[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":766},["ShallowReactive",2],{"article-how-to-read-a-vin-number":3},{"article":4,"related":730},{"id":5,"title":6,"author":7,"authorBio":8,"body":9,"category":693,"date":694,"description":695,"draft":696,"extension":697,"faq":698,"featured":711,"image":712,"imageAlt":713,"keywords":714,"meta":719,"navigation":711,"path":720,"seo":721,"stem":722,"tags":723,"updatedAt":728,"__hash__":729},"articles/articles/how-to-read-a-vin-number.md","How to Read a VIN Number: All 17 Characters Explained","VehicleInforCheck Team","The VehicleInforCheck research team works with NHTSA, NMVTIS-affiliated and manufacturer VIN data every day.",{"type":10,"value":11,"toc":679},"minimark",[12,16,19,27,32,35,91,111,115,166,192,201,208,212,219,241,255,259,262,265,306,309,313,336,541,554,557,561,568,572,583,593,597,605,622,630,634,660,668,672],[13,14,15],"p",{},"Every car built for the North American market since the 1981 model year carries a 17-character Vehicle Identification Number. It is not a random serial number — it is a structured code, and once you know where the boundaries fall you can read the manufacturer, the assembly plant, the body style and the model year straight off the plate.",[13,17,18],{},"This guide walks through all 17 positions in order.",[13,20,21],{},[22,23],"img",{"alt":24,"src":25,"title":26},"Diagram of the three sections of a VIN: World Manufacturer Identifier, Vehicle Descriptor Section, Vehicle Identifier Section","/images/articles/how-to-read-a-vin-number/vin-structure.jpg","A VIN splits into three blocks: positions 1-3, 4-9 and 10-17",[28,29,31],"h2",{"id":30},"the-three-sections-of-a-vin","The three sections of a VIN",[13,33,34],{},"A VIN is defined by ISO 3779 and splits into three blocks:",[36,37,38,54],"table",{},[39,40,41],"thead",{},[42,43,44,48,51],"tr",{},[45,46,47],"th",{},"Positions",[45,49,50],{},"Section",[45,52,53],{},"What it tells you",[55,56,57,69,80],"tbody",{},[42,58,59,63,66],{},[60,61,62],"td",{},"1–3",[60,64,65],{},"World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI)",[60,67,68],{},"Country, manufacturer, vehicle type",[42,70,71,74,77],{},[60,72,73],{},"4–9",[60,75,76],{},"Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS)",[60,78,79],{},"Model, body, engine, restraint system, check digit",[42,81,82,85,88],{},[60,83,84],{},"10–17",[60,86,87],{},"Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS)",[60,89,90],{},"Model year, plant, production sequence",[13,92,93,94,98,99,102,103,106,107,110],{},"Take ",[95,96,97],"code",{},"1HGCM82633A004352"," as a worked example. ",[95,100,101],{},"1HG"," is the WMI, ",[95,104,105],{},"CM8263"," is the VDS, and ",[95,108,109],{},"3A004352"," is the VIS.",[28,112,114],{"id":113},"positions-13-who-built-it-and-where","Positions 1–3: who built it and where",[13,116,117,121,122,125,126,129,130,133,134,137,138,141,142,145,146,149,150,153,154,157,158,161,162,165],{},[118,119,120],"strong",{},"Position 1 — country of assembly."," ",[95,123,124],{},"1",", ",[95,127,128],{},"4"," and ",[95,131,132],{},"5"," mean the United States, ",[95,135,136],{},"2"," Canada, ",[95,139,140],{},"3"," Mexico, ",[95,143,144],{},"J"," Japan, ",[95,147,148],{},"K"," South Korea, ",[95,151,152],{},"L"," China, ",[95,155,156],{},"S"," the United Kingdom, ",[95,159,160],{},"W"," Germany, and ",[95,163,164],{},"Y"," Sweden or Finland.",[13,167,168,171,172,175,176,179,180,183,184,187,188,191],{},[118,169,170],{},"Position 2 — manufacturer."," Read together with position 1: ",[95,173,174],{},"1H"," is Honda, ",[95,177,178],{},"1G"," General Motors, ",[95,181,182],{},"1F"," Ford, ",[95,185,186],{},"WB"," BMW, ",[95,189,190],{},"WD"," Mercedes-Benz.",[13,193,194,197,198,200],{},[118,195,196],{},"Position 3 — vehicle type or manufacturing division."," This distinguishes a passenger car from a truck, an MPV or an incomplete chassis. In our example ",[95,199,101],{}," identifies a Honda passenger car.",[13,202,203,204,207],{},"A manufacturer producing fewer than 1,000 vehicles a year gets a WMI ending in ",[95,205,206],{},"9",", and characters 12–14 then act as a second manufacturer