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VW VIN decoder. Check Volkswagen VIN Numbers
Here we'll tell you why it is so important to check the history of VW.
Read moreCheck vehicle information with BMW VIN
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The modern luxury vehicle market owes a lot to BMW. The 02 Series combined sports car performance with sedan practicality, racking up race wins through the 60s and 70s. This set the course for the brand, leading to legendary vehicles like the M3 and 8 Series. Meanwhile, smooth-running boxer twin and flat four engines established BMW motorcycles as the standard for touring. Today, both the car and motorcycle divisions are known for offering vehicles with class-leading technology.
If you want to know more about your BMW, or you’re looking at buying one of these sporty luxury vehicles, you can learn a lot by getting a VIN check. Our search engine can decode the vehicle identification number, telling you about where and when it was built. It also tells you information about the model and the equipment installed at the factory. Looking for information on bikes? We also have a BMW motorcycle VIN decoder. Just type in your bike’s VIN into the search box, and you’ll get the same results as our car VIN search.
When you’re spending money on a used luxury vehicle, authenticity is important. Is the car you’re looking at really an “M” model, or does it just have some extra badges? Does it have the correct engine and the right equipment? While there are several BMW VIN decoder options, our free decoder is the easiest to use. Just type the VIN number into the search box, and you’ll get a VIN report that organizes all of its information in an easy to read format.
The VIN is also invaluable for repairing and upgrading your BMW. Trim and model information helps confirm the compatibility of replacement parts. If there are running changes over a model’s life, the serial number can be used to determine which parts were used on your vehicle. Using our BMW decoder, VIN information is just a click away.
Best of all, you can use our BMW VIN decoder free of charge. Want to know more? By ordering a full VIN report, you can find out about the vehicle’s history. This draws on official information from state and private agencies, telling you about previous owners, accidents, police reports and more.
Here’s where you can find the VIN on your BMW car or crossover:
Here’s where you can find the VIN on your BMW motorcycle:
With both motorcycles and cars, you can also find the VIN number on any official documents you have with the vehicle. The VIN is used on titles and insurance policies to identify the vehicle. Repair shops may also list the VIN on receipts.
🟡 Basic Report Cost: | Free |
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🟡 BMW VIN Database: | 9.4M+ |
🟡 Car-on-Sale Photos: | Up to 100 |
🟡 Full Report: | Extensive History |
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 |
Both cars and motorcycles have a 17 digit VIN that follows the same basic format. Here’s the type of information you’ll find when you look up this number.
The first three characters are the manufacturer identifier:
Characters 4 through 8 identify the type of vehicle:
Character 9 is a check digit. This is generated using a formula that accounts for other characters in the VIN. If the result of the formula isn’t the same as this character, there’s something wrong with the VIN. This reduces data entry errors.
Character 10 is the model year. This alternates between letters and numbers. Letters “O” and “Q” aren’t used, so they aren’t confused with the number “0”. Digits 1-9 were last used from 2001 to 2009. 2023 models use “P” for their year code.
Character 11 is the plant where the vehicle was assembled:
Code | Plant |
---|---|
A, F and K | Munich, Germany |
B, C, D, G | Dingolfing, Germany |
E, J, P | Regensburg, Germany |
L | Greer, South Carolina, United States |
Characters 12 through 17 are the vehicle’s production number. These digits are reused, but no vehicle will have the same production number and matching characters for the rest of the VIN.
Using our VIN decoder, BMW factory information takes just a few seconds to retrieve. Here are some examples of the information you’ll get from our site:
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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