Ford VIN decoder: US builds, Ford of Europe and the engine in position 8
Ford WMIs: 1FA, 1FM, 1FT and the rest
The third character of a US-built Ford names the vehicle type. 1FA is a passenger car, 1FM an SUV or other multipurpose vehicle and 1FT a completed truck. 1FD marks an incomplete vehicle such as a chassis cab, 1FC a stripped chassis and 1FB a bus.
The first digit moves with the country. Canadian builds start 2FA or 2FM, and Mexican builds 3FA, 3FM or 3FT. Lincoln uses its own codes, 1LN for cars and 5LM or 2LM for SUVs. Outside North America you will meet WF0 for Ford of Europe, NM0 for Ford Otosan in Turkey and MAJ for Ford India.
Ford VIN decoder basics: positions 4 to 8
On cars, position 4 is the restraint system. On trucks and SUVs from 1998 it combines brake system, weight rating and restraints. Positions 5 to 7 hold the vehicle line, series and body code. Ford does not write the platform name into the VIN and uses these series codes instead.
Position 8 is the engine, and it is the character that decides most service parts. Position 9 is the check digit and position 10 the model year: P is 2023, R 2024, S 2025 and T 2026.
Engine codes in position 8: the F-150 example
Ford changes engine letters when an engine is revised. The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 in a 2017 to 2020 F-150 is G, and the version in a 2021-on F-150 is 8. The second-generation 2.7-liter EcoBoost in a 2018-on F-150 is P.
Electric trucks use the same slot for the motor and battery. On a 2022 or 2023 F-150 Lightning, L is the standard-range 98 kWh pack and V the extended-range 131 kWh pack. Plugs, coils, turbos and gasket sets differ between these engine generations, so take the letter together with the model year every time.
The plant letter in position 11
F is Dearborn Truck in Michigan and K is Kansas City Assembly in Claycomo, Missouri, both of which build the F-150. Kansas City also builds the Transit. W has meant the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn since the 2022 model year, where Ford built the F-150 Lightning.
E is Kentucky Truck and U Louisville Assembly, both in Louisville. G is Chicago, D is Ohio Assembly and 5 is Flat Rock, Michigan. Outside the US, B is Oakville in Ontario, R Hermosillo and M Cuautitlán in Mexico.
Ford of Europe: the WF0 layout
European Fords follow a different pattern. After WF0, position 4 is the body type, position 7 the product source, position 8 the assembly plant, position 9 the model and position 10 the body again. Position 11 is the year and position 12 the build month, followed by a five-character serial. The engine is not in the VIN.
Positions 7 and 8 read as a pair. G then A is Cologne and G then C Saarlouis, W then P is Valencia in Spain, E then R is Craiova in Romania and T then T is Gölcük in Turkey. Position 9 is M on a Kuga, built in Valencia, and K on a Puma, built in Craiova. Ford’s month letters repeat on a four-year cycle, so the same letter means a different month from one year to the next.
Decoding a Ford VIN in Microcat
The free VIN decoder reads the maker, country and model year. For a European Ford, where the VIN says nothing about the engine, the catalog reads it from Ford’s build data. On VINsearch, Ford and Lincoln open in Microcat, which decodes the VIN to engine, transmission and body, and lists the genuine Ford part numbers with supersessions. See Microcat explained and the Ford catalog page.
Recall status comes from NHTSA or a Ford dealer, and wiring diagrams and repair procedures from Ford’s service information. Some Fords share parts with Mazda from the years the two companies worked together, which we cover in does Mazda use Ford parts.
Frequently asked questions
Which digit of a Ford VIN is the engine?
Position 8 on Fords built for North America. European Fords with a WF0 VIN do not carry the engine in the VIN, so decode them in the catalog.
What is the difference between 1FM and 1FT?
1FM is a US-built Ford multipurpose vehicle, such as an SUV. 1FT is a completed truck, such as an F-150 pickup.
How do I find the build month on a European Ford?
Position 12 of a WF0 VIN is the month. The letters rotate on a four-year cycle, so read it together with the year in position 11.
Where was my F-150 built?
Read position 11. F is Dearborn Truck in Michigan, K is Kansas City Assembly in Missouri, and W is the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center that built the Lightning.