VIN decoder / Volkswagen
Volkswagen VIN decoder: free VIN check and lookup
Decode any Volkswagen VIN: model year, maker, country, plant and specifications, with a check-digit test. Free, no sign-up.
Volkswagen maker codes (WMI)
The first three characters of a VIN are the world manufacturer identifier. Volkswagen VINs in our data begin with 22 different maker codes, covering vehicles built in United States, Canada, Germany, Mexico and Brazil.
- United States: 1C4, 1C6, 1C7, 1V1, 1V2, 1VW
- Canada: 2C4, 2C6, 2C7, 2V4, 2V8
- Germany: WV1, WV2, WV3, WVG, WVW
- Mexico: 3C4, 3C6, 3C7, 3VV, 3VW
- Brazil: 9BW
| WMI | Manufacturer | Built in | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9BW | Volkswagen Group Of America, Inc. | Brazil | Passenger Car |
| 2C4 | FCA Canada Inc. Also used by Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat, Ram and Lancia | Canada | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| 2C6 | FCA Canada Inc. Also used by Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat, Ram and Lancia | Canada | Truck |
| 2C7 | FCA Canada Inc. Also used by Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat, Ram, Lancia and Pontiac | Canada | Incomplete Vehicle |
| 2V4 | FCA Canada Inc. | Canada | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| 2V8 | Chrysler Group LLC(USA),chrysler Canada, Chrysler De Mexico | Canada | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| WV1 | Volkswagen Group Of America, Inc. | Germany | Truck |
| WV2 | Volkswagen Group Of America, Inc. | Germany | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| WV3 | Volkswagen Group Of America, Inc. | Germany | Incomplete Vehicle |
| WVG | Volkswagen AG | Germany | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| WVW | Volkswagen AG | Germany | Passenger Car |
| 3C4 | Chrysler De Mexico Toluca Also used by Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat, Ram and Lancia | Mexico | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| 3C6 | Chrysler De Mexico Toluca Also used by Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat, Ram and Lancia | Mexico | Truck |
| 3C7 | Chrysler De Mexico Toluca Also used by Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat, Ram and Lancia | Mexico | Incomplete Vehicle |
| 3VV | Volkswagen De Mexico S.A. De CV | Mexico | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| 3VW | Volkswagen De Mexico S.A. De CV | Mexico | Passenger Car |
| 1C4 | FCA Us LLC Also used by Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat, Ram and Lancia | United States | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| 1C6 | FCA Us LLC Also used by Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat, Ram and Lancia | United States | Truck |
| 1C7 | FCA Us LLC Also used by Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat, Ram and Lancia | United States | Incomplete Vehicle |
| 1V1 | Volkswagen Group Of America, Inc. | United States | Truck |
| 1V2 | Volkswagen Group Of America, Inc. | United States | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| 1VW | Volkswagen Group Of America, Inc. | United States | Passenger Car |
How to read a Volkswagen VIN
A Volkswagen VIN follows the same 17-character layout as every other make. What differs is the maker code in positions 1-3 (above) and the model, body and engine codes in positions 4-8, which Volkswagen defines itself.
| 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. |
Volkswagen model year codes
Position 10 of a Volkswagen VIN is the model year. The code repeats every 30 years, so a letter can mean two years. On Volkswagen cars and light trucks built for North America, the seventh character settles it: a letter means the newer cycle, a digit the older one. Elsewhere, use the registration date.
| 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 |
Where to find the VIN on a Volkswagen
- 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 Volkswagen rather than a fixed spot.
Classic Volkswagen?
Beetles, Buses, Karmann Ghias and Type 3s built before 1981 have short chassis numbers, not 17-character VINs. The VW chassis number decoder turns those into a production-date estimate and checks that chassis, engine and body numbers match.
Older Volkswagen chassis numbers
Volkswagen vehicles built before 1981 do not carry a standard 17-character VIN, and each maker had its own chassis number format. Those cannot be decoded from the number alone.
Marque-specific chassis numbers are kept in the model registries on Moterno.
Volkswagen VIN questions
How do I decode a Volkswagen VIN?
Enter the 17-character VIN in the decoder above. It shows the model year, maker, country and plant from the VIN structure, plus the model, body, engine and drive type from NHTSA data when the vehicle is in that database, and it checks the check digit.
Where was my Volkswagen built?
The first three characters of the VIN are the maker code. NHTSA and the manufacturer registry list Volkswagen maker codes for United States, Canada, Germany, Mexico and Brazil. The first character alone gives the region: 1, 4 and 5 are the United States, 2 Canada, 3 Mexico, J Japan, K South Korea, S the United Kingdom, W Germany, V France or Spain, Z Italy and Y Sweden or Belgium.
What does the 10th character of a Volkswagen VIN mean?
It is the model year code. Letters and digits repeat every 30 years, so a letter such as K means 1989 or 2019. On North American Volkswagen cars and trucks the seventh character settles it: a letter means 2010 or later, a digit means 2009 or earlier.
Does a Volkswagen VIN have a check digit?
Position 9 is a check digit. It is mandatory on VINs of vehicles built for North America, so a mismatch there usually means a typo. Vehicles built for Europe and most of Asia do not have to follow the rule, so a mismatch is not a warning sign.
Is this Volkswagen VIN check free?
Yes, it is free with no sign-up and no ads. A VIN decode shows the vehicle's specifications, not its history, so it will not show accidents, mileage or owners.
My Volkswagen is older than 1981. Can I still look it up?
Vehicles built before 1981 do not use the standard 17-character VIN, so they cannot be decoded from the number. Marque-specific chassis numbers are kept in the model registries on Moterno.