Check vehicle information with Honda VIN
Looking for the VIN?
Here is there you’ll find it:
If you really want to know about your Honda, you need to decode your Honda VIN number. This factory-issued ID tells you the history of your vehicle, including when and where it was manufactured, and its original equipment. A VIN report also helps you verify the authenticity of your vehicle. There are plenty of unscrupulous sellers out there who try to hide accident damage, or put badging on a car to make it look like a performance version.
Shortly after the end of World War 2, Sochiro Honda had a dream: he was going to build a vehicle that would get Japan on the road to recovery. That dream became the Honda Cub motorcycle, the world’s most popular motor vehicle. From there, his company became a leader in engine development. Honda’s success as an automobile company is synonymous with their innovations in engine design. After success on the race track in the late 60s, they made a huge splash with their CVCC engine in the 70s, delivering high fuel economy and low emissions without a catalytic converter. In the 80s and 90s, their rugged, high power engines became popular in hot rodding circles, and VTEC became synonymous with the import tuner scene. Today, they continue to lead with their Earth Dreams engines and hybrid drive systems, while the CR-V, Accord and Civic are huge sellers around the world.
Why should you search for your Honda VIN number? This unique identification number was issued by Honda when they built your vehicle. This number includes information about where your car was built, and the equipment it came with. Doing a VIN check lets you verify the vehicle hasn’t been modified since it was built. This is especially useful for desirable performance models, like the Civic Si and Type R. The VIN number is also required when you buy car insurance and file for a title. It’s also useful for repairs. By using trim model and serial number identification, you can determine which parts fit your Honda.
Whether you have a modern car or a classic, your Honda should have a VIN tag on the dashboard. This tag is on the driver’s side, next to the bottom corner of the windshield. This tag is positioned so it can be read from the outside of the vehicle, looking down into the cabin.
Hondas have a service tag on the driver’s side body pillar. This is the same tag that lists the recommended tire pressures for the vehicle, as well as its cargo capacity. The VIN number is near the bottom left of this tag. Newer vehicles have a bar code on the bottom of the service tag. The VIN is directly above this code.
The VIN is also printed on the firewall. To find this code, open the hood and look at the back of the engine compartment. The number is printed on a tag at the center of the vehicle, just below the windshield.
The vehicle identification number is also printed on or near parts of the body, chassis and engine for security. By printing the VIN on tamper-proof stickers, it’s easy to trace stolen parts. If you notice the VIN on the sticker is different from one of the main VIN tags, it usually means a salvage part was used to repair the vehicle.
Open the hood, and you may see VIN stickers in these locations:
Open the front doors, and you may find stickers in these locations:
Open the trunk or hatch, and you may find these stickers in these places:
These locations and the total number of stickers vary, depending on your vehicle’s year and frame construction.
Need to know your VIN, and don’t have your car nearby? You can usually find this number on vehicle inspections, insurance paperwork and the title.
The Honda VIN is made up of 17 characters. Here’s how you decode these digits to determine the vehicle you have, where it was built, and what equipment it came with.
The first three characters are the country of origin:
| Code | Country |
|---|---|
| JHM | Japan |
| 1HG | United States |
| 2HG | Canada |
| SHH | United Kingdom |
Characters 4-6 are the body type and engine:
| Code | Body Type & Engine |
|---|---|
| EJ6, EJ7 and EJ8 | Civic 1600cc three door hatchback |
| EJ9 | Civic 1400cc three door hatchback and four door sedan |
| EK1 | Civic 1600cc three door hatchback and four door sedan |
| EK3 | Civic 1500cc three door hatchback and four door sedan |
| EK4 | Civic 1600cc VTi three door hatchback and four door sedan. |
| MA9 | Civic 1500cc 5 door hatchback |
| MB1 | Civic 1600cc 5 door hatchback |
Digit 7 is the body and transmission type:
| Code | Tansmission Type |
|---|---|
| 3 | three door hatchback with a 5-speed manual |
| 4 | three door hatchback with a four speed automatic or CVT |
| 5 | four door sedan with a 5 speed manual |
| 6 | four door sedan with a four speed automatic or CVT |
Character 8 is the equipment level. The characters vary from model to model, and they aren’t consistent. A Civic LX uses a different code from an Accord LX, and even different years will use different codes for the same trim level.
Character 9 is a security check character, which verifies the authenticity of the VIN.
Character 10 on Japanese and British cars is another model identifier. In American cars, this digit is the model year. These alternate between letters excluding “I”, “O”, “Q” and “Z” and numbers 1-9. Letter “A” was used for 2010 and 1980 model years.
| 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 |
Character 11 identifies the assembly plant:
| Code | Plant |
|---|---|
| L | Ontario, Canada |
| S | Suzuka, Japan |
| C | Saiyama, Japan |
| L | Ohio, USA |
| U | Swindon, England |
Japanese cars:
| Code | Year |
|---|---|
| 0 | 1996 |
| 1 | 1997 |
| W | 1998 |
| X | 1999 |
| Y | 2000 |
British cars:
| Code | Year |
|---|---|
| 0 | 1995 |
| 1 | 1996 |
| 2 | 1997 |
| W | 1998 |
| X | 1999 |
The rest of the digits are the serial number. This starts with character 12 on American cars, and character 13 on Japanese and British cars.
Here are a few examples of decoded Honda VIN numbers and the information you get when you lookup Honda VIN 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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Read moreLooking for the VIN?
Here is there you’ll find it:
