VIN lookup
Enter a 17-character vehicle identification number to see what the car is and how it left the factory.
How to read a VIN
| Position | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | World Manufacturer Identifier: country and maker (1, 4 or 5 = USA, 2 = Canada, 3 = Mexico, J = Japan, K = Korea, S = UK, V = France or Spain, W = Germany, Z = Italy, A = South Africa, M = India) |
| 4–8 | Vehicle descriptor: model, body style, engine and restraint systems, coded by each manufacturer |
| 9 | Check digit, calculated from the other characters (required in North America) |
| 10 | Model year (letters and digits cycle every 30 years: R = 2024, S = 2025, T = 2026) |
| 11 | Assembly plant |
| 12–17 | Production serial number |
Decoding by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's vPIC service. Missing values mean NHTSA has no data for that field, not that the car lacks the feature.
Questions
Where do I find my VIN?
On the lower corner of the windscreen on the driver's side (read it from outside), on a sticker in the driver's door frame, and on your registration and insurance documents.
What does a VIN tell you?
The first three characters identify the manufacturer and country (the World Manufacturer Identifier). Characters 4 to 8 describe the model, body and engine. The 10th character is the model year and the 11th the assembly plant. The last six are the car's serial number.
Which cars can this tool decode?
It uses the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's free decoder, which covers vehicles sold in the United States in full and many others in part. VINs from other markets often decode the make, year and plant but not the model or engine.
What is the check digit?
The 9th character is calculated from the other 16, so a typing mistake usually breaks it. It is mandatory on North American vehicles. Cars built for other markets often don't use it, so a mismatch there isn't necessarily an error.
Is it safe to enter my VIN?
A VIN identifies a vehicle, not its owner, and is visible through the windscreen of every car. Your browser sends it straight to NHTSA's public decoder; we don't store it.