# VIN decoder and recall check > Decode any 17-character VIN: year, make, model, trim, engine, plant and weight class from NHTSA, the check digit, and recalls for that model year. Canonical: https://lucernel.com/tools/vin-decoder Last updated: 2026-09-26 Type a 17-character VIN. You get what NHTSA knows about the vehicle, whether the check digit is valid, and the recalls issued for that make, model and year. Free, no account. Your browser sends the VIN straight to NHTSA, the US road safety agency. Lucernel never sees it. Interactive version: https://lucernel.com/tools/vin-decoder ## How it works Every car sold in the United States since 1981 has a 17-character Vehicle Identification Number. The first three characters name the manufacturer, characters 4 to 8 describe the vehicle, the 9th is a check digit, the 10th is the model year and the 11th the plant. The tool checks the characters first: a VIN never uses the letters I, O or Q, and the check digit is computed from the other 16 characters with the weights set by US federal rules (49 CFR 565). A wrong check digit usually means a typo. Then it asks NHTSA's free vPIC service to decode the VIN, and NHTSA's recall service for campaigns on the same make, model and year. Those recalls cover the model, not your exact car: NHTSA's own VIN search shows whether a repair on this car is still open. ## Good to know - vPIC decodes what the manufacturer reported to NHTSA. Options, colour and trim details are often missing. - Recalls here are for the model year. Use the NHTSA link to see whether the repair was done on this car. - The check digit is required for vehicles made for North America. VINs from other markets may fail it and still be genuine. ## Frequently asked questions ### Where do I find my VIN? On the driver side of the dashboard, seen through the windshield, on the driver door jamb sticker, and on your title, registration and insurance card. ### Is this VIN decoder really free? Yes. It uses the free public services of NHTSA. There is no account, no limit and no paid report behind it. ### Does a recall in the list mean my car was never fixed? No. The list shows every recall for that make, model and year. NHTSA's VIN search, linked under the results, tells you if a repair on your exact car is still open. ### Why does the tool say the check digit is wrong? Most often one character was typed wrong, for example a 0 instead of a D. Compare it with the VIN on the car or the title. ## Carumi keeps the history of every vehicle. Once you know the car, keep its whole history: every service with its receipt, maintenance by date or mileage, and what owning it really costs. - VIN and paperwork scanned with the camera - Maintenance by date, mileage or both - A shareable Vehicle Passport PDF [Carumi](https://lucernel.com/apps/carumi) ## Sources (checked 2026-09-26) - [NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder API](https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/api/) - [NHTSA recalls API and VIN lookup](https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls) - [49 CFR Part 565: Vehicle Identification Number requirements](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-V/part-565)