The name of the assembly plant, extra options added to the vehicle, Production Sequence Number and things of that nature. This is where the auto manufacturers enter unique information about the particular vehicle the VIN belongs to.

If the 7th VIN is a number, then your vehicle is made prior to 2010. If the 7th VIN position is a letter, then your vehicle is made in 2010 through 2039.

To find out which one applies to a VIN, look at the 7th letter or number in the VIN. Find the model year by matching the 10th digit of your VIN to the table below: A = 1980Įach letter or number has been assigned to two different years. Note that this may be different from when it was manufactured, as many automobile manufacturers start to produce next years model this year. The 10th letter or number of the VIN tells you the model year of the vehicle. This gives you information such as when it was produced, what options it comes with and so on. Letters and numbers 10 through 17 is the Vehicle Descriptor Section. It does not give specific information about the vehicle itself. This is the VIN Check Digit to verify if it is a correct VIN. Each vehicle maker uses different codes for this, so, go to Automobile Manufacturer website to identify positions 4 through 8. Here you can find out the vehicle model, engine type, body style and additional information regarding make and model. This information gives detailed information about the vehicle itself. Letters and numbers in positions 4 through 9 are the Vehicle Descriptor Section. Each vehicle maker uses different codes for this so go to the Automobile Manufacturer website to identify what the third position in a VIN means for a particular vehicle. The third number or letter is used by the vehicle manufacturer to identify type of vehicle.

All codes and where a car or truck was made are listed at Where is my car or truck made. Cars and trucks are made in over 80 countries and there are over 600 VIN country codes. The second letter or number, in combination with the first letter or number in the VIN, indicates which country the car or truck was made. S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, and Z are made in EuropeĨ and 9 are made in South America Position 2: Match the letter or number below to the first number or letter of the VIN to find out in which region of the world a vehicle was made.Ī, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H are made in Africa The very first letter or number of the VIN indicates the region of the world a vehicle was made. The first three letters and numbers of the VIN are the World Manufacturer Identifier. You can search for vehicle recalls through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration using your VIN, click here to search.īelow are the 17 positions to decode a VIN: World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI): VINs can reveal many things about an automobile, including airbag type, country of origin, engine size, model year, vehicle type, trim level and plant name. Typically, the VIN is stamped into a plate that may be located in a few places, the dashboard near the windshield, driver-side door jamb or engine firewall. There are 17 numbers and letters (17 positions) in a vehicle identification number (VIN) and you can divide them into three groups: World Manufacturer Identifier, Vehicle Descriptor Section, and Vehicle Identifier Section.

Decode vin number