
How to Read a VIN Number Like a Pro
From understanding the VIN number breakdown to uncovering a vehicle’s history,...
Check vehicle information with Polaris VIN
Looking for the VIN?
Here is there you’ll find it:
Polaris Inc. started in 1985 and quickly became successful at making recreational vehicles through smart business decisions and quality products. The company builds many different types of vehicles, including bicycles, snowmobiles, electric cars, and all-terrain vehicles, which show excellent engineering skills. All-terrain vehicle production began during the first year, quickly making Polaris one of the best manufacturers in competitive recreational vehicle markets through consistent quality and improved technology.
Sportsman models started in 1995 and changed Polaris ATV products, eventually becoming most of the product line through different styles and special options for various recreational uses. Vehicle identification uses standard seventeen-character codes containing detailed specifications and manufacturing information needed for ownership verification. Complete identification research helps with finding replacement parts and making smart buying decisions for potential buyers. Advanced Polaris VIN decoder technology makes complex identification analysis easier, allowing accurate vehicle verification and detailed specification confirmation for maintenance and purchase purposes.
While it's easy to fake a model's VIN number with bolt-on parts, it's almost impossible to change the VIN number. Our VIN check tools make sure that you're getting exactly what you want, so you'll know your car is everything it claims to be.
We've got you covered. Our search tools work with all sorts of vehicle identification numbers, including those on motorcycles, trucks, RVs, and ATVs.
The VIN is found on a wide range of official documents. It can be found on the title, registration, and insurance documents. You can also find it:
If you don't have the vehicle identification number handy, we can also provide you with a license plate lookup, which will decode the VIN for the vehicle currently registered to that plate.
What can you learn about a Polaris when looking up the VIN on our website? Here's a breakdown of each character, and what it tells you about the vehicle.
Characters 1, 2, and 3: World Make Identifier
The VIN plate identifies the country where the vehicle was manufactured, the manufacturer, and the division.
Character 4 and 5: Platform and Series
The fourth character is the platform on which the vehicle's wheels are mounted.
Character 4– Body style
A | Gen II |
B | Gen III |
C | Gen IV |
R | Ranger |
Character 5 – Powertrain
A | 2x4 chain |
C | 4×4 chain |
D | 4×4 shaft |
F | 6x6 chain |
G | 4x4 chain rear shaft front |
Characters 6 and 7 – Engine
The characters in the engine identification label identify the engine installed in the vehicle. Some characters are reused for different engines, so it's hard to decipher directly. Our search tools do all of this work for you.
25 | E025PF (250cc) |
28 | EC28PF (300cc) |
33 | ES33PF (335cc) |
38 | EC38PIL (400cc) |
42 | EH42PL (425cc) |
50 | EHSOPL (500cc) |
Character 9 – Check Digit
The ninth digit is the check digit, which is used to detect fraudulent VINs. The number that appears in the ninth position varies and is based on a mathematical formula developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Character 10 – Year
The tenth digit indicates the year, which only applies to vehicles built in or after 1981. Since the VIN format was not standardized until that year, older vehicles do not have tenth digits.
Year | Code | Year | Code | Year | Code | Year | Code |
1980: | A | 1995: | S | 2010: | A | 2025: | S |
1981: | B | 1996: | T | 2011: | B | 2026: | T |
1982: | C | 1997: | V | 2012: | C | 2027: | V |
1983: | D | 1998: | W | 2013: | D | 2028: | W |
1984: | E | 1999: | X | 2014: | E | 2029: | X |
1985: | F | 2000: | Y | 2015: | F | 2030: | Y |
1986: | G | 2001: | 1 | 2016: | G | 2031: | 1 |
1987: | H | 2002: | 2 | 2017: | H | 2032: | 2 |
1988: | J | 2003: | 3 | 2018: | J | 2033: | 3 |
1989: | K | 2004: | 4 | 2019: | K | 2034: | 4 |
1990: | L | 2005: | 5 | 2020: | L | 2035: | 5 |
1991: | M | 2006: | 6 | 2021: | M | 2036: | 6 |
1992: | N | 2007: | 7 | 2022: | N | 2037: | 7 |
1993: | P | 2008: | 8 | 2023: | P | 2038: | 8 |
1994: | R | 2009: | 9 | 2024: | R | 2039: | 9 |
Character 11 – Manufacturing Plant
The eleventh character indicates which manufacturing plant your vehicle was assembled at.
Characters 12 to 17 – Production Serial Number
Characters 12 through 17 are the unique production serial number your vehicle receives on the assembly line.
Polaris recalls by VIN is a tool that can help you check your Polaris vehicle history. The 17-digit VIN number conveys all the important information about a Polaris vehicle, including accident history, engine type, and year manufactured. At any time that you want to buy a new or second-hand Polaris vehicle, always use a VIN decoder before signing papers. Here are some example numbers:
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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