Buying & Finance · Free tool
Free VIN Decoder
Enter a 17-character VIN. The decoder checks that it is valid, reads the model year and country of origin, and can look up the make, model and engine.
- Free to use
- No signup
- Decodes in your browser
Your result
Enter a VIN to decode it.
You will get the model year, where it was built and whether the check digit is valid. One more step adds the make, model and engine.
A VIN decode describes the car as built. It does not show accidents, title brands or recalls.
A decode of how the vehicle was built, not a history report. Read the disclaimer. Updated .
02Your result
What your VIN decoder result means
A VIN is the car’s fingerprint. Decoding it tells you what the car was when it left the factory.
- 01
Model year and origin
Read straight from the VIN: the tenth character gives the model year and the first characters identify where the manufacturer is registered.
- 02
Check digit
The ninth character is calculated from the other sixteen. If it does not match, the VIN has been mistyped or altered.
- 03
Make, model and engine
Looked up in NHTSA’s vPIC database when you ask for it. Compare every line with the seller’s listing.
What to do next
Check the car’s history
A decode shows how the car was built. A history report shows what has happened to it since.
Vehicle historyInspect before you buy
Walk around it, scan it for stored codes and pay for an independent inspection.
Inspection checklistScan it for codes
Look up any trouble codes stored in a car you are thinking of buying.
OBD2 code lookup
03How it works
The VIN check digit formula
Federal rules fix the layout of every VIN and the sum that produces its ninth character.
Check digit = (sum of each character’s value × the weight for its position) mod 11. A remainder of 10 is written X.
Weights by position: 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 10, 0, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
What each term means
- value
- Digits keep their own value. Letters are assigned one: A=1, B=2 … H=8, J=1 … N=5, P=7, R=9, S=2 … Z=9.
- weight
- A fixed multiplier for each of the 17 positions. Position 9, the check digit itself, has a weight of 0.
- Σ
- Add up the product of value and weight for every position.
- mod 11
- Divide the total by 11 and keep the remainder.
What the tool assumes
- A 17-character VIN, the format federal rules require.
- The letters I, O and Q never appear in a VIN.
- A letter in position 7 marks model years 2010 to 2039, and a digit marks 1980 to 2009.
- The check digit is required for the North American market. Vehicles built for other markets may not use it.
04Worked example
VIN decoder example: 1HGCM82633A004352
A sample VIN, taken apart by position and then run through the check digit sum.
- 01
Positions 1 to 3: manufacturer
World manufacturer identifier, registered in the United States
1HG
- 02
Positions 4 to 8: vehicle attributes
Model, body style, engine and restraints
CM826
- 03
Position 9: check digit
Sum of products 311 ÷ 11 leaves 3
3
- 04
Position 10: model year
“3” with a digit in position 7
2003
- 05
Position 11: plant
The factory that built it
A
- 06
Positions 12 to 17: serial number
Assigned in sequence by the manufacturer
004352
Decoded
2003
A 2003 model-year vehicle from a manufacturer registered in the United States, with a check digit that matches. The NHTSA lookup adds the make, model and engine.
Try your own numbers05Background
How a VIN is structured
Every vehicle sold in the United States carries a 17-character vehicle identification number. Federal regulation, 49 CFR Part 565, sets out what each position means, and it leaves out the letters I, O and Q altogether.
| Positions | Name | What it identifies |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | World manufacturer identifier | The manufacturer and the type of vehicle. |
| 4 to 8 | Vehicle attributes | Details such as the model, body type, engine and restraint system. |
| 9 | Check digit | A character calculated from the others, to catch errors. |
| 10 | Model year | One letter or digit. The codes repeat, so position 7 shows which cycle applies. |
| 11 | Plant | The factory where the vehicle was built. |
| 12 to 17 | Serial number | A number assigned in sequence by the manufacturer. |
The decode on this page happens in your browser. The make, model and engine come from NHTSA’s vPIC database, which the tool contacts only when you press the lookup button.
A decode is not a history report. It cannot show accidents, title brands or open recalls. For those, use NHTSA’s recall lookup and the other checks in the vehicle history section of the used car guide.
06When to use it
When to use a VIN decoder
Before you travel to see a car, and again when you are standing next to it.
To check a listing
Confirm that the year, model and engine in the advertisement match the VIN.
To spot a bad VIN
A failed check digit means a typing error or a VIN that has been tampered with.
To order the right parts
The model year and engine from the VIN are what a parts counter asks for.
Before a history report
Make sure the VIN is valid before you pay to run it.
Mistakes to avoid.
- Typing the letter O for a zero, or I for a one. A VIN never contains I, O or Q.
- Treating a clean decode as a clean history. They are different checks.
- Checking only the VIN in the listing and not the one on the car itself.
- Assuming the model year is the year the car was built or first registered.
07Related guides and tools
Keep going from here.
Guides that go with this tool
Related tools
08Questions
VIN Decoder: your questions.
How do I decode a VIN?
Read it by position. Characters 1 to 3 identify the manufacturer, 4 to 8 the vehicle’s attributes, 9 is a check digit, 10 is the model year, 11 is the plant and 12 to 17 are the serial number. Enter the VIN above to have it done for you.
Which digit of the VIN is the year?
The tenth. It is a letter or a digit, and the codes repeat, so the seventh character is used to tell a 1980 to 2009 model year from a 2010 to 2039 one.
How do I know if a VIN is valid?
A valid VIN has 17 characters, never contains the letters I, O or Q, and has a ninth character that matches the check digit calculated from the other sixteen.
Where is the VIN on a car?
On the driver’s side of the dashboard, visible through the windshield, and on a sticker on the driver’s door jamb. It also appears on the title, the registration and insurance documents.
Does a VIN decoder show accidents?
No. A decoder shows how the vehicle was built. Accidents, title brands and recalls come from history reports and from NHTSA’s recall lookup.
09Estimates and sources
Read this before you rely on it.
Built and checked by CarTipsMentor Team. Last updated . How we check our work.
Sources
- [1]Code of Federal Regulations, 49 CFR Part 565: Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Requirements
- [2]National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, vPIC Vehicle API
- [3]National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Check for recalls by VIN
- [4]National Insurance Crime Bureau, VINCheck