Free tool

VIN decoder

Paste a 17-character VIN and see what its structure says - maker, country, model year, plant - decoded instantly in your browser. Then run the full decode to see which history records exist for the exact vehicle.

What the 17 characters mean

Every VIN issued since 1981 follows the same layout, defined by ISO 3779 and, in the US, by NHTSA regulation 49 CFR Part 565.

1–3 - WMI - World Manufacturer Identifier
Who built the car and where. The first character sets the region (1, 4, 5 = USA; 2 = Canada; 3 = Mexico; J = Japan; W = Germany…), the next two identify the manufacturer and vehicle type.
4–8 - VDS - Vehicle Descriptor Section
The manufacturer's own code for model, body style, engine, transmission and restraint system. Each maker assigns these five characters differently, which is why a full decode needs manufacturer data.
9 - Check digit
A digit (or X) computed from the other 16 characters. If it doesn't match, the VIN was mistyped or tampered with. It is mandatory on vehicles for the North American market.
10–17 - VIS - Vehicle Identifier Section
Position 10 encodes the model year, position 11 the assembly plant, and positions 12–17 are the sequential production number of the individual car.

Popular models, decoded by year

Common US models from model year 2010 on. Each page decodes one model year: trims, engines, assembly plants and sample VINs.

Browse the VIN database by make

Real sample VINs with factory build specs. Pick a make, then a model and year, to see VIN prefixes decoded into engine, transmission, body and plant data.

What a VIN decoder can tell you

The structural decode above works entirely from the standard: it reads the manufacturer from the WMI registry, the model year from the year code in position 10, and splits out the plant code and serial number. That is enough to catch a mistyped VIN, a seller listing the wrong year, or a "German" car that was actually assembled elsewhere.

The full decode goes further: it matches the VIN against manufacturer build data to return the exact model, trim, engine, transmission and factory equipment, and it checks which history records exist for that specific vehicle - title and brand records, odometer readings, theft records, sales listings and more.

The free preview shows the decoded vehicle and how many records exist in each section, so you know whether a full report is worth it before paying anything.

What a VIN alone cannot tell you

The 17 characters encode how the car was built - not what happened to it afterwards. Accidents, odometer readings, title brands, liens and theft records are stored in databases keyed by VIN, not inside the VIN itself. Two identical-looking VINs can belong to a clean car and a rebuilt wreck.

That is what the vehicle history report adds on top of the decode. See a sample report.

VIN decoder FAQ

Is the VIN decoder free?

Yes. The structural decode on this page runs in your browser and is free, and the full decode with the records preview is also free. You only pay if you decide to buy the full vehicle history report.

Where do I find the VIN?

On the driver-side corner of the dashboard (visible through the windshield), on the sticker in the driver's door jamb, and in the documents: title, registration card and insurance card.

Why does my VIN show two possible years?

The model-year code in position 10 repeats every 30 years - the code for 1995 is the same as for 2025. For vehicles sold in North America, a letter in position 7 pins the year to 2010 or later; otherwise both candidates are shown.

Does the decoder work for cars outside the US?

The structure (WMI, year code, check digit rules) is international, so the structural decode works for any 17-character VIN. History records, however, come from US and Canadian sources - coverage of vehicles that never drove in North America is limited.

What if the check digit is wrong?

Re-check the characters you typed - VINs never contain the letters I, O or Q. If the VIN on the car still fails the check, that is a red flag worth taking seriously: check digits are mandatory for the North American market, and a mismatch can mean a re-stamped or forged plate.