents, salvage or flood titles and odometer readings.

How many characters does a VIN have?

17 for vehicles built from 1981 on, without the letters I, O and Q. Older vehicles can have shorter numbers that the decoder cannot read.

By brand

VIN decoder by brand

WMI codes, North American plants, examples and models of each brand.

VIN decoder by country (28 countries)

Decoded VIN examples

Real VINs decoded on DecodeThatVIN, with the make, model and year read from the code.

Free VIN decoder and lookup

Where to find the VIN on a car, truck or title

What is a VIN?

How to decode a VIN number

How to use the VIN decoder

How the check digit works

Engine code from the VIN

Free decode vs. history report

VIN decoding in short

VIN decoder by brand

VIN tools and guides

Where is the VIN?

VIN year chart

VIN check digit calculator

Free VIN check

Salvage title check

Decoded VIN examples

Extra −20% on the history report