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VIN decoder: what your 17-character VIN means

Every car sold in North America since 1981 has a 17-character Vehicle Identification Number. Here is how to read one, and how to decode it in seconds.

What each part of a VIN means

Characters 1–3 – World Manufacturer Identifier: who built it and where.
Characters 4–8 – Descriptors: model, body style, engine, restraint system (varies by manufacturer).
Character 9 – Check digit, calculated from the other characters; it helps catch typos and invalid VINs. This site checks it before looking anything up.
Character 10 – Model-year code (for example 3 = 2003, 8 = 2008, L = 2020; the codes repeat every 30 years).
Character 11 – Assembly plant.
Characters 12–17 – Serial number.

VINs never contain the letters I, O or Q, to avoid confusion with 1 and 0.

Where to find the VIN

On the driver's-side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door-jamb sticker, and your registration, insurance card and title.

What you get from this decoder

On this site you can decode a VIN for free to see the year, make and model. A full report costs a small one-time fee and adds factory specifications, NHTSA safety recalls, owner complaints, crash-test ratings and EPA fuel economy for that model and year. If we can't find your car's details, there's no charge. The report is compiled from free public U.S. government sources – the same sources you can use yourself for free – and it is not an accident, title or ownership history report.

What a VIN decoder can and can't tell you

A decoder reads the factory information encoded in the VIN: year, make, model, engine, body, plant. It cannot tell you whether the car was in an accident, how many owners it had, or whether the odometer is accurate – that needs a vehicle history report. Government data can also be incomplete or wrong, so treat any decode as a starting point.

Frequently asked questions

Is the VIN decoder free?

Decoding a VIN to see the year, make and model is free here. The full report (specs, recalls, complaints, crash-test ratings, fuel economy) is a small one-time fee, and there is no charge if no details are found.

Where does the data come from?

From free public U.S. government sources: NHTSA (VIN decoder, recalls, complaints, crash-test ratings) and the U.S. EPA fuel-economy database. We do not claim the data is exclusive.

Does this show accident or title history?

No. It is not an accident, title or ownership history report.