Check digit, manufacturer, model year, live NHTSA decode, and recalls
A VIN is 17 characters that say exactly who built your vehicle and where. Positions 1-3 are the World Manufacturer Identifier (1HG = Honda of America, WBA = BMW, 3VW = Volkswagen Mexico), position 9 is a check digit computed from the rest to catch typos, position 10 encodes the model year (3 = 2003 or 2013, L = 1990 or 2020), position 11 is the assembly plant, and 12-17 are the serial. This decoder validates and reads all of it instantly in your browser, then a live NHTSA vPIC decode adds make, model, body, engine, and fuel type, plus a recall lookup. Example: 1HGCM82633A004352 is a 2003 Honda Accord, 6-cylinder automatic coupe built in Marysville, Ohio.
| Position | Meaning | Example (1HGCM82633A004352) |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) | 1HG = Honda of America (passenger cars) |
| 4-8 | Vehicle attributes: model, body, engine (maker-defined) | CM826 = Accord coupe, V6, trim codes |
| 9 | Check digit (validates the VIN) | 3 = computed check digit, matches |
| 10 | Model year code | 3 = 2003 |
| 11 | Assembly plant | A = Marysville, Ohio |
| 12-17 | Serial number (production sequence) | 004352 |
| Code | Year | Code | Year | Code | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1980 / 2010 | K | 1989 / 2019 | U | — (unused) |
| B | 1981 / 2011 | L | 1990 / 2020 | V | 1997 / 2027 |
| C | 1982 / 2012 | M | 1991 / 2021 | W | 1998 / 2028 |
| D | 1983 / 2013 | N | 1992 / 2022 | X | 1999 / 2029 |
| E | 1984 / 2014 | P | 1993 / 2023 | Y | 2000 / 2030 |
| F | 1985 / 2015 | R | 1994 / 2024 | 1 | 2001 |
| G | 1986 / 2016 | S | 1995 / 2025 | 5 | 2005 |
| H | 1987 / 2017 | T | 1996 / 2026 | 9 | 2009 |
| J | 1988 / 2018 | I, O, Q never appear in a VIN; digits 2-4 fill 2002-2004, 6-8 fill 2006-2008 | |||
The cycle repeats every 30 years, which is why a letter alone narrows the year to two candidates; the WMI and model range settle which one.
| WMI | Manufacturer | WMI | Manufacturer | WMI | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1FA / 1FT | Ford (cars / trucks) | JHM | Honda (Japan) | WBA / WBS | BMW (cars / M) |
| 1FM | Ford SUV | 2HG | Honda (Canada) | WVW | Volkswagen |
| 1G1 / 1GC | Chevrolet (cars / trucks) | 19U | Acura (US) | WAU | Audi (Germany) |
| 1GT | GMC trucks | JH4 | Acura (Japan) | TRU | Audi (Hungary) |
| 1G6 | Cadillac | 1N4 / 1N6 | Nissan (cars / trucks) | WDB / WDD | Mercedes-Benz |
| 1C3 | Chrysler cars | 3N1 | Nissan (Mexico) | WDC | Mercedes SUV |
| 1C4 | Jeep | JN1 / JN8 | Nissan (Japan) | WP0 / WP1 | Porsche (cars / SUV) |
| 1C6 | Ram trucks | 4T1 | Toyota (US, Kentucky) | ZFA | Fiat |
| 1HG | Honda (Ohio) | 5TD | Toyota (US, Texas) | ZAR | Alfa Romeo |
| 5FN | Honda (Alabama) | JTD / JTM | Toyota (Japan) | ZFF | Ferrari |
| 5YJ | Tesla (Fremont) | JTH / JTJ | Lexus | ZHW | Lamborghini |
| 7SA | Tesla (Austin) | KNA / KND | Kia | ZAM | Maserati |
| LRW | Tesla (Shanghai) | KMH | Hyundai | SAJ | Jaguar |
| 7FC | Rivian | JF1 / JF2 | Subaru (Japan) | SAL | Land Rover |
| 1FT | Ford F-Series | 4S3 | Subaru (US) | YV1 | Volvo |
| 3VW | VW (Mexico) | JM1 | Mazda (Japan) | WMW | Mini |
| 5N1 | Nissan (Smyrna) | JA3 | Mitsubishi | SCB / SCA | Bentley / Rolls-Royce |
A few hundred WMIs exist; these cover the vehicles you're most likely to meet. The first character's region: 1/4/5 US, 2 Canada, 3 Mexico, 6 Australia, 8/9 South America, J Japan, K Korea, L China, M India/Thailand, S UK, T Czechia/Hungary, V France/Spain, W Germany, X Russia, Y Sweden/Finland/Norway, Z Italy.
