A VIN (vehicle identification number) is the 17-character code that identifies one specific vehicle. It tells you who made it and where, what model and engine it has, its model year and plant, and its serial number. No two vehicles made within 30 years share a VIN.
Decode a VIN now with NHTSA data →
What the 17 characters mean
U.S. federal rules (49 CFR Part 565) have set the format since the 1981 model year. The VIN splits into three sections: who built the vehicle, what it is, and which one it is.
| Position | Part | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Country | Where the vehicle was built (1, 4, 5 = USA; 2 = Canada; 3 = Mexico; J = Japan; K = South Korea; W = Germany; S = UK). |
| 1–3 | WMI | World Manufacturer Identifier: the maker and, often, the vehicle type. |
| 4–8 | VDS | Vehicle Descriptor Section: model, body, engine and restraint codes, defined by each maker. |
| 9 | Check digit | A digit (or X) calculated from the other 16 characters to catch typos. |
| 10 | Model year | A letter or digit for the model year; the codes repeat every 30 years. |
| 11 | Plant | The assembly plant, coded by each maker. |
| 12–17 | Serial | The production sequence number of this vehicle. |
Example: in 1FTFW1EF6CK900001, 1FT is Ford trucks built in the U.S., 6 is the check digit, C means 2012 and K is the plant. Run it through the decoder and NHTSA's vPIC identifies a 2012 Ford F-150 pickup with a 5.0-liter V8. The serial (900001) in this example is made up.
What a VIN tells you, and what it doesn't
- Does: maker, country of manufacture, model, body style, engine and restraint systems (as the maker encodes them), model year, assembly plant and serial number.
- Doesn't: paint color, option packages, accident or title history, mileage, or whether a recall has been repaired. Those live in other records that are looked up with the VIN.
Who uses the VIN
DMVs use it to title and register the vehicle; insurers to write policies; NHTSA and makers to run recalls; police to trace stolen vehicles; and parts sellers to match the right part. Because it ties all those records together, a used-car buyer should always compare the VIN on the car with the VIN on the title.
Pre-1981 VINs
Before the 1981 model year, makers used their own serial-number formats, often 11 to 13 characters long, with no check digit. Those need a maker-specific guide rather than a standard decoder.
FAQ
Is every VIN unique?
Yes. NHTSA's VIN rule requires each vehicle to have a VIN that no other vehicle made within 30 years shares, which is why the year codes can repeat after 30 years.
Why are I, O and Q never used in a VIN?
They are too easy to confuse with the digits 1 and 0. A VIN that contains I, O or Q has been copied wrongly.
Does a VIN tell you the color or options?
No. A VIN identifies the vehicle