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Enter a VIN to see each part decoded.
| Check digit (position 9) | - |
|---|---|
| Model year (position 10) | - |
| Region (position 1) | - |
| Manufacturer code (WMI, 1 to 3) | - |
| Vehicle descriptor (4 to 8) | - |
| Plant code (position 11) | - |
| Serial number (12 to 17) | - |
This tool decodes structure only. It does not look up the car's history, title, recalls or theft status. For those, use the free checks below.
Next: the checks that use real records
Open recalls
NHTSA's recall lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls is free and searches by VIN.
Theft and insurer total loss
NICB VINCheck at nicb.org/vincheck is free, with a small daily search limit.
Title and brand history
NMVTIS reports come from approved providers listed at vehiclehistory.bja.ojp.gov, usually for a small fee.
How the decoder works
- Validation. A modern VIN has exactly 17 letters and digits and never uses I, O or Q. Spaces and dashes are ignored.
- Check digit. Each character is converted to a number (letters A to H become 1 to 8, J to N become 1 to 5, P is 7, R is 9, S to Z become 2 to 9), multiplied by a fixed weight for its position, and the total is divided by 11. The remainder is the check digit, with 10 written as X. North American vehicles must carry it in position 9. Many vehicles built for other markets don't use it, so a mismatch there proves nothing on its own.
- Model year. Position 10 cycles every 30 years, so A means 1980 or 2010 and Y means 2000 or 2030. The decoder shows both and notes which one is likely.
- Manufacturer. The first three characters (the WMI) are matched against a partial list of about 55 common codes. Manufacturers hold many codes, so "not in our list" doesn't mean the VIN is wrong.
- Plant and serial. Position 11 is the assembly plant and 12 to 17 the production number. Plant codes are set by each manufacturer, so we show the character without guessing a city.
If the check digit fails
- Re-read the VIN from the car. Mixing up 8 and B, 5 and S, or 2 and Z is the usual cause.
- Compare it with the title, registration and the door-jamb label.
- If a North American car's VIN still fails, treat it as a serious warning sign: a typo in the paperwork, a mis-stamped plate or a tampered VIN. Don't buy until it's explained.