Enter the 17-character VIN of your BMW Seria 3 to see the factory basics. Free, with no registration.
Look on the dashboard, the driver's door frame or in the registration document.
Type all 17 characters. The letters I, O and Q are never used in a VIN.
See the factory basics for free, and order a full report for the history behind the VIN.
Enter a 17-character VIN and the decoder tells you who built the car, the model year and the country of manufacture. For the BMW Seria 3 our data covers 41 versions, model years from 1975 to present, five body styles (Convertible, Coupe, Hatchback, Sedan and Wagon) and power from 75 to 382 hp. Keep in mind that 17-character VINs apply to cars built since 1981, so an early car may carry a shorter number.
A VIN does not contain accidents, mileage, theft records or previous owners, so the decoder cannot show any of that. That information comes from a paid vehicle history report, and on a car you are viewing you should compare the VIN on the car with the VIN in the papers and the listing.
1975 - present
Production years
75 - 382 hp
Power
5
Body styles
41
Versions
Versions and generations in our data. Use the VIN to confirm which one you have.
| Version | Years | Body | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW Seria 3 (E21) | 1975 - 1984 | Sedan | 75 - 143 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Coupé (E30) | 1982 - 1986 | - | 89 - 171 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Limuzyna (E30) | 1982 - 1987 | Sedan | 89 - 171 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Cabrio (E30) | 1985 - 1986 | Convertible | 129 - 171 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Cabrio (E30, facelift 1987) | 1987 - 1994 | Convertible | 113 - 170 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Coupé (E30, facelift 1987) | 1987 - 1991 | - | 99 - 170 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Limuzyna (E30, facelift 1987) | 1987 - 1991 | Sedan | 86 - 170 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Touring (E30, facelift 1987) | 1987 - 1994 | Wagon | 99 - 170 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Limuzyna (E36) | 1990 - 2000 | Sedan | 90 - 193 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Coupé (E36) | 1991 - 1999 | - | 102 - 193 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Cabrio (E36) | 1993 - 1999 | Convertible | 115 - 193 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Compact (E36) | 1993 - 2000 | Hatchback | 90 - 170 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Touring (E36) | 1993 - 2000 | Wagon | 90 - 193 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Limuzyna (E46) | 1998 - 2001 | Sedan | 105 - 231 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Coupé (E46) | 1999 - 2003 | - | 116 - 231 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Touring (E46) | 1999 - 2001 | Wagon | 118 - 231 hp |
| BMW 3 Series Convertible (E46) | 2000 - 2003 | Convertible | 170 - 231 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Cabrio (E46, facelift 2001) | 2001 - 2006 | Convertible | 143 - 231 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Compact (E46, facelift 2001) | 2001 - 2005 | Hatchback | 115 - 192 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Limuzyna (E46, facelift 2001) | 2001 - 2005 | Sedan | 115 - 231 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Touring (E46, facelift 2001) | 2001 - 2005 | Wagon | 115 - 231 hp |
| BMW 3 Series Coupe (E46, facelift 2003) | 2003 - 2006 | Coupe | 143 - 231 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Limuzyna (E90) | 2005 - 2008 | Sedan | 122 - 306 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Touring (E91) | 2005 - 2008 | Wagon | 122 - 306 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Coupé (E92) | 2006 - 2010 | - | 156 - 306 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Cabrio (E93) | 2007 - 2010 | Convertible | 170 - 306 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Limuzyna (E90 LCI, facelift 2008) | 2008 - 2012 | Sedan | 115 - 306 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Touring (E91 LCI, facelift 2008) | 2008 - 2012 | Wagon | 115 - 306 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Cabrio (E93 LCI, facelift 2010) | 2010 - 2013 | Convertible | 143 - 320 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Coupé (E92 LCI, facelift 2010) | 2010 - 2013 | - | 143 - 320 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Limuzyna (F30) | 2011 - 2015 | Sedan | 116 - 313 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Touring (F31) | 2012 - 2015 | Wagon | 116 - 313 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Gran Turismo (F34) | 2013 - 2016 | - | 143 - 313 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Limuzyna (F30 LCI, Facelift 2015) | 2015 - 2019 | Sedan | 116 - 326 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Touring (F31 LCI, Facelift 2015) | 2015 - 2019 | Wagon | 116 - 326 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Gran Turismo (F34 LCI, Facelift 2016) | 2016 - 2020 | Sedan | 150 - 326 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Limuzyna (G20) | 2018 - 2022 | Sedan | 150 - 382 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Limuzyna Long (G28) | 2019 | Sedan | 184 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Touring (G21) | 2019 - 2022 | Wagon | 150 - 374 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Limuzyna (G20 LCI, facelift 2022) | 2022 - present | Sedan | 150 - 374 hp |
| BMW Seria 3 Touring (G21 LCI, facelift 2022) | 2022 - present | Wagon | 150 - 374 hp |
On the driver's side, visible through the windshield.
On a sticker on the door frame or the edge of the door.
Printed in the vehicle registration or title.
Stamped on the firewall or the frame on many models.
A VIN is built from six parts, and each one says something about the vehicle. Our guides explain how to read it and what it can and cannot tell you.
Enter the 17-character VIN and see the factory basics in seconds.
Our data lists model years 1975 - present across 41 versions of the BMW Seria 3. The VIN of a particular car shows its model year in the 10th character.
41 versions, in 5 body styles, with power up to 382 hp. Use the VIN to confirm which one you have.
The decoder gives you the manufacturer, model year and country of manufacture, which narrows the field. Then match the body style and build year to version names in our data, such as BMW Seria 3 Cabrio (E36), BMW Seria 3 Compact (E46, facelift 2001) or BMW Seria 3 Cabrio (E93 LCI, facelift 2010).
All 17 characters must match exactly on the plate, the registration papers and the advert. Also check that the model year the decoder reports (character 10) fits the age the seller states, and remember that the letters I, O and Q never appear in a VIN.
It will not show accidents, mileage, theft or owners, because none of these are stored in the VIN. It also does not read out the engine output, so the 75 to 382 hp range in our data is only a guide to what exists across the versions.