VIN decoder by make. Know the maker from the first 3 characters.

How the first three characters work

Characters 1 to 3 of a VIN are the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI), set by the ISO 3779 standard and the federal VIN rule (49 CFR Part 565). The first character is the region or country: 1, 4, 5 and 7 are the United States, 2 is Canada, 3 is Mexico, J is Japan, K is South Korea, W is Germany. In the US, SAE International assigns WMIs on NHTSA's behalf, and every maker registers its codes in NHTSA's vPIC database. A maker that builds fewer than 1,000 vehicles a year puts a 9 in the third position and uses characters 12 to 14 to finish its identifier.

The tables below list the WMIs registered to each maker for the cars, SUVs and pickups US buyers see most, read from NHTSA's vPIC database on November 1, 2026. If a VIN's first three characters don't belong to the brand on the ad, ask why.

WMI codes by make

Ford and Lincoln VIN decoder

• Ford registers separate codes for cars (1FA), trucks (1FT) and SUVs and vans (1FM), so the third character tells you the vehicle type before anything else.
• Chassis-cab trucks and other incomplete vehicles use 1FD, 1FC and 3FD.

Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac VIN decoder

• All of these are registered to General Motors. The third character is the brand and type: 1 Chevrolet car, C Chevrolet truck, N Chevrolet SUV, T GMC truck, K GMC SUV, 4 Buick, 6 Cadillac, Y Cadillac SUV.
• A Silverado with a 3GC VIN and one with 1GC are the same truck from different plants; the decode in the box shows which.

Toyota and Lexus VIN decoder

• Most Toyota models are built in more than one plant, so two RAV4s can start with JT, 2T3 or 4T3.
• 7MU and 7MM belong to the Mazda Toyota joint plant in Alabama; 7MU is used on the Corolla Cross.

Honda and Acura VIN decoder

• Honda builds most US-market cars in Ohio, Indiana, Alabama and Ontario, which is why most Honda VINs start with 1, 5, 7 or 2 rather than J.

Nissan VIN decoder

• Nissan's US plants are in Smyrna, Tennessee and Canton, Mississippi; 1N4, 1N6 and 5N1 VINs come from one of the two.

Hyundai VIN decoder

• Hyundai and Kia share some codes. A VIN that starts with 5NP can be either brand; the full decode shows the make.

Kia VIN decoder

• Kia Georgia in West Point registers 5XX and 5XY. 5NP and U5Y are registered to Hyundai-Kia America and show up on both brands.

Subaru VIN decoder

• Subaru's only US plant is in Lafayette, Indiana; every 4S3 and 4S4 VIN was built there.

BMW and MINI VIN decoder

• Most BMW X SUVs sold in the US are built in South Carolina, so their VINs start with 5UX rather than W.

Mercedes-Benz VIN decoder

• Mercedes-Benz moved to the W1K and W1N codes registered in late 2019, so a newer Mercedes usually starts with W1 and an older one with WD.

Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Chrysler VIN decoder

• Since about the 2011 model year, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Chrysler share 1C-series codes, so the brand isn't in the first three characters; the full decode shows it.
• Older Jeeps (1J4, 1J8) and Dodge trucks (1D7, 1B7) used brand-specific codes.

Tesla VIN decoder

• On 5YJ VINs the 4th character is the model: S, 3, X or Y.
• Many Tesla recalls are fixed by over-the-air software updates; check any Tesla in the recall check.

Volkswagen VIN decoder

• Most Volkswagens sold in the US come from Mexico or Tennessee, so their VINs start with 3V or 1V, not W.

The rest of the VIN, for every make

Characters 4 to 8 describe the model, body, engine and restraints, coded each maker's own way, which is why a full decode needs the maker's records. Character 9 is the check digit, 10 is the model year, 11 is the plant and 12 to 17 are the serial number. How to read a VIN, character by character.

The reports

The decode shows what the car is. The reports show what happened to it.

More ways to check a car

Buying guides