Used Car Checklist: What to Look Out For
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Read moreCheck vehicle information with Mercedes-Benz VIN
Looking for the VIN?
Here is there you’ll find it:
Although the first Mercedes-Benz wasn’t built until 1926, the company traces its roots to the dawn of the automobile. Since its inception, they’ve taken the company’s slogan, “The Best or Nothing”, to heart. For decades, the S-Class has been the gold standard of luxury vehicles, debuting most of the technology we take for granted in cars today. Along with luxury cars, Mercedes is also a major player in motorsport and commercial vehicles. Today, their lineup includes everything from vans to high performance AMG models.
Want to know more about a Mercedes you want to buy, or a car you already own? Every vehicle comes with a unique VIN number. Our Mercedes-Benz VIN number decoder will tell you the information this code contains, so you know how your vehicle was equipped at the factory.
The Vehicle Identification Number is issued by the company when they build the vehicle. Each VIN is unique, but it’s more than just a production number. The vehicle identification number includes codes for where and when the vehicle was built, as well as the model and factory equipment. A VIN check translates this code into useful information.
Looking for the best VIN decoder? Our search site can show you an organized report containing all of the VIN’s information, free of charge. Want to know about the history of the vehicle? Take your search a step further by ordering a full VIN report. This gives you information from official databases, including government and private resources. This report includes information on title brands, accident reports and more.
To use our Mercedes-Benz VIN decoder, you will need the VIN. The company puts this number in at least two places on every vehicle. Here are some places you can check to find this code:
Are you looking for the VIN on a Metris, Sprinter or one of Mercedes-Benz’s other commercial vehicles? You will usually find it printed on the front driver’s side wheel well, directly behind the wheel. Open the driver’s door, and you’ll also find a couple stickers on the side of the step. These are the same specification stickers placed on the B pillar of passenger vehicles. One of these stickers usually has the VIN number.
Since the VIN is unique to each vehicle, it’s used to identify cars on paperwork. You can also find the VIN on titles, insurance cards and repair receipts.
Code | Country | Code | Country | Code | Country | Code | Country |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 |
R | 1994 | 4 | 2004 | E | 2014 | R | 2024 |
S | 1995 | 5 | 2005 | F | 2015 | S | 2025 |
What kind of information can you get by checking the VIN? Here’s what each character in this 17 digit code is used for, and some examples of the meanings of these letters and numbers.
The first character is the country where the vehicle was built:
Code | Country |
---|---|
1 or 4 | United States |
2 | Canada |
3 | Mexico |
J | Japan |
K | Korea |
S | England |
W | Germany |
Z | Italy |
Sometimes, this character indicates the location of the manufacturer’s headquarters, not the location of the plant. On Mercedes-Benz vehicles, it’s common to see a “W” here, even if the car was built in another country.
The second character is the manufacturer code. All Daimler-Benz and Daimler-Chrysler passenger vehicles use the letter “D” for this character. Mercedes’ commercial division uses a “1”.
The third character is the vehicle type or manufacturing division, which is “B” for Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles and “F” for commercial vehicles.
The fourth character is the model or series. These are based on chassis codes. For example, a W126 S-Class uses a “C” for this character, while a W140 S-Class uses a “G”. Commercial vehicles use numbers in this position.
The fifth character is either the body style or engine:
Code | Body Style |
---|---|
A | Roadster |
B | Long body (long wheelbase sedan) |
F | Sedan |
G | Long wheelbase sedan |
H | Wagon |
J | Coupe |
K | Cabriolet and Roadster |
M | Older AMG models |
R | Used on some W463 G-Class SUVs |
A | Gasoline engine |
B | Diesel engine |
D | Gasoline engine with 4matic all wheel drive |
0 or 3 | Van |
The sixth and seventh characters identify the model.
The eighth character is the safety restraint system. All letters indicate the use of seat belts and emergency pretensioners.
Code | Safety Restraint |
---|---|
C | Seat belt and pretensioners only |
D | Driver front airbag |
E | Driver and passenger front airbags |
F | Front and side airbags |
The ninth digit is a check digit. This verifies the VIN is correct, helping avoid problems with data entry errors.
The tenth digit is the model year. This alternates between numbers 1-9 and letters A-Z. “O” and “Q” are not used for date codes. 2023 models use the letter “P” for this position.
The eleventh digit is the production plant. Here are the most common plant results you’ll get when you use our VIN decoder Mercedes-Benz site:
Code | Plant |
---|---|
A-E | Sindelfingen, Germany |
F-H | Bremen, Germany |
J | Rastatt, Germany |
X | Graz, Germany |
T | Karmann Factory, Osnabrück, Germany |
M | Woking, UK |
Digits 12 to 17 are the serial number, which Mercedes calls a chassis number. While this number is repeated, no two vehicles have identical VINs.
Here are a few examples of Mercedes VIN numbers, and the information you can get from them using our Mercedes VIN decoder:
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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