This page reads a VIN two ways. The static decode runs instantly and entirely in your browser: character validation, check-digit verification, WMI lookup, year-code translation, and the plant/serial split. The live decode is optional and queries NHTSA's public vPIC API, the US government's official database, straight from your browser. No account, no vehicle history upsell.
Position 9 is computed, not assigned. Each of the 16 other characters maps to a number (A=1 through Z=9, skipping I, O, and Q entirely), gets multiplied by the weight for its position (8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 10, then 0 for position 9 itself, then 9 down to 2), and the products are summed. Sum mod 11 is the check digit; a remainder of 10 is written X. Feed it 1HGCM82633A004352 and the arithmetic produces 3, which is exactly what sits in position 9. A mismatch almost always means one character was mistyped, which is why DMVs and insurers validate it before processing anything.
vPIC returns the attributes each manufacturer registers: make, model, model year, body class, engine cylinders and displacement, fuel type, transmission style, door count, and the assembly plant with city, state, and country. For our sample, that's Honda, Accord, 2003, coupe, 6 cylinders, gasoline, automatic, 2 doors, Marysville, Ohio. The recall button then queries NHTSA's recall database for that make, model, and year, listing any open safety campaigns with dates and component descriptions.
JH4KA7561PC008269: the WMI JH4 says Acura built in Japan, position 10's P says 1993 (or 2023, which no JH4 Acura ever was), and the check digit computes to 1, matching position 9. NHTSA confirms: Acura Legend sedan, 6 cylinders, assembled in Sayama, Japan. Notice how the static and live layers check each other; when they agree, you can trust the transcription.
Positions 1-3 are the World Manufacturer Identifier (who built it), 4-8 describe the vehicle per the maker (model, body, engine), position 9 is a check digit computed from the other characters, position 10 encodes the model year, position 11 is the assembly plant, and 12-17 are the serial number. Since 1981, US-market vehicles use this standardized 17-character format. Example: 1HGCM82633A004352 decodes to a Honda (1HG) built in Marysville, Ohio, model year 3 (2003), plant A, serial 004352.
Position 9 exists purely to catch typos. Each character is converted to a number (letters I, O, and Q are banned so they can't be misread), multiplied by a fixed weight of 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 10, 0, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and the products are summed. Divide by 11: the remainder is the check digit, written X when it's 10. If position 9 doesn't match the computed value, the VIN was mistyped or altered, and most DMV systems reject it.
Not fully. The VIN pins down manufacturer, plant, model year, and whatever attributes the maker chooses to encode in positions 4-8, which often includes body style, engine, and restraint system, but trim levels, colors, and option packages mostly live in the manufacturer's own build records. NHTSA's decode shows which attributes a manufacturer encoded; a window sticker or build sheet fills in the rest.
Three places, fastest first: the driver's side dashboard at the base of the windshield (readable from outside), the driver's door jamb sticker, and paperwork: the title, registration, insurance card, and usually the sales invoice. It also appears on major body parts like the engine firewall and door panels on some vehicles. Never buy from a seller who can't produce a VIN that matches the paperwork.
Yes and yes. The check digit, WMI, and year decode run entirely in your browser with JavaScript; nothing is transmitted. The optional live decode and recall check query NHTSA's public vPIC and recalls APIs directly from your browser, the same endpoints used by commercial lookup sites. No account, no stored history, no upsell to a paid report.