VIN decoder: free VIN check and VIN lookup
Enter a 17-character VIN to see the maker, country, model year, body, engine and more. Works for every make, free, with no sign-up.
How to read a VIN
Every vehicle built since 1981 has a 17-character VIN with the same layout, defined by the international standard ISO 3779. Each position has a job.
| Position | Part | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | WMI | World manufacturer identifier: country and maker. |
| 4-8 | VDS | Vehicle descriptor: model, body, engine, restraints. Codes are the maker's own. |
| 9 | Check digit | A calculated digit that catches typos. Mandatory in North America and China. |
| 10 | Model year | One letter or digit. The code repeats every 30 years. |
| 11 | Plant | Assembly plant, coded by the maker. |
| 12-17 | Serial | Production sequence number. |
VIN decoder for every make
Pick your make for its maker codes, the countries it is built in, and a decoder tuned to it.
- Toyota
- Ford
- Honda
- Chevrolet
- Nissan
- Hyundai
- Kia
- Jeep
- Ram
- GMC
- Subaru
- Mazda
- BMW
- Mercedes-Benz
- Volkswagen
- Audi
- Lexus
- Dodge
- Tesla
- Volvo
- Land Rover
- Jaguar
- MINI
- Vauxhall
- Peugeot
- Renault
- Citroën
- Škoda
- SEAT
- Fiat
- Mitsubishi
- Suzuki
- Porsche
- Cadillac
- Buick
- Chrysler
- Acura
- Infiniti
- Lincoln
- Genesis
- Alfa Romeo
- MG
- Dacia
- Bentley
- Rolls-Royce
- Aston Martin
- Ferrari
- Lamborghini
- Maserati
- McLaren
- Lotus
- Polestar
- Harley-Davidson
- Yamaha
- Kawasaki
- Ducati
- Triumph
Where to find the VIN
- Windscreen. Look through the glass at the base of the windscreen on the driver's side. Cars sold in the US carry the VIN here, and many cars sold elsewhere do too.
- Driver's door pillar. A compliance label on the door frame or pillar usually lists the VIN, often with build date and tyre data.
- Body or chassis. Stamped into the body, commonly in the engine bay on the bulkhead or in the floor of the boot or luggage area. Cars built for Europe and the UK often have a type-approval plate in the engine bay too.
- Paperwork. The registration certificate (V5C in the UK, the title or registration in the US), insurance documents and service book show the VIN.
Exact positions differ by model and year, so treat these as the usual places on any vehicle rather than a fixed spot.
On a motorcycle, look at the steering head of the frame.
Model year codes
The tenth character is the model year. The codes repeat every 30 years: a letter such as K is 1989 or 2019. On North American cars and light trucks the seventh character settles it: a letter means the newer cycle, a digit the older one.
| Code (position 10) | 1980-2009 cycle | 2010-2039 cycle |
|---|---|---|
| A | 1980 | 2010 |
| B | 1981 | 2011 |
| C | 1982 | 2012 |
| D | 1983 | 2013 |
| E | 1984 | 2014 |
| F | 1985 | 2015 |
| G | 1986 | 2016 |
| H | 1987 | 2017 |
| J | 1988 | 2018 |
| K | 1989 | 2019 |
| L | 1990 | 2020 |
| M | 1991 | 2021 |
| N | 1992 | 2022 |
| P | 1993 | 2023 |
| R | 1994 | 2024 |
| S | 1995 | 2025 |
| T | 1996 | 2026 |
| V | 1997 | 2027 |
| W | 1998 | 2028 |
| X | 1999 | 2029 |
| Y | 2000 | 2030 |
| 1 | 2001 | 2031 |
| 2 | 2002 | 2032 |
| 3 | 2003 | 2033 |
| 4 | 2004 | 2034 |
| 5 | 2005 | 2035 |
| 6 | 2006 | 2036 |
| 7 | 2007 | 2037 |
| 8 | 2008 | 2038 |
| 9 | 2009 | 2039 |
Older or short chassis numbers
Vehicles built before 1981 do not have a standard VIN. Their chassis numbers vary by maker and can be anything from a few digits to a dozen characters, so there is nothing general to compute.
Marque-specific chassis numbers are kept in the model registries on Moterno. For Volkswagen Beetles, Buses, Karmann Ghias and Type 3s there is a dedicated VW chassis number decoder with production-date estimates.
Frequently asked questions
What is a VIN decoder?
A VIN decoder reads the 17-character vehicle identification number stamped on every modern vehicle and turns it into facts: who made it, where, which model year, and, for vehicles in the NHTSA database, the model, body, engine and drive type.
Is this VIN check really free?
Yes. The VIN decoder and VIN lookup are free with no sign-up, no card and no ads. You can save the vehicle to a free Moterno garage afterwards if you want to, but you do not have to.
What do the characters in a VIN mean?
Positions 1-3 identify the maker and country, 4-8 describe the model and body, 9 is a check digit, 10 is the model year, 11 is the assembly plant and 12-17 are the serial number.
Where do I find the VIN on a car?
Usually on the plate at the base of the windscreen on the driver's side, on the driver's door pillar, stamped into the body in the engine bay, and on the registration document and insurance papers.
Does this work for cars sold in Europe and the UK?
Partly. The VIN structure (maker, country, model year, check digit) is decoded offline for any VIN. Model and engine details come from NHTSA, which mostly covers vehicles sold in North America, so a European-only car may show structure only.
Why does my VIN fail the check digit?
On North American VINs the ninth character is calculated from the other sixteen, so a mismatch usually means a typo or a mis-read character. European and most Asian makers do not follow that rule, so a mismatch there is normal.
My chassis number has fewer than 17 characters. What now?
Vehicles built before 1981 did not use the standard 17-character VIN. Each maker had its own format, so it cannot be decoded from the number alone. Marque-specific chassis numbers are kept in the model registries on Moterno, and Volkswagen owners can use the VW chassis number decoder.
Is the model year in the VIN always accurate?
Position 10 gives the model year, but the code repeats every 30 years, so a letter can mean two different years. On North American cars and light trucks the seventh character settles it. Elsewhere, check the registration date.