Quick Facts About Decoding VINs
- A vehicle identification number (VIN) is a unique 17-character code identifying a specific car, typically located on the driver’s side dashboard and doorjamb.
- Decoding the VIN reveals key information about the vehicle, including its country of origin, manufacturer, model, features, production year, and more.
- The VIN is essential for checking a car’s history for recalls, theft reports, title issues, and previous ownership, particularly when buying and selling a car.
A car’s vehicle identification number, commonly known as a VIN, is a 17-character string of uppercase letters and numbers that encodes specific information about that vehicle.
Most people think about a VIN only when registering an automobile or getting insurance coverage. However, the unique code can be beneficial for checking recall information, identifying mechanical details about a car and its safety systems, and checking the vehicle’s history.
- How to Decode a VIN
- Where Is the VIN On a Car?
- How to Check VIN Number for Free
- Bottom Line on Decoding VINs
How to Decode a VIN: What the Digits Mean
At first glance, a VIN might seem like a bunch of digits without rhyme or reason. However, deciphering the alphanumeric code can tell you a vehicle’s manufacturer, place of assembly, year of production, engine details, and other information.
World Manufacturer Identifier
- The first number or letter of the VIN signifies the country or region where the vehicle was assembled. The VIN for automobiles built in the United States begin with 1, 4, 5, or 7.
- The second character identifies the manufacturer and the global region where the vehicle was produced.
- The VIN’s third digit represents the vehicle type or manufacturing division.
Combined, these initial numbers and letters create a standardized 3-digit World Manufacturer Identifier, or WMI, assigned by the Society of Automotive Engineers.
Vehicle Description
- Characters 4-8 identify the car’s brand, model, body type, engine size, safety systems, and more.
- The ninth character is called the check digit. It is formed using a mathematical formula developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation to detect fraudulent VINs.
Vehicle Identifier
- The 10th digit in a VIN represents the model year for vehicles built during or after 1981 when the format was standardized. To avoid confusion with similarly shaped characters, the alphanumeric schedule does not contain the letters I (i), O (o), Q (q), U (u), Z (z), or the numeral 0.
VIN Code and Model Year
| A | 1980 | L | 1990 | Y | 2000 | A | 2010 | L | 2020 |
| B | 1981 | M | 1991 | 1 | 2001 | B | 2011 | M | 2021 |
| C | 1982 | N | 1992 | 2 | 2002 | C | 2012 | N | 2022 |
| D | 1983 | P | 1993 | 3 | 2003 | D | 2013 | P | 2023 |
| E | 1984 | R | 1994 | 4 | 2004 | E | 2014 | R | 2024 |
| F | 1985 | S | 1995 | 5 | 2005 | F | 2015 | S | 2025 |
| G | 1986 | T | 1996 | 6 | 2006 | G | 2016 | T | 2026 |
| H | 1987 | V | 1997 | 7 | 2007 | H | 2017 | V | 2027 |
| J | 1988 | W | 1998 | 8 | 2008 | J | 2018 | W | 2028 |
| K | 1989 | X | 1999 | 9 | 2009 | K | 2019 | X | 2029 |
- The 11th character is the manufacturer’s code for the plant where it assembled the vehicle.
- Characters 12-17 are the carmaker’s unique serial number for the automobile. The number typically is sequential, representing the order in which the car completed the assembly line.
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Where Is the VIN Number On a Car?
You can easily find a car’s VIN by looking at the driver’s side dashboard through the lower corner of the windshield. You might also see it in other places, including:
- Driver’s side doorjamb: A metal plate or sticker on the driver’s side door or doorjamb shows the VIN and other information.
- Under the hood: The VIN may be stamped on the firewall or a metal plate inside the engine bay. Some older vehicles used manufacturer’s serial numbers found under the hood before VINs were commonplace.
- Front of a vehicle’s frame: You might see the VIN on the front of the vehicle’s frame on the driver’s side on some trucks and SUVs.
- In the trunk: Some carmakers add a VIN sticker in the vehicle’s trunk or liftgate jamb.
- Engine block: In older models, you may find the VIN on the engine block.
You can also find a VIN on various documentation, such as:
- Vehicle registration: Paper and electronic copies of your vehicle registration list the car’s VIN.
- Vehicle title: The state lists the VIN on the vehicle title.
- Window sticker (Monroney label): You can check for the VIN on the window sticker or Monroney label when buying a vehicle at a dealership.
- Car insurance policy: Auto insurance cards list the VIN of the covered vehicle or vehicles.
- Advertisements: When online car shopping online, you’ll notice that sellers often include the VIN in their listing.
Why Is a VIN Useful When Buying or Selling a Car?
Sellers should always include the VIN in online listings. Providing an accurate VIN helps potential buyers evaluate the car’s value and verify essential information needed for their decision-making. Not providing the number might raise red flags and lead people to think you’re trying to hide information about your car. By sharing your car’s VIN, a buyer can:
- Perform a VIN check to look for a branded title, such as one listed as salvage, rebuilt, or flood damaged. Read our car title guide to learn more.
- Check for theft reports
- Research recalls and warranty claims
- Verify odometer mileage
- Confirm the number of previous owners
- Check for liens
- Learn the car’s service history and the extent of accidents
- Obtain a vehicle history report (if you haven’t already provided one as a courtesy and for convenience)
A savvy buyer will check these things before making a purchase. But even if they don’t do advanced research using the VIN, they’ll need the number to get insurance coverage and register the vehicle.
MORE: How To Buy a Car From Out-of-State
How to Check a VIN Number for Free
A full vehicle history report from a company like AutoCheck or Carfax will provide information to help identify any hidden issues with the car, but those detailed reports cost money. However, having details on significant events from the vehicle’s past can be worth more than the $25 a report might cost. Dealers and private sellers often provide access to a full report to show shoppers they’re being honest about the car’s condition.
You can get some information for free.
- The National Insurance Crime Bureau’s free VINCheck lookup service helps determine if a car has been reported stolen or if it has a salvage title.
- The free VIN Decoder from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration allows you to query a particular vehicle’s VIN to identify specific information encoded in the number. In addition to the fundamental model information and the assembly plant location (see above), the NHTSA VIN tool lists safety systems and other features the vehicle has.
Bottom Line on Decoding VINs
A car’s 17-character vehicle identification number (VIN) is a unique identifier that encodes details about its manufacturing origin and parts content, specifications, model year, and more. Located on the dashboard, doorjamb, and some documents, a VIN is useful for more than registration and insurance. Prospective buyers and owners can use it to verify the car’s history, check for recalls and theft reports, and confirm equipment details using free online tools and fee-based vehicle history reports when buying or selling a car.