identifier.",[28,209,211],{"id":210},"positions-48-what-the-vehicle-actually-is","Positions 4–8: what the vehicle actually is",[13,213,214,215,218],{},"This is the descriptive core, and it is the one part of the VIN that is ",[118,216,217],{},"not"," standardised across the industry. Each manufacturer defines its own coding for:",[220,221,222,226,229,232,235,238],"ul",{},[223,224,225],"li",{},"Model line and series",[223,227,228],{},"Body style — sedan, coupe, hatchback, wagon, pickup cab configuration",[223,230,231],{},"Engine family and displacement",[223,233,234],{},"Transmission type",[223,236,237],{},"Restraint system (which airbags and belt pretensioners are fitted)",[223,239,240],{},"Trim or grade level",[13,242,243,244,249,250,254],{},"Because the scheme is manufacturer-specific, reading these five characters by eye requires the maker's own reference table. This is where a ",[245,246,248],"a",{"href":247},"/vin-decoder","VIN decoder"," does the work for you — it holds the per-manufacturer maps and returns the resolved ",[245,251,253],{"href":252},"/specs-features","specifications and features"," rather than raw codes.",[28,256,258],{"id":257},"position-9-the-check-digit","Position 9: the check digit",[13,260,261],{},"Position 9 tells you nothing about the car. It is a checksum that validates the other 16 characters, and it is why a typo in a VIN is almost always caught immediately.",[13,263,264],{},"The calculation works like this:",[266,267,268,290,297,300],"ol",{},[223,269,270,271,274,275,278,279,274,281,278,283,285,286,289],{},"Convert every letter to a number using a fixed transliteration table (",[95,272,273],{},"A","=1, ",[95,276,277],{},"B","=2, … ",[95,280,144],{},[95,282,148],{},[95,284,156],{},"=2, ",[95,287,288],{},"T","=3, …).",[223,291,292,293,296],{},"Multiply each of the 17 positions by its assigned weight: ",[95,294,295],{},"8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 10, 0, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2",".",[223,298,299],{},"Sum the products and take the remainder modulo 11.",[223,301,302,303,296],{},"A remainder of 0–9 is the check digit; a remainder of 10 is written as ",[95,304,305],{},"X",[13,307,308],{},"If the digit in position 9 does not match the computed value, the VIN is either mistranscribed or fabricated. Treat a failed checksum on a listing as a reason to walk away.",[28,310,312],{"id":311},"position-10-the-model-year","Position 10: the model year",[13,314,315,316,125,319,125,322,125,325,129,328,331,332,335],{},"Position 10 encodes the model year on a repeating 30-year cycle. The letters ",[95,317,318],{},"I",[95,320,321],{},"O",[95,323,324],{},"Q",[95,326,327],{},"U",[95,329,330],{},"Z"," are skipped, as is the digit ",[95,333,334],{},"0",":",[36,337,338,356],{},[39,339,340],{},[42,341,342,345,348,350,352,354],{},[45,343,344],{},"Code",[45,346,347],{},"Year",[45,349,344],{},[45,351,347],{},[45,353,344],{},[45,355,347],{},[55,357,358,375,393,412,431,450,469,488,508,525],{},[42,359,360,362,365,367,370,372],{},[60,361,273],{},[60,363,364],{},"2010",[60,366,152],{},[60,368,369],{},"2020",[60,371,124],{},[60,373,374],{},"2001 / 2031",[42,376,377,379,382,385,388,390],{},[60,378,277],{},[60,380,381],{},"2011",[60,383,384],{},"M",[60,386,387],{},"2021",[60,389,136],{},[60,391,392],{},"2002 / 2032",[42,394,395,398,401,404,407,409],{},[60,396,397],{},"C",[60,399,400],{},"2012",[60,402,403],{},"N",[60,405,406],{},"2022",[60,408,140],{},[60,410,411],{},"2003 / 2033",[42,413,414,417,420,423,426,428],{},[60,415,416],{},"D",[60,418,419],{},"2013",[60,421,422],{},"P",[60,424,425],{},"2023",[60,427,128],{},[60,429,430],{},"2004 / 2034",[42,432,433,436,439,442,445,447],{},[60,434,435],{},"E",[60,437,438],{},"2014",[60,440,441],{},"R",[60,443,444],{},"2024",[60,446,132],{},[60,448,449],{},"2005 / 2035",[42,451,452,455,458,460,463,466],{},[60,453,454],{},"F",[60,456,457],{},"2015",[60,459,156],{},[60,461,462],{},"2025",[60,464,465],{},"6",[60,467,468],{},"2006 / 2036",[42,470,471,474,477,479,482,485],{},[60,472,473],{},"G",[60,475,476],{},"2016",[60,478,288],{},[60,480,481],{},"2026",[60,483,484],{},"7",[60,486,487],{},"2007 / 