VIN Code Decoder

1st Character - Country of Origin

1, 4 & 5 = United States

2 = Canada, 3 = Mexico, 6 = Australia, 9 = Brazil, J = Japan, K = Korea,L = Taiwan, S = England, V = Yugoslavia, W = Germany, Y = Sweden, Z = Italy

V = France* * 2nd Character = F may indicate that the vehicle was manufactured in France, unless it is a Ford. Example: The first 2 Characters of a Peugeot or a Renault are both: VF

2nd Character:

Here is a partial list of common manufacturers:

A = Audi, Mitsubishi, Range Rover, American Motors, Sterling, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and Jaguar

B = Dodge

C = Chrysler. Checker, Delorian, some Geo Metro's and Trackers

D = Daihatsu and Mercedes E = Eagle

F = Ford, some Subaru's i.e. Forrester and Impreza, Fiat, Peugeot, Renault and Ferrari. Note regarding Subaru, Fiat Peugot, Renault and Ferrari,

the 2nd Character = F, means the vehicle was manufactured in France.

G = General Motors (Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Buick, Cadillac, GMC, Saturn, and some Geo Metro's and Tracker's)

H = Honda and Acura

J = Jeep

L = Lancia, Daewoo and Lincoln

M = Hyundai and Mini

N = Infinity, Nissan, Kia and Ford Aspires

P = Porshe and Plymouth

S = Isuzu, Saab, some Subaru's (i.e. Baja and Legacy) and Suzuki

T = Toyota and Lexus

U = Aro

V = Volkswagen and Volvo

X = Yugo

Y = Mazda and Geo Prizm

Z = Mercury

2 = Avanti

3 = American General (Hummer)

8 = Chevrolet Luv and Geo Storm

9 = Acura

3rd through 8th Characters allocated to Manufacturer.

They use these digits to reflect body type, Car line, restraint system, engine, braking system, etc. All Domestic Manufacturers use 8th Character for the engine.

9th Character is a Check Digit.

It is determined by carrying out a mathematical computation developed by the Department of Transportation (DOT).

10th Character - Year of Manufacture

B = 1981 G = 1986 M = 1991 T = 1996 1 = 2001 6 = 2006

C = 1982 H = 1987 N = 1992 V = 1997 2 = 2002 7 = 2007

D = 1983 J = 1988 P = 1993 W = 1998 3 = 2003 8 = 2008

E = 1984 K = 1989 R = 1994 X = 1999 4 = 2004 9 = 2009

F = 1985 L = 1990 S = 1995 Y = 2000 5 = 2005

Note: There are no I's or O's in a VIN, only 1's and 0's. There are no Q's in a VIN. Also, there are no U's in the 10th digit of the VIN - so as not to be confused with V's. There are no A's in the 10th digit, because the A was reserved to represent a 1980 year model, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did not actually mandate the fixed format until 1981, with the B. The A is used in other sequences of the VIN, it's just not used as a 10th digit. Also, there is no Z in the 10th digit, because after the year 2000, the 10th digit sequence started over from alpha to numeric, and the Z was not used. It is not known at this time what sequence will be used beginning the year 2010.

11th Character - Final Assembly Plant.

This Character represents the Manufacturer's final assembly plant. I do not have a list of assembly plants, but I can give you a recent example. A customer recently came into our office to insure a 1998 Porsche 911 Carrera. The 11th Character was an "S". We submitted the information to the insurance company, which declined to insure the vehicle, because the final assembly plant was "Stuttgart" Germany, which made the vehicle a "Grey Market Vehicle". The customer was upset, of course, because he was not told nor was he aware that he had been sold a "Grey Market Vehicle".

12th to the 17th Characters.

The last 6 Characters of the VIN are the actual serial number of that particular vehicle, which makes that vehicle unique. Note: The first 11 Characters of the vehicle are common to other vehicles with the same: Country of origin, manufacturer, body type - car line - restraint system - engine - and braking system, year of manufacture, and final assembly point, but the last 6 Characters will make that vehicle unique. (Even in the case of 2 identical vehicles, not only will the 12 to the 17th Characters be different, but the 9th Character Check Digit will also be different).

When you purchase a vehicle, check the VIN yourself against the bill of sale. Remember, the dealer's title clerk has to type those 17 digits, and typo's can occur. Besides the fact that there is never an alpha "O", "Q", or "I" in a VIN. Remember that an "S" can look like a "5" when it is written down and transposed. Your cooperation will help eliminate errors reported to your state DOT. Most insurance agency's have a reliable VIN check computer program, that will alert the agent to an incorrect VIN, including the 9th digit Check Digit. There are also several online services such as CarFax and Free VIN Check AutoCheck, Car Detective, My Vin that are available to check VIN's and your vehicle's history. The free VIN check and reports will tell you if there are potential problems with the VIN. You may then purchase the report.

To check the VIN on a used car to see if it is correct you can use this theory on the 9th number.