Volvo VIN Decoder

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Volvo VIN Check: What is a Volvo VIN?

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.

List of Volvo Models

Volvo VIN Number Lookup

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.

Where to Search for the VIN?

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.

Where to find VIN on a vehicle?
🟡 Basic Report Cost: Free
🟡 Volvo VIN Database: 3M+
🟡 Car-on-Sale Photos: Up to 100
🟡 Full Report: Extensive History

Comprehensive VIN Decoder Guide

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.

VIN Decode Guide?

The first three places of the VIN identify the manufacturer:

CodeMANUFACTURER
4V2, 4V4, 4V5, 4VG and 4VHVolvo USA
YB1, YB2 and YB3Volvo Europa (Belgium)
YV1, YV2, YV4, YV5 and YVZVolvo Sweden

The fourth place is the vehicle series:

CodeMODEL
A240
CXC90
F740
G760
H780 Bertone Coupe
J940
K960, S90 and V90
L850, S70 and V70 from 1991 to 2000
MS40, V50 and C70 after 2004
NC70
RS60
SV70 and VC70 after 2000
TS80
VS40 and V40 from 1994 to 2004

The fifth place in the VIN number is the safety system and body type:

CodeBODY TYPE
CConvertible
HAWD sedan
JAWD station wagon
KCoupe with airbags
M4WD XC90
N2WD XC90
SSedan with airbags
TAWD sedan
WWagon or 5 door hatchback with airbags
VAWD wagon or 5 door hatchback
YXC90 with three row seating

The sixth and seventh places in the VIN identify the engine. Here are a few common engine codes:

CodeENGINE
692.5 L
792.5 L
80-842.3 L
854.4 L
86-892.3 L turbo
902.8 L turbo
922.4 L
932.5 L
95, 963.0 L
983.2 L
992.5 L or 3.0 L Turbo

The eighth place is the body style for 1991 and earlier models:

CodeBODY STYLE
2Two door
4Four door
5Five 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.

CodeCountryCodeCountryCodeCountryCodeCountry
E1984R199442004E2014
F1985S199552005F2015
G1986T199662006G2016
H1987V199772007H2017
J1988W199882008J2018
K1989X199992009K2019
L1990Y2000A2010L2020
M199112001B2011M2021
N199222002C2012N2022
P199332003D2013P2023

The 11th place identifies the assembly plant:

CodePLANT
0Kalmar, Sweden
1Gothenburg, Sweden
2Ghent, Belgium
3Halifax, Canada
A, JUddevalla, Sweden
FNedcar, 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.

Volvo VIN Samples

What kind of information can you get when you use get a VIN check on our site? Here are a few examples.

  • YV4CZ982081434533: 2008 XC90 with a 3.2 liter inline 6 built in Sweden
  • YV4162UKXL2234677: 2020 XC40 with a 2.0 liter inline 4 built in Belgium
  • YV1MC68296J005700: 2006 C70 with a 2.5 liter inline 5 built in Sweden
  • 2016 VOLVO S60

    2016 VOLVO S60

    VIN LYV402FK5GB091219
    Listed for sale on:
    05/14/2020
    Price:
    $15,997
    Odometer:
    56,094 km
  • 2016 VOLVO S60

    2016 VOLVO S60

    VIN LYV402FM0GB096622
    Listed for sale on:
    10/30/2020
    Price:
    $20,998
    Odometer:
    60,849 km
  • 2016 VOLVO S60

    2016 VOLVO S60

    VIN LYV402FM6GB101967
    Listed for sale on:
    05/23/2021
    Price:
    $21,990
    Odometer:
    70,130 km
  • 2016 VOLVO S60

    2016 VOLVO S60

    VIN LYV612TK1GB096007
    Listed for sale on:
    12/08/2019
    Price:
    $22,699
    Odometer:
    39,012 km
  • 2020 VOLVO S60

    2020 VOLVO S60

    VIN 7JR102FK7LG031848
    Listed for sale on:
    01/02/2024
    Price:
    $26,997
    Odometer:
    50,915 km
  • 2017 VOLVO S60

    2017 VOLVO S60

    VIN LYV402HMXHB125574
    Listed for sale on:
    02/22/2017
    Price:
    $36,998
    Odometer:
    645 km
  • 2017 VOLVO S60

    2017 VOLVO S60

    VIN LYV402TMXHB128255
    Listed for sale on:
    10/10/2016
    Price:
    $45,780
    Odometer:
    6 km
  • 2017 VOLVO S60

    2017 VOLVO S60

    VIN LYV402HM3HB144497
    Listed for sale on:
    04/07/2023
    Price:
    $26,497
    Odometer:
    53,618 km
  • 2016 VOLVO S60

    2016 VOLVO S60

    VIN LYV402FM8GB090521
    Listed for sale on:
    05/31/2018
    Price:
    $31,000
    Odometer:
    0 km
  • 2016 VOLVO S60

    2016 VOLVO S60

    VIN LYV402FMXGB097177
    Listed for sale on:
    10/09/2018
    Price:
    $25,495
    Odometer:
    39,775 km
  • 2016 VOLVO S60

    2016 VOLVO S60

    VIN LYV402FK1GB112504
    Listed for sale on:
    01/15/2018
    Price:
    $26,994
    Odometer:
    9,571 km
  • 2017 VOLVO S60

    2017 VOLVO S60

    VIN LYV402HM0HB128189
    Listed for sale on:
    10/15/2020
    Price:
    $18,997
    Odometer:
    65,682 km

Frequently Asked Questions

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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