Check vehicle information with FIAT VIN
Looking for the VIN?
Here is there you’ll find it:
Fiat is almost as old as the automobile industry, maintaining its place as Italy’s most popular car brand for over a century. After briefly operating a New York-based plant before WWI, the company started selling cars in the U.S. in the 1950s. While the classic Cinquecento was one of the first models to reach our shores, most buyers went for the 124 Spider roadster or the exotic mid-engine X1/9 sports car. By the 1980s, slow sales and aging designs caught up with the brand. The company ceased U.S. operations, although sports cars were still exported in small numbers under other brand names.
Through their partnership with Chrysler, Fiat returned to America in 2009. They brought over the retro-modern 500 city car, along with crossovers and a new Mazda MX-5-based 124 Spider. Although sports models like the 500 Abarth were popular, sales were slow. There were reports that Fiat would pull out of the market again in 2019. However, the company continues to sell the 500X crossover with plans to introduce a new model lineup in the next few years.
Like any car purchase, buying a Fiat is a major financial decision. We’re here to help. By using our website to decode the VIN number, you’ll find out how the car was built. This helps you find the right trim level and equipment, while avoiding misrepresented cars. Once you’ve narrowed down the cars you want to buy, order a VIN report. This goes beyond our online VIN check, looking at official records to find issues with title changes, unpaid liens, accident damage and more. When you use our tools, you can buy with the confidence that you are getting exactly the vehicle you want.
When you shop for a used vehicle, you need to be clear about what you’re buying. Sometimes the information you need is innocuous, like figuring out trim options when the seller didn’t put them in the listing. Other times, there’s something suspicious that you need to verify. Is this really a 500 Abarth, or is it a regular 500 with some scorpion badges? Does the vehicle still have its factory equipment, or was something removed or added? Fortunately, this information is encoded the VIN number.
The Vehicle Identification Number is a set of 17 digits issued to each car when it’s built. Our decoder turns this string of numbers and letters into something you can understand. It tells you where a car was built and when, as well as what equipment it came with from the factory. This helps you verify ad listings, and it allows you to check for changes between now and when the car rolled off of the assembly line.
Fiat puts this code on several places in the vehicle. These locations vary between models and model years. Here are the most common locations you can find this number.
Stand next to the driver’s door and look through the windshield at the dashboard. You will see a small plate with the VIN stamped into it.
Open the driver’s door and look at the B pillar. You should see a large sticker with a bar code. The VIN is below and to the left of this code.
Open the trunk or hatch and lift the carpet off of the floor. You should see the VIN stamped somewhere in the floor pan. It’s usually close to the bumper, either to the left or right of the trunk latch.
Fiat etches the VIN into the floor pan next to one of the front doors. You need to remove a small trim piece next to the door sill to see it. Most models sold in America have this number on the passenger’s side.
Open the hood. On the 124 Spider, look at the back of the engine compartment. You should see the VIN etched into the top center of the firewall. There’s also a small sticker with the VIN near the brake master cylinder. On models built before the Fiat Chrysler merger, you should see a metal plate riveted to the passenger’s side of the firewall.
Don’t forget that the VIN is also used to identify the car on documentation. Titles, insurance policies, window stickers and other official paperwork often have the VIN printed on them.
Each of the first 11 digits of the VIN have a specific meaning. Here’s what you can learn from these digits when you decode them.
The World Manufacturer Identifier makes up the first three digits of the VIN number. Most late model Fiats have one of two WMI codes:
| Code | Country |
|---|---|
| 3C3 | Chrysler Mexico |
| ZFB | Fiat Group S.P.A. (Italy) |
The fourth digit is the safety restraint system:
| Code | Equipment |
|---|---|
| A | No side inflatable restraints |
| B | Side inflatable restraints for front passengers |
| C | Side inflatable restraints for all seating rows |
The fifth, sixth and seventh digits identify the model and trim. Here are a few examples:
| Code | Equipment |
|---|---|
| FFA | 500 Pop |
| FFB | 500 Sport |
| FFC | 500 Lounge |
| FFF | 500 Abarth |
| FFD | 500 Pop Convertible |
| FFE | 500 Lounge Convertible |
| FFJ | 500 Abarth Convertible |
| FFG | 500e Electric |
| FAA | 500L Pop |
| FAB | 500L Easy |
| FAC | 500L Lounge |
| FAD | 500L Trekking |
Digit 8 is the engine. These are the most common codes for modern Fiats:
| Code | Engine |
|---|---|
| E | 83 kW electric motor |
| H | 1.4 liter four cylinder turbo |
| R | 1.4 liter four cylinder |
Note that “R” covers all 1.4 liter non-turbo four cylinders. There are at least four different versions of this engine used in American-market Fiats.
Digit 9 is the check digit. This can be numbers 0-9 or “X”. It’s used to confirm the rest of the VIN is correct.
Digit 10 is the model year. It alternates between letters and numbers, with numbers last used on 2000s models. If you have a 2013 model Fiat, you should see a “D” in this position.
| 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 |
Digit 11 is the assembly plant. Most Fiats sold here are built at two plants. “T” is used for Toluca, Mexico, while “Z” is used for Kagujevac, Serbia.
Digits 12 through 17 are the vehicle’s serial number.
What can you learn when you look up the VIN on our website? Here are three example VINs:
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.
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