vinkodex.VIN decoded.
Enter the 17 characters. We tell you the maker, the model year, and where the coding allows it, the model too.
17 characters
Enter the VIN
The coloured boxes show what each character means.
Structure
What the 17 characters carry
There are three sections. The first and the last are standard. The middle one is the maker's.
1–3
Maker code
Maker and country.
WVWVolkswagen,TRUAudi Győr.4–9
Vehicle description
Model, body, engine. The code differs by maker, and it is not public.
10
Model year
A standard code. It repeats every 30 years, so the
Acan be 1980 or 2010. Not every make uses it.11
Plant
The assembly plant code. Each make has its own mark.
12–17
Serial number
The number of this one car on the production line.
10th character
Model year codes
Where the 10th character is the year, this table applies. On Mercedes and BMW it often means something else. We do not read a year from it there.
A
1980 · 2010
B
1981 · 2011
C
1982 · 2012
D
1983 · 2013
E
1984 · 2014
F
1985 · 2015
G
1986 · 2016
H
1987 · 2017
J
1988 · 2018
K
1989 · 2019
L
1990 · 2020
M
1991 · 2021
N
1992 · 2022
P
1993 · 2023
R
1994 · 2024
S
1995 · 2025
T
1996 · 2026
V
1997 · 2027
W
1998
X
1999
Y
2000
1
2001
2
2002
3
2003
4
2004
5
2005
6
2006
7
2007
8
2008
9
2009
Limits
What the VIN does not tell you
Mileage and damage history
The mileage and the damage are not in the number. They are in the service book, a history check, or a paid lookup.
The exact engine code
On a European car the engine code is on the engine. The known faults are about that code. Look for it.
Whether the recall was done
A franchised dealer knows this from the VIN. Ask.
Common questions
Before you type it in
Where do you find the VIN?
In field E of the registration document. On the car it is in the lower corner of the windscreen, on the driver's door pillar or on the sill. If the two numbers do not match, do not buy the car.
Why 17 characters?
It has been the standard since 1981. I, O and Q are left out. They are easy to confuse with 1 and 0.
Can you read the engine code from it?
Usually not. The middle section differs by maker, and it is not public. The engine code is on the engine, in the registration document, and in the service book.
Does it show the mileage or the damage?
No. The VIN is an identifier. The mileage and the damage are in a registry, not in the number.