2037",[42,489,490,493,496,499,502,505],{},[60,491,492],{},"H",[60,494,495],{},"2017",[60,497,498],{},"V",[60,500,501],{},"2027",[60,503,504],{},"8",[60,506,507],{},"2008 / 2038",[42,509,510,512,515,517,520,522],{},[60,511,144],{},[60,513,514],{},"2018",[60,516,160],{},[60,518,519],{},"2028",[60,521,206],{},[60,523,524],{},"2009 / 2039",[42,526,527,529,532,534,537,539],{},[60,528,148],{},[60,530,531],{},"2019",[60,533,305],{},[60,535,536],{},"2029",[60,538],{},[60,540],{},[13,542,543,544,546,547,550,551,296],{},"Because the cycle repeats, ",[95,545,273],{}," could mean 1980 or 2010. The tiebreaker is position 7: since the 2010 model year, position 7 is always a ",[118,548,549],{},"letter"," on passenger vehicles, and on 1980–2009 vehicles it is a ",[118,552,553],{},"digit",[13,555,556],{},"Note that the model year is not the calendar year of manufacture. A 2026 model year car may well have rolled off the line in mid-2025.",[28,558,560],{"id":559},"position-11-the-assembly-plant","Position 11: the assembly plant",[13,562,563,564,296],{},"A single manufacturer-specific character identifying the factory. Two otherwise identical cars from different plants can have different recall exposure, which is why the plant code matters when you ",[245,565,567],{"href":566},"/recalls","check open safety recalls",[28,569,571],{"id":570},"positions-1217-the-production-sequence","Positions 12–17: the production sequence",[13,573,574,575,578,579,582],{},"The serial number of that particular vehicle as it came down the line — usually sequential, usually starting at ",[95,576,577],{},"000001"," or ",[95,580,581],{},"100001"," for a model year. On low-volume manufacturers, positions 12–14 instead carry the extended manufacturer identifier and only 15–17 are sequential.",[13,584,585,586,588,589,592],{},"In ",[95,587,97],{},", the sequence is ",[95,590,591],{},"004352",": the 4,352nd unit of that run.",[28,594,596],{"id":595},"what-a-vin-cannot-tell-you","What a VIN cannot tell you",[13,598,599,600,604],{},"Decoding a VIN gives you the vehicle as it left the factory. It does not tell you what happened afterwards. The VIN is the ",[601,602,603],"em",{},"key"," to that history, not the history itself. To find out about:",[220,606,607,610,613,616,619],{},[223,608,609],{},"Reported accidents and structural damage",[223,611,612],{},"Salvage, flood, lemon or rebuilt title brands",[223,614,615],{},"Odometer readings recorded at each title transfer",[223,617,618],{},"Number of previous owners and states of registration",[223,620,621],{},"Open, unrepaired safety recalls",[13,623,624,625,629],{},"…you need to look the VIN up against title, insurance and government databases. That is what a ",[245,626,628],{"href":627},"/","full vehicle history report"," does.",[28,631,633],{"id":632},"reading-a-vin-quickly-a-checklist","Reading a VIN quickly: a checklist",[266,635,636,645,648,651,654,657],{},[223,637,638,639,125,641,578,643,296],{},"Confirm it is exactly 17 characters, with no ",[95,640,318],{},[95,642,321],{},[95,644,324],{},[223,646,647],{},"Check position 1 for the country and positions 1–3 for the manufacturer.",[223,649,650],{},"Look at position 7 — letter means 2010 or later, digit means 2009 or earlier.",[223,652,653],{},"Read position 10 for the model year, using step 3 to resolve the cycle.",[223,655,656],{},"Validate the check digit in position 9.",[223,658,659],{},"Run the full VIN through a decoder for the manufacturer-specific positions 4–8.",[13,661,662,663,667],{},"If you are not sure you have transcribed it correctly, find it in more than one place on the vehicle — our guide on ",[245,664,666],{"href":665},"/articles/where-to-find-the-vin-on-your-car","where to find the VIN on your car"," lists eight locations, and a mismatch between any two of them is a serious warning sign.",[28,669,671],{"id":670},"decode-your-vin","Decode your VIN",[13,673,674,675,678],{},"Enter any 17-character VIN on the ",[245,676,677],{"href":627},"VehicleInforCheck home page"," to get the decoded specifications plus title, mileage and recall history in one