A vehicle identification number (VIN) is the code that identifies one specific vehicle. Vehicles built for the US since the 1981 model year use a 17-character VIN; older vehicles use shorter formats that vary by maker. Every record about that vehicle, from title brands to recalls, is filed under it. Our free VIN decoder reads the code for you; this guide explains what it is reading.
The 17-character standard
Since the 1981 model year, U.S. rules have required a 17-character VIN in a fixed format (49 CFR Part 565). The letters I, O and Q are never used, so they cannot be confused with 1 and 0.
| Positions | Name | What it encodes |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | World manufacturer identifier (WMI) | Country and manufacturer |
| 4–8 | Vehicle descriptor section (VDS) | Model, body, restraint system, engine and other attributes, as each maker defines them |
| 9 | Check digit | A calculated value that catches typing errors |
| 10 | Model year | A letter or number for the model year |
| 11 | Plant code | The assembly plant |
| 12–17 | Sequential number | The vehicle's serial number at that plant |
The model year code (position 10)
The year code repeats every 30 years. Letters skip I, O, Q, U and Z, and the digit 0 is not used.
| Code | Year | Code | Year | Code | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1980 / 2010 | L | 1990 / 2020 | Y | 2000 / 2030 |
| B | 1981 / 2011 | M | 1991 / 2021 | 1 | 2001 / 2031 |
| C | 1982 / 2012 | N | 1992 / 2022 | 2 | 2002 / 2032 |
| D | 1983 / 2013 | P | 1993 / 2023 | 3 | 2003 / 2033 |
| E | 1984 / 2014 | R | 1994 / 2024 | 4 | 2004 / 2034 |
| F | 1985 / 2015 | S | 1995 / 2025 | 5 | 2005 / 2035 |
| G | 1986 / 2016 | T | 1996 / 2026 | 6 | 2006 / 2036 |
| H | 1987 / 2017 | V | 1997 / 2027 | 7 | 2007 / 2037 |
| J | 1988 / 2018 | W | 1998 / 2028 | 8 | 2008 / 2038 |
| K | 1989 / 2019 | X | 1999 / 2029 | 9 | 2009 / 2039 |
To tell 1990 from 2020, look at the rest of the VIN and the vehicle itself: the model and body style settle it.
How the check digit works
The ninth character lets anyone test whether a VIN was copied correctly:
- Turn each letter into a number: A=1, B=2, C=3, D=4, E=5, F=6, G=7, H=8, J=1, K=2, L=3, M=4, N=5, P=7, R=9, S=2, T=3, U=4, V=5, W=6, X=7, Y=8, Z=9. Digits keep their value.
- Multiply each of the 17 values by its position weight: 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 10, 0, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
- Add the results and divide by 11. The remainder is the check digit; a remainder of 10 is written as X.
If the result does not match position 9, the VIN was mistyped, or it was altered. Altered VINs are one sign of a stolen or cloned vehicle; see the stolen vehicle check.
VINs before 1981
Vehicles built before the 1981 model year use shorter, maker-specific formats, often 11 to 13 characters. There is no shared check digit, and the meaning of each character depends on the manufacturer and year. Decoding them needs the maker's own tables. We decode pre-1981 VINs too: start with the classic vehicle check. Expect fewer records for a classic than for a modern vehicle: decoding the number does not mean every record type exists for it.
What a VIN does not tell you
A VIN describes how a vehicle was built. It does not say whether the car was in a flood, was rebuilt, or had its odometer rolled back. Those are records attached to the VIN after it left the factory, and a VIN check is how you see them.
