How to read a VIN: what each of the 17 characters means
What the 17 characters of a Vehicle Identification Number mean, how to find the model year and the plant, how the check digit catches typos, and where to decode one for free.
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Short answer
A VIN has 17 characters: 1 to 3 identify the manufacturer, 4 to 8 describe the vehicle, 9 is a check digit, 10 is the model year, 11 the plant, and 12 to 17 the serial number. It never uses I, O or Q. You can decode any VIN for free with NHTSA’s data, including in our free VIN decoder.
Choose this if
A free decoder is all you need to check a car you are about to buy.
Choose the other option if
Carumi keeps the VIN together with the car’s whole service history once it is yours.
At a glance
| Feature | Free VIN decoder | Carumi |
|---|---|---|
| Decodes year, make, model and engine | Yeswith NHTSA data | Noit stores the VIN you scan |
| Reads the VIN with the camera | No | Yeson the device |
| Keeps services and receipts for the car | No | Yes |
| Reminds you of maintenance by date or mileage | No | Yes |
| Shareable history when you sell | No | YesVehicle Passport PDF |
The three parts of a VIN
US federal rules (49 CFR Part 565) set the layout for every vehicle sold in the United States since the 1981 model year.
- Characters 1 to 3, the World Manufacturer Identifier: the maker and, often, the country and type of vehicle.
- Characters 4 to 8, the vehicle descriptor: model line, body, engine, restraint system or weight class, depending on the vehicle type.
- Character 9: the check digit.
- Character 10: the model year.
- Character 11: the assembly plant.
- Characters 12 to 17: the production sequence number.
Reading the model year
The tenth character is a code that repeats every 30 years. Letters I, O, Q, U and Z and the digit 0 are never used for the year. A stands for 1980 or 2010, and the letters run up to Y for 2000 or 2030; the digits 1 to 9 stand for 2001 to 2009, and again for 2031 to 2039.
Recent years: L is 2020, M 2021, N 2022, P 2023, R 2024, S 2025, T 2026 and V 2027. When a code could mean two years, the rest of the VIN and the look of the car make the answer obvious.
What the check digit does
The ninth character is calculated from the other sixteen: each letter becomes a number, each position gets a weight, and the remainder of the sum divided by 11 is the check digit (X when it is 10). If you mistype one character, the check digit almost always stops matching.
That makes it a quick test when you copy a VIN from a listing or a photo. A wrong check digit on a car made for North America usually means a typo, and occasionally a VIN that deserves a closer look.
Where to find it and how to decode it
Look through the windshield at the driver’s side of the dashboard, on the sticker in the driver’s door jamb, or on the title, registration and insurance card. All of them should show the same 17 characters.
NHTSA, the US road safety agency, runs a free decoding service called vPIC, and a free recall search by VIN. Our free VIN decoder uses both: it checks the characters and the check digit, shows what NHTSA knows about the vehicle and lists the recalls for that make, model and year.
Frequently asked questions
What does each digit in a VIN mean?
Positions 1 to 3 name the manufacturer, 4 to 8 describe the vehicle, 9 is a check digit, 10 the model year, 11 the plant and 12 to 17 the serial number.
How do I find the year from a VIN?
Look at the tenth character. For example, R is 2024, S 2025 and T 2026; the same letters stood for 1994, 1995 and 1996.
Why are there no I, O or Q in a VIN?
They are too easy to confuse with 1 and 0, so federal rules leave them out of every VIN.
Can I check recalls with a VIN?
Yes. NHTSA’s recall search takes a VIN and shows open safety recalls for that exact vehicle.
Is Carumi available?
Carumi is in development for iPhone.
Our pick
Carumi, the record of every service your car gets
Carumi reads the VIN with your iPhone camera and keeps it with the car’s whole history: every service with its receipt, maintenance by date or mileage, and a clean Vehicle Passport when you sell.
- VIN and paperwork scanned on the device
- Maintenance by date, mileage or both
- A shareable Vehicle Passport PDF
