Tesla VIN Decoder – Free Tesla VIN Lookup & History Check

by Robert P Allred

Updated 04 Jun 2025 5 min read

Tesla VIN Check: What is a Tesla VIN?

Revolutionary electric vehicle innovation emerged through Silicon Valley origins when computer engineers Marc Tarpenning and Martin Eberhard transitioned from electronic reader development toward lithium-ion automotive technology. PayPal entrepreneur Elon Musk provided crucial capital investment, enabling ambitious development programs. Inaugural Roadster deliveries commenced during 2008, establishing Tesla's market presence through high-performance engineering. Subsequent development prioritized practical accessibility through mainstream platforms, targeting broader adoption. Model S luxury sedan achieved remarkable success, rapidly dominating American large luxury vehicle sales. Expanding portfolios incorporated Model X crossover, Model 3 sedan, and Model Y variants. Despite increasing competitive pressure from traditional manufacturers, Tesla maintains approximately seventy-five percent American electric vehicle market share.

Economic efficiency, environmental responsibility, technological advancement, and exceptional acceleration provide compelling Tesla ownership justifications. However, extensive motor and battery variations create complexity for used vehicle acquisition decisions, requiring professional guidance. Comprehensive identification verification through reliable Tesla VIN decoder technology simplifies model selection while revealing crucial specification details. Enhanced vehicle history research provides complete ownership documentation, including law enforcement reports, title modifications, and financial lien information, protecting against problematic acquisitions.

List of Tesla Models

Tesla VIN Number Lookup

While Tesla has only made 5 models since they opened their doors, these models come in several versions. As battery and charging technology have evolved, the company has introduced larger batteries and faster charging systems. Often, a model is offered with multiple battery sizes each model year. On top of that, there are options for single motor rear wheel drive models, two motor all wheel drive models, and performance models. The difference in acceleration and power consumption between these versions can be huge.

While you can’t open the battery pack to see what’s inside, you can use our decoder to find out how the car was equipped at the factory. This way, you know for certain the car is exactly as it’s listed by the seller.

Where to Search for the VIN?

Tesla prints the VIN number on several components, so it can’t be completely erased from the vehicle. Here’s where you can find these stickers and engravings.

Look through the windshield at the dashboard. You will see the VIN on a small metal plate on the driver’s side of the car.

Open the driver’s door, and look at the pillar near the door latch. You should see the Vehicle Certification Label. The VIN is at the bottom of this label.

Open the frunk and lift the center maintenance panel. You should see the VIN stamped into the firewall.

Open the hatch door. Most models have a small white VIN sticker on the right side edge of the door.

If you’re looking at a Roadster, turn the wheels all the way to the right. Look in the right front wheel well. You can see the VIN etched into the frame in front of the strut.

If you already have a Tesla account, log in and look for your vehicle. The VIN will be to the left of the vehicle image. Alternatively, you can open the app on your phone and scroll down to the bottom of the page. You will see the VIN number listed next to the software version.

The VIN is used to identify the car on official documents. You can find this number on the window sticker, the title and the insurance card. It may also be on service receipts.

Comprehensive VIN Decoder Guide

The VIN is 17 digits long. 6 of these characters are the serial number, while the rest identify the assembly plant, equipment options and more. Here’s what each of these digits can tell you.

The first three digits identify the manufacturer. You will probably see one of these two codes:

Code	MODEL
5YJ	Tesla
7SA	Tesla Model X or Y

If the car is a gray market import, it may have one of these codes:

Code	MARKET IMPORT
LRW	Tesla China
SFZ	Tesla Motors UK
XP7	Tesla Berlin

The fourth digit is the model:

Code	MODEL
R	Roadster
S	Model S
X	Model X
Y	Model Y
3	Model 3

The fifth digit is the body type:

Code	BODY TYPE
A	5 door hatch, left hand drive (Model S)
C	lass E MPV, 5 door left hand drive (Model X)
G	MPV, 5 door left hand drive (Model Y)
E	Four door sedan, left hand drive (Model 3) or convertible (Roadster)

The sixth digit is the region and drive position on Roadsters. For all North American vehicles, this is “1” for USA left hand drive. For all other models, it’s the safety restraint system:

Code	EQUIPMENT
1	Front and rear side airbags, and knee airbags
A	Side inflatable restraints and front knee Airbags
D	5 seat side inflatable restraints

The seventh digit is the safety restraint system on Roadsters. This is “A” for seat belts and dual air bags.

On other models, it’s the battery or charger type:

Code	BATTERY
E	Lithium battery
H	Lithium battery, high capacity
S	Lithium battery, standard capacity
V	Lithium battery, ultra-high capacity

Code	BATTERY
A	10 kw charger
B	20 kw charger
C	10 kw charger with DC fast charge
D	20 kw charger with DC fast charge

The 8th digit is the drive unit:

Code	DRIVE TYPE
1, J, R, S	Single motor
2, K	Dual Motor
3	Tesla M65 motor (Roadster)
4, L	Performance dual motor
5	P2 dual motor
6	P2 tri motor
A	Single motor (Model 3)
B	Dual motor (Model 3)
C	Dual motor performance (Model 3)
D	Single motor (Model Y)
E	Dual motor (Model Y)
F	Dual motor performance (Model Y)
G	Base motor, 51-60 kWh battery
N	Base motor, 81-90 kWh battery
P	Performance motor, 81-90 kWh battery

The 9th digit is a check digit. It’s generated using other digits in the VIN.

The 10th digit is the model year. This uses 30 characters, including most letters and numbers 1-9. “O”, “Q” and “L” are excluded to keep them from being confused with numbers. Unlike most car companies, Tesla’s model years don’t run through the same months. Depending on the model, the model year could start anywhere from February to December.

Code	Country	Code	Country	Code	Country	Code	Country
E	1984	R	1994	4	2004	E	2014
F	1985	S	1995	5	2005	F	2015
G	1986	T	1996	6	2006	G	2016
H	1987	V	1997	7	2007	H	2017
J	1988	W	1998	8	2008	J	2018
K	1989	X	1999	9	2009	K	2019
L	1990	Y	2000	A	2010	L	2020
M	1991	1	2001	B	2011	M	2021
N	1992	2	2002	C	2012	N	2022
P	1993	3	2003	D	2013	P	2023

The 11th digit is the manufacturing location. “F” is the Fremont, California plant.

The 12th through 17th digits are the car’s serial number.

Tesla VIN Samples

What information do you get when you use our website? Here are three real VIN numbers and their results:

5YJ3E1EAXHF000316: 2017 Model 3
5YJSA1H26EFP62940: 2014 Model S with one motor
5YJXCAE48GF007961: 2016 Model X that may have salvage records

Frequently Asked Questions

Locations vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. However, there are three places you can find the code on most vehicles:

- Look through the windshield at the dashboard. On the driver’s side, you should see a small metal plate with the number stamped into it.
- Open the driver’s door. Look at the front and side of the door pillar for an I.D. sticker. It usually has the manufacturer’s logo on it. The code should be on this sticker.
- Open the hood. You may see a sticker on the firewall or near the passenger’s side strut tower. Some cars have the number engraved in one of these areas.

Since this number is used to identify the vehicle on official documents, you can also find it on the title, the window sticker, and on insurance policies.

We also decode numbers for RVs, heavy-duty trucks and motorcycles. If you need to decode an RV number, make sure it’s the one issued by the chassis manufacturer, not the RV outfitter.

No. Canadian and Mexican cars usually use the same format. Other countries use their own formats.

It’s up to the manufacturer to determine what they want to include for some parts of the number. For example, some companies don’t include information about transmissions or trim levels.

Usually, no. A few manufacturers stamp the code into the engine. If the VINs on the engine and car match, then it’s the original engine. On most vehicles, there isn’t anything that ties an engine to a specific vehicle. At most, looking up the vehicle on our website will tell you if a different type of engine was installed. For example, if someone swaps a V8 into a Ford Mustang, our site will tell you it originally came with a V6.