Enter the 17-character VIN of your Mercedes-Benz 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 reads the manufacturer, the model year and the country of manufacture from the code itself. For Mercedes-Benz we recognise twelve WMI codes: 115, 123, 460, 55S, 8AC, 9BM, EDB, VSA, W1K, W1N, W1V and WBD. Our brand data lists 72 models, from the 190 and Fintail to the EQS SUV and AMG ONE.
A VIN does not record accidents, mileage, theft or previous owners, so the decoder cannot show them. That information comes from a paid vehicle history report, while the decoder stays free and needs no registration.
Pick a Mercedes-Benz model to see how its VIN works.
The first three characters are the WMI, the code for the manufacturer and the place where the vehicle was built. The codes we map to Mercedes-Benz are 115, 123, 460, 55S, 8AC, 9BM, EDB, VSA, W1K, W1N, W1V and WBD, and together they cover the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Germany and Russia. The list is the set of codes we recognise, not every code that exists, so a VIN that begins differently is not a sign of a problem.
Characters 4 to 8 are the descriptor section, and character 9 is the check digit. North American VINs must use it as a check digit, while many European VINs fill that position differently. The tenth character gives the model year, for example J for 2018, L for 2020 or M for 2021. The eleventh character marks the plant, and characters 12 to 17 are the serial number.
This 17-character layout applies to cars built since 1981. Our version data for the brand reaches back to 1928 and runs to the present, since some models are still built, but older vehicles fall outside the modern VIN format. Letters I, O and Q are never used in a VIN, so if you find one while copying a number, look at the characters again.
Every VIN has six parts. This is what each of them means.
| Part | Characters | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| WMI | 1 to 3 | World manufacturer identifier: who built the vehicle and where |
| VDS | 4 to 8 | Vehicle descriptor: model, body type and engine, as set by the manufacturer |
| Check digit | 9 | Control value that helps confirm the VIN is valid |
| Model year | 10 | Code for the model year |
| Plant | 11 | Code for the assembly plant |
| Serial | 12 to 17 | Production sequence number of this vehicle |
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.
Look at the base of the windscreen on the driver's side, on the identification plate in the door frame, and on the registration papers. Copy all 17 characters exactly, and remember that I, O and Q do not appear in a VIN.
The first three characters are the WMI. We recognise 115, 123, 460, 55S, 8AC, 9BM, EDB, VSA, W1K, W1N, W1V and WBD for Mercedes-Benz, and they point to the manufacturer and the country where the vehicle was built.
Check the tenth character. A letter such as K means 2019, P means 2023 and S means 2025, and digits 1 to 9 stand for 2001 to 2009. This system applies to cars built since 1981.
It reads only the VIN, so it gives the manufacturer, the model year and the country of manufacture. Accidents, mileage, theft and owners are not stored in the VIN at all.
Make sure the VIN on the car matches the number in the registration papers and that the model year and country from the decoder fit what the seller tells you. Then inspect the car in person and ask for its documented service records.