ETKA online — the VW, Audi, Škoda & SEAT parts catalog

ETK or ETKA — which one do you mean?

Both abbreviate the same German phrase, Elektronischer Teilekatalog, which is exactly why they get swapped. ETKA is the Volkswagen Group's catalog — VW, Audi, Škoda, SEAT and Cupra. ETK is BMW Group's, covering BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, with an eleven-digit number format instead of the VAG 3-3-3.

If you typed “ETK Audi”, “ETK VW” or “ETK Škoda”, the catalog you want is ETKA and you are on the right page. If you meant a BMW or MINI, go to the BMW ETK page instead.

What is ETKA?

ETKA — short for Elektronischer Teilekatalog (“electronic parts catalog”) — is the Volkswagen Group's own parts database. It is the single source of truth that dealers and workshops use to identify genuine VAG parts: it links every vehicle, by VIN, to the exact assemblies fitted on the production line.

For each car ETKA gives you VIN decoding to the precise build, exploded diagrams of every assembly, genuine OEM part numbers with quantities, and supersession chains that show which old number is replaced by which new one. That precision is why ETKA beats generic aftermarket cross-references for finding the right part the first time.

ETKA launched in 1989 and replaced parts books and microfilm catalogues. LexCom, a Munich software house, produces it for Volkswagen AG. In German it is the ETKA Katalog and in British English the ETKA catalogue: two spellings, one database.

Which brands does ETKA cover?

ETKA covers the core Volkswagen Group passenger brands. SEAT and Cupra share the same platform data; classic Porsche, Bentley and Lamborghini parts were historically catalogued in ETKA too, while modern Porsche uses Porsche PET (also on VINsearch). Pick a brand to open its ETKA catalog:

ETKA online for VW, Audi, SEAT, Cupra and Škoda

One catalog and one numbering scheme cover all five badges, so one login serves a mixed VAG workshop. Each brand still has its own trap at the parts counter.

ETKA online for Volkswagen

Volkswagen passenger cars and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles share the catalog, so a Transporter VIN resolves the same way as a Golf. The first group of a VW number names the platform generation: 1K0 for the Golf V, 5G0 for the Golf VII. Open ETKA for VW to see how it reads a Volkswagen VIN.

ETKA online for Audi

Audi prefixes follow the generation too: 8K0 parts belong to the A4 B8 and 8W0 parts to the A4 B9. Quattro, S and RS models sit in the same catalog as the standard cars, and the VIN filters each one to its own build. More in ETKA for Audi.

ETKA online for SEAT and Cupra

SEAT launched Cupra as a standalone brand in 2018, and ETKA lists both. A Cupra Formentor VIN resolves the same way as a SEAT Leon, shared VAG numbers included. ETKA for SEAT and Cupra covers both badges.

ETKA online for Škoda

The first Octavia of 1996 shared its platform with the Golf IV, and the third-generation Octavia shares MQB with the Golf VII and the third-generation Audi A3 and SEAT Leon. Many Škoda parts therefore carry a Golf-family prefix, and the catalog is right to show it. See ETKA for Škoda.

ETKA online vs ETKA download (installed)

Most “ETKA download” searches end in frustration: installed copies are licensed to dealers, need a specific Windows setup, and freeze the data the day you install them. The online route removes all of that. Here is the honest comparison:

Read the full breakdown on ETKA download vs online.

Is there a free ETKA online?

Not a legal one. The official ETKA software is licensed to franchised dealers, and a copy passed around outside that channel stops at the date it was made, supersessions included.

Two free tools on this site do part of the job, with no account. The free VIN decoder reads the manufacturer, build country and model year from any 17-character VIN. The OEM part number lookup tells you which carmaker group issued a number and which catalog to search. For the parts themselves, a $5 Day Pass opens ETKA for 24 hours and does not renew, so there is nothing to cancel.

How do I use ETKA online?

There is nothing to install. The workflow is the same one a dealer uses, in four steps:

1. Register at lk.vinsearch.online and choose a plan (from a $5 Day Pass).
2. Enter the VIN — ETKA decodes the exact model, engine, gearbox, trim and market.
3. Open the assembly you need from the exploded diagram tree.
4. Read off the genuine OEM number and quantity, with any supersession applied.

See the full walkthrough in how to use ETKA, or jump straight to ETKA by VIN.

ETKA online by VIN

Enter the 17-character VIN and ETKA resolves the model, engine and gearbox codes, trim and build market, then shows only the parts that fit that car. You work from the factory build, not a guess from the model name.

The VIN does not settle every part. Two cars of the same model and engine can take different front brake discs, and Volkswagen tells them apart with PR codes: three-character codes for factory equipment, used on VW vehicles since 1999. HELLA lists 1LX for front disc brakes and 1ZE for coated front disc brakes. ETKA prints the PR code after the part number, and the car's own codes sit on the data sticker in the service booklet or the boot. Our guide to VW PR codes shows how to read that sticker, and ETKA by VIN walks through the lookup step by step.

ETKA part numbers

VAG uses a shared numbering style across the group — a three-three-three block plus a one or two letter index, for example 1K0 615 301 AB (a Volkswagen front brake disc). The same logic applies across Audi, Škoda and SEAT, which is why one ETKA catalog can serve a multi-brand workshop. Because numbers supersede over time, always confirm the current number against a live catalog rather than an old printout.

Access & pricing

One VINsearch subscription opens ETKA and every other catalog — the multi-brand reality of a real workshop, under a single login. Start with a $5 Day Pass for a single job, $50 a month for daily use, or $500 a year (about $1.37 a day). No per-search fees, ever.

The catalog interface is in English only. You pay by card and need no dealer account, so any workshop, parts counter or car owner can buy access.