Free VIN Decoder

What is a VIN?

A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique 17-character code stamped on every modern vehicle. It is the key that unlocks accurate parts identification, because it encodes exactly how the car was built. The VIN never uses the letters I, O or Q (to avoid confusion with 1 and 0).

The three parts of a VIN

• WMI (1–3) — World Manufacturer Identifier: who built the vehicle and in which country.
• VDS (4–9) — Vehicle Descriptor Section: model, body, engine and restraint information; character 9 is a check digit.
• VIS (10–17) — Vehicle Identifier Section: model year (character 10), plant code and the serial number.

Why the model year can be two different years

Character 10 carries the model year, and it runs on a 30-year cycle. The same letter serves two years three decades apart: A is 1980 and 2010, K is 1989 and 2019, R is 1994 and 2024. The character alone cannot tell you which.

For vehicles built to the North American rule there is a tie-breaker. Character 7 is a letter on vehicles from the later cycle and a digit on the earlier one, which resolves the ambiguity. Outside that market the convention is not guaranteed, so this decoder shows the likely year and names the alternative rather than sounding certain about a car it cannot see. The production date on the door jamb sticker settles it in seconds, and it is the date the parts catalog cares about anyway.

Reading the rest of the VIS

Character 11 is the assembly plant. The code is manufacturer-specific rather than standardised, so the same letter means different factories at different carmakers, which is why this tool shows the character without guessing at a name. Characters 12 to 17 are the serial number, assigned in build sequence.

From VIN to the right part

This free tool reads the structure of the VIN. To go further — to the exact engine, gearbox and equipment, and the genuine OEM part numbers that fit — you need the manufacturer's electronic parts catalog. VINsearch gives you 53 of them from a single login. Learn more about reading a VIN →