report.",{"title":680,"searchDepth":681,"depth":681,"links":682},"",2,[683,684,685,686,687,688,689,690,691,692],{"id":30,"depth":681,"text":31},{"id":113,"depth":681,"text":114},{"id":210,"depth":681,"text":211},{"id":257,"depth":681,"text":258},{"id":311,"depth":681,"text":312},{"id":559,"depth":681,"text":560},{"id":570,"depth":681,"text":571},{"id":595,"depth":681,"text":596},{"id":632,"depth":681,"text":633},{"id":670,"depth":681,"text":671},"VIN Guides","2026-01-12","A character-by-character breakdown of the 17-digit VIN — what the WMI, VDS and VIS sections mean, how the check digit works, and how to decode the model year.",false,"md",[699,702,705,708],{"question":700,"answer":701},"Can a VIN contain the letters I, O or Q?","No. The letters I, O and Q are excluded from every position of a modern VIN because they are easily confused with the digits 1 and 0. If you see one of them, you have misread a character or you are looking at a fake plate.",{"question":703,"answer":704},"What does the 9th character of a VIN mean?","Position 9 is the check digit. It is calculated from the other 16 characters using a weighted arithmetic formula, so a single mistyped character makes the whole VIN fail validation. It carries no information about the vehicle itself.",{"question":706,"answer":707},"How do I find the model year in a VIN?","Position 10 encodes the model year on a 30-year cycle. Letters A-Y (skipping I, O, Q, U and Z) cover 1980-2000 and again 2010-2030; digits 1-9 cover 2001-2009 and 2031-2039. Use position 7 to resolve the ambiguity: on 2010-and-later vehicles it is a letter, on pre-2010 vehicles it is a digit.",{"question":709,"answer":710},"Do all vehicles have a 17-character VIN?","All cars and light trucks built for the North American market since the 1981 model year use the standardised 17-character format. Vehicles built before 1981 use shorter manufacturer-specific serial numbers that no standard decoder can fully interpret.",true,"/images/articles/how-to-read-a-vin-number/cover.jpg","Illustration of a 17-character vehicle identification number on a metal VIN plate",[715,716,717,718],"how to read a VIN","VIN number meaning","decode VIN characters","VIN check digit",{},"/articles/how-to-read-a-vin-number",{"title":6,"description":695},"articles/how-to-read-a-vin-number",[724,725,726,727],"VIN structure","WMI","check digit","model year","2026-06-30","LzXXZ6TOwg-7kwFzYO_meiPHAQa9ztA-qZ8JNaKs1f8",[731,741,752],{"path":665,"title":732,"description":733,"date":734,"updatedAt":728,"author":7,"category":693,"tags":735,"image":739,"imageAlt":740,"featured":711},"Where to Find the VIN on Your Car: 8 Reliable Locations","Eight places the VIN is stamped or printed on a vehicle, which ones are hardest to tamper with, and what a mismatch between two locations tells you about the car.","2026-02-04",[736,737,738],"VIN location","vehicle inspection","VIN tampering","/images/articles/where-to-find-the-vin-on-your-car/cover.jpg","A car dashboard VIN plate visible through the base of the windshield",{"path":742,"title":743,"description":744,"date":745,"updatedAt":728,"author":7,"category":693,"tags":746,"image":750,"imageAlt":751,"featured":696},"/articles/getting-started-with-vin-decoding","Getting Started with VIN Decoding: A Beginner's Guide","What a VIN is, what decoding it actually tells you, what it does not tell you, and how to run your first lookup on VehicleInforCheck in under a minute.","2026-01-15",[747,748,749],"VIN basics","getting started","vehicle history","/images/articles/getting-started-with-vin-decoding/cover.jpg","A vehicle identification number being decoded into vehicle specifications",{"path":753,"title":754,"description":755,"date":756,"updatedAt":757,"author":7,"category":758,"tags":759,"image":764,"imageAlt":765,"featured":711},"/articles/how-to-check-safety-recalls-by-vin","How to Check Safety Recalls by VIN (and What to Do Next)","How NHTSA safety recalls work, how to check whether a specific VIN has an open unrepaired recall, who pays for the fix, and what recalls mean when you are buying used.","2026-04-22","2026-07-02","Safety",[760,761,762,763],"recalls","NHTSA","vehicle safety","complaints","/images/articles/how-to-check-safety-recalls-by-vin/cover.jpg","Safety recall notice displayed alongside a vehicle identification number",1784796030508]