VIN decoder / Volvo
Volvo VIN decoder: free VIN check and lookup
Decode any Volvo VIN: model year, maker, country, plant and specifications, with a check-digit test. Free, no sign-up.
Volvo maker codes (WMI)
The first three characters of a VIN are the world manufacturer identifier. Volvo VINs in our data begin with 32 different maker codes, covering vehicles built in United States, Sweden, Mexico, Belgium, China and Brazil.
- United States: 4V1, 4V2, 4V3, 4V4, 4V5, 4V6, 4VA, 4VB, 4VC, 4VD, 4VE, 4VG and 6 more
- Sweden: YV1, YV2, YV3, YV4, YV5, YV6
- Mexico: 3CE, 3V4, 3V6
- Belgium: YB1, YB3
- China: LVY, LYV
- Brazil: 9BV
| WMI | Manufacturer | Built in | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| YB1 | Volvo Europa Truck N.V. | Belgium | Incomplete Vehicle |
| YB3 | Volvo Europa Truck N.V. | Belgium | Incomplete Vehicle |
| 9BV | Volvo Do Brasil Veiculos Ltda | Brazil | Truck |
| LVY | Daqing Volvo Car Manufacturing Co. Ltd | China | Passenger Car |
| LYV | Daqing Volvo Car Manufacturing Co. Ltd | China | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| 3CE | Volvo Group Mexico, S.a. De C.v. | Mexico | Bus |
| 3V4 | Volvo Group Operations Mexico, S.a. De C.v. | Mexico | Truck |
| 3V6 | Volvo Group Operations Mexico, S.a. De C.v. | Mexico | Incomplete Vehicle |
| YV1 | Volvo Car Corporation | Sweden | Passenger Car |
| YV2 | Volvo Car Corporation | Sweden | Incomplete Vehicle |
| YV3 | Volvo Car Corporation | Sweden | Bus |
| YV4 | Volvo Car Corporation | Sweden | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| YV5 | Volvo Car Corporation | Sweden | Incomplete Vehicle |
| YV6 | Volvo Car Corporation | Sweden | Trailer |
| 4V1 | Volvo Group North America, LLC Also used by Whitegmc | United States | Truck |
| 4V2 | Volvo Group North America, LLC Also used by Whitegmc | United States | Incomplete Vehicle |
| 4V3 | Volvo Group North America, LLC | United States | Truck |
| 4V4 | Volvo Group North America, LLC | United States | Truck |
| 4V5 | Volvo Group North America, LLC | United States | Incomplete Vehicle |
| 4V6 | Volvo Group North America, LLC | United States | Truck |
| 4VA | Volvo Group North America, LLC | United States | Truck |
| 4VB | Volvo Group North America, LLC | United States | Incomplete Vehicle |
| 4VC | Volvo Group North America, LLC | United States | Incomplete Vehicle |
| 4VD | Volvo Group North America, LLC | United States | Truck |
| 4VE | Volvo Group North America, LLC | United States | Incomplete Vehicle |
| 4VG | Volvo Group North America, LLC | United States | Truck |
| 4VH | Volvo Group North America, LLC | United States | Incomplete Vehicle |
| 4VJ | Volvo Group North America, LLC | United States | Truck |
| 4VK | Volvo Group North America, LLC | United States | Incomplete Vehicle |
| 4VM | Volvo Group North America, LLC | United States | Incomplete Vehicle |
Show all 32 Volvo maker codes
| WMI | Manufacturer | Built in | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7JD | Volvo Car USA, LLC | United States | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| 7JR | Volvo Car USA, LLC | United States | Passenger Car |
How to read a Volvo VIN
A Volvo 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 Volvo 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. |
Volvo model year codes
Position 10 of a Volvo VIN is the model year. The code repeats every 30 years, so a letter can mean two years. On Volvo 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 Volvo
- 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 Volvo rather than a fixed spot.
Older Volvo chassis numbers
Volvo 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.
Volvo VIN questions
How do I decode a Volvo 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 Volvo built?
The first three characters of the VIN are the maker code. NHTSA and the manufacturer registry list Volvo maker codes for United States, Sweden, Mexico, Belgium, China 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 Volvo 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 Volvo cars and trucks the seventh character settles it: a letter means 2010 or later, a digit means 2009 or earlier.
Does a Volvo 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 Volvo 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 Volvo 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.