VIN Decoder & Lookup – The #1 free car vin lookup in the United States

How Do I Find My Vehicle`s VIN Number?

This code identifies more than the serial number and model. It also contains information about safety equipment, trim levels and more. This can tell you more information about a vehicle than you’ll usually get from a sales listing. Since VINs are unique to each vehicle, it’s also used to identify cars on official documents:

• It’s used by manufacturers to track recalls. Looking up this number lets you find out about recalls for the vehicle, and if the required repairs were made.
• It identifies vehicles in police records, including theft and accident reports.
• Insurance companies issue policies based on this number.
• Financial institutions use the number to identify vehicles on paperwork. This makes it easy to track outstanding liens.

Why the VIN Is Important

A VIN decoder translates the characters in the vehicle identification number into information you can use. To use this tool, all you need to do is type in the code into our website and click “Check VIN”. This will tell you information in this number, including where the vehicle was built, when it was built, what body style and engine it came with, and what major equipment was included.

It also helps uncover discrepancies in the listing. For example, let’s say you want to buy a high performance or special edition version of a particular car. While the seller may add some badges to make it look like the trim you want, it’s all but impossible to falsify the vehicle identification number. This makes it easy to check the factory information to verify the vehicle is genuine.

Makes Base

How VIN Decoder Works?

Each digit in the vehicle identification number has a specific meaning. Some characters are standardized across the industry, while the meanings of others change depending on the manufacturer and year. Our VIN decoder has a database of all the possible meanings of these codes. We’re constantly updating this database, so you’ll always have accurate information on the vehicles you look up. It can also identify discrepancies, such as incorrect letters and numbers.

How To Decode The VIN – Decoding Guide

So, let`s talk about how to decode a vehicle identification number. The easiest way to do so is to use a VIN number decoder. These services will pull all the information available about your vehicle into one simple and easy-to-read report so that you know the history of your vehicle.

VIN decoders work by pulling information from driving databases, legal records, and more. They'll be able to find out if your vehicle was involved in any accidents or if there are any thefts or other major issues associated with the car. That way, you'll be able to make an informed purchase!

Here is table simplifying the VIN:

World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI): Country Of Origin Character Codes

On most vehicles, the first three characters in the vehicle identification number are the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI). It identifies the country where the vehicle was built, the manufacturer who built it, and the category of vehicle. For example, if you’re looking at a Chevy Malibu, the WMI may be “1G1”. “1” is one of the identifiers for American-built vehicles, “G” is for GM’s Chevrolet division, and “1” is for passenger cars. If the manufacturer makes less than 1,000 vehicles per year, the third character in the vehicle identification number is “9” and the 12th through 14th character identify the manufacturer.

The first characters of every VIN number uniquely identify the manufacturer of the vehicle. This is called the World Manufacturer identifier or WMI code.

Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS)

The fourth through eighth characters are usually used to describe the vehicle. However, unlike the WMI, this section isn’t standardized. It’s up to the automaker to determine how they want to use this character section to describe their vehicles. That said, manufacturers usually encode most of this information in the VDS:

• Safety system – This identifies safety equipment, including the type of seat belts and air bags installed in the vehicle. Some manufacturers also encode information about mounts for baby seats.
• Vehicle model – One character may identify the model, or the model and information about the engine or transmission.
• Body style – Is it a standard or long wheelbase vehicle? While this may be redundant on many models, it’s useful for models offered in several configurations. For example, this code will tell you if a two door is a hard top or a convertible.
• Trim level – This may or may not be the same as the marketed trim level. Often, companies divide trim level codes into categories like “base”, “luxury” and “sport” instead of names like “DX” and “LX”.
• Engine and Transmission – Most manufacturers use one character to identify the engine. Others lump the engine and transmission together in one code, or link one of these components to the vehicle model code.

The 9th digit is the check digit. This is generated using a mathematical formula that uses several characters from the rest of the code.

Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS)

The Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS) covers the rest of the vehicle identification number, starting at the tenth character.

The tenth character is the year the vehicle was built. There are 30 numbers and letters used for this code: numbers 1-9 and letters A-Z, excluding “I”, “O”, “Q”, “U” and “Z”. Numbers 1-9 were last used from 2001-2009, while 2023 models use the letter “N”.

The eleventh character is the assembly plant. It’s up to the manufacturer to determine which code they want to use for each of their plants.

The twelfth through seventeenth characters are the serial number, also called the sequential number. This is usually issued in the order vehicles come off the assembly line. However, the manufacturer may skip numbers to separate major changes within a model year.

Model Year Character Codes

Decoding VIN Examples

What can you learn when you use our site to decode a vehicle identification number? This code contains unique letters and numbers, each with their own meaning. This information is useful for identifying and categorizing vehicles. Looking for a new car? You can use it to see what equipment the vehicle came with at the factory. Need to repair your current vehicle? This information can help you order the correct parts. Here are a few examples of these numbers, and what you can learn from them when you decode them.

• 1FTFW1CT5DFC10312:2013 Ford F-150 with a 3.5l V6 turbo, FX2 SuperCrew trim with a 5.5 foot bed and two wheel drive
• 1GC5CZEG0F0017106:2015 Chevrolet Silverado with a 6.0l Li engine, 3500 LT trim
• 4T1BG28K81U790207:2001 Toyota Camry with a 2.2l four cylinder DOHC 16 valve engine, CE trim
• WBA5B3C50GG252337:2016 BMW 5-Series with a 3.0l inline 6 DOHC 24v engine, 535i xDrive trim
• JN1AZ4EH7DM430111:2013 Nissan Z with a 3.7l V6 DOHC 24v engine, 370Z Coupe trim

Lookup A VIN – How Can I Do It?

First, enter the vehicle identification number of the vehicle into the search bar. When you click “Check VIN”, our site will decode the number. It will tell you information about the car issued at the factory. This includes the model, year, manufacturing location, and equipment. It also tells you if the vehicle was in an accident or if there are any vehicle recalls.