Check vehicle information with Volvo VIN
Looking for the VIN?
Here is there you’ll find it:
Volvo started when two engineers at a bearing company decided Sweden needed a car that could withstand the country’s harsh weather. That focus on practicality extended to safety. Many of the technologies we take for granted were first introduced on Volvos, including curtain airbags and three point seat belts. Once pigeonholed as a maker of boring, boxy family cars, the company gradually moved into the luxury market, while having massive success in touring car racing. Today, their offerings range from crossovers like the XC90 to high performance electric and hybrid cars from their Polestar sub-brand.
Buying a used car can be a risky financial decision, even with something as sensible as a Volvo. You can save yourself some trouble by using our site to look up the vehicle’s VIN information. A VIN check decodes the digits in this code, turning it into information you can use. This includes trim levels, engines and more. Worried about the car’s history? Order a VIN report to get official information including police reports and title registrations. That way, you can avoid cars that may have legal problems or hidden accident damage.
The VIN number is part of the assembly process. This string of 17 characters is stamped, engraved and glued to several locations, so it stays with the vehicle over its life. It’s more than a serial number. It also contains information about when the car was built, which factory it came out of, and how it was equipped. Our decoder tells you this information in plain English, so you can compare it to the vehicle listing. This helps you avoid cars with obvious discrepancies. This could be as simple as saying a car is all wheel drive hen it’s two wheel drive, or as complex as a car made to look like a more desirable performance model.
To use our search tools, you need the car’s VIN. Here’s the most common places to find this 17 digit code on Volvos.
Look at the dashboard. In the front left corner, you should see a small plate with the VIN printed on it. It’s easier to read this number if you look at it from outside the car.
Open the front left door and look at the door pillar. You will see two stickers: a white and yellow sticker with tire pressure information, and a black sticker with vehicle weight information. The VIN is on top left of the second sticker.
Open the hood. Look for a small black sticker on top of the passenger-side fender, close to the windshield cowl. The VIN is printed on this sticker. If it’s an older model, you may see a small black and white plate riveted to the driver’s side inner fender, near the front of the car. The VIN is stamped into the third line on this plate.
You can also find the VIN on the firewall. With the hood open, look at the bottom edge of the windshield cowl. There will be a small cutout, revealing the firewall underneath. The VIN is etched into this spot.
Don’t forget to check official documents that come with the car. The VIN is usually printed on insurance cards, registrations and titles.
While the VIN number ends with a serial number, the other places in this number encode factory information. Here’s what you can learn when when you use our VIN check system to decode this number.
The first three places of the VIN identify the manufacturer:
| Code | MANUFACTURER |
|---|---|
| 4V2, 4V4, 4V5, 4VG and 4VH | Volvo USA |
| YB1, YB2 and YB3 | Volvo Europa (Belgium) |
| YV1, YV2, YV4, YV5 and YVZ | Volvo Sweden |
The fourth place is the vehicle series:
| Code | MODEL |
|---|---|
| A | 240 |
| C | XC90 |
| F | 740 |
| G | 760 |
| H | 780 Bertone Coupe |
| J | 940 |
| K | 960, S90 and V90 |
| L | 850, S70 and V70 from 1991 to 2000 |
| M | S40, V50 and C70 after 2004 |
| N | C70 |
| R | S60 |
| S | V70 and VC70 after 2000 |
| T | S80 |
| V | S40 and V40 from 1994 to 2004 |
The fifth place in the VIN number is the safety system and body type:
| Code | BODY TYPE |
|---|---|
| C | Convertible |
| H | AWD sedan |
| J | AWD station wagon |
| K | Coupe with airbags |
| M | 4WD XC90 |
| N | 2WD XC90 |
| S | Sedan with airbags |
| T | AWD sedan |
| W | Wagon or 5 door hatchback with airbags |
| V | AWD wagon or 5 door hatchback |
| Y | XC90 with three row seating |
The sixth and seventh places in the VIN identify the engine. Here are a few common engine codes:
| Code | ENGINE |
|---|---|
| 69 | 2.5 L |
| 79 | 2.5 L |
| 80-84 | 2.3 L |
| 85 | 4.4 L |
| 86-89 | 2.3 L turbo |
| 90 | 2.8 L turbo |
| 92 | 2.4 L |
| 93 | 2.5 L |
| 95, 96 | 3.0 L |
| 98 | 3.2 L |
| 99 | 2.5 L or 3.0 L Turbo |
The eighth place is the body style for 1991 and earlier models:
| Code | BODY STYLE |
|---|---|
| 2 | Two door |
| 4 | Four door |
| 5 | Five door |
After 1991, it indicates the emissions standard. This code changed from year to year, so it’s easier to use our VIN check to identify the emission system.
The ninth place is used for a check digit. This confirms the rest of the VIN is correct.
The 10th place is the model year. It alternates between numbers and letters, avoiding characters that might be confused with numbers, like “O” and “0”. Current models use “N” for 2022 or “P” for 2023.
| 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 place identifies the assembly plant:
| Code | PLANT |
|---|---|
| 0 | Kalmar, Sweden |
| 1 | Gothenburg, Sweden |
| 2 | Ghent, Belgium |
| 3 | Halifax, Canada |
| A, J | Uddevalla, Sweden |
| F | Nedcar, Born, Netherlands |
Places 12 to 17 are the serial number. No two cars will have the same serial and identical characters in the rest of the VIN.
What kind of information can you get when you use get a VIN check on our site? Here are a few examples.
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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Read moreLooking for the VIN?
Here is there you’ll find it:
