A VIN looks like a random string of letters and numbers, but every position has a job. Once you know the structure, you can read a lot from the number alone, and spot a VIN that does not add up.
Key takeaways
- A VIN has 17 characters and is split into six parts
- The letters I, O and Q are never used, so they cannot be confused with 1 and 0
- The tenth character is a code for the model year
- A decoder reads the number itself. It cannot show accidents, mileage or past owners
The six parts of a VIN
Characters 1 to 3: manufacturer (WMI)
The World Manufacturer Identifier says who built the vehicle and in which region. The first character points to a region or country, for example 1 to 5 for North America, J for Japan, W for Germany and V for France or Spain. The first three characters together identify the manufacturer.
Characters 4 to 8: vehicle descriptor (VDS)
These five characters describe the vehicle: model, body type, engine and similar details. Each manufacturer decides its own scheme, so the same character can mean different things on different brands. This is why a free decoder can usually identify the make and year but not every technical detail.
Character 9: check digit
The ninth character is calculated from all the others using a fixed formula. It helps confirm that the VIN is valid and has not been mistyped. The check digit is required in North America. European manufacturers often fill this position differently, so a mismatch on a European VIN is not automatically a problem.
Character 10: model year
The tenth character is a code for the model year. Letters from A to Y (without I, O, Q, U and Z) and digits from 1 to 9 are used in turn, and the cycle repeats every 30 years. A means 2010 (or 1980), B means 2011 (or 1981), and so on up to Y for 2030. The digits 1 to 9 stand for 2001 to 2009. For a car from North America the seventh character helps tell the cycles apart: a letter points to 2010 or later.
Character 11: assembly plant
The eleventh character identifies the plant where the vehicle was assembled. The code is set by each manufacturer.
Characters 12 to 17: serial number
The last six characters are the production sequence number of the vehicle. Together with the rest of the VIN, they make it unique.
Why the letters I, O and Q are missing
They look too much like the digits 1 and 0. Leaving them out makes a VIN easier to read and copy without mistakes.
What a decoder can and cannot tell you
Decoding a VIN reveals how the car was built: manufacturer, model year, country and similar factory facts. It does not know what happened to the car afterwards. Accidents, mileage readings, theft records and ownership changes are stored in separate databases, and you need a full vehicle history report to see them.
Check a vehicle before you commit
Decode a VIN for free, or get a full history report with recorded damage, mileage and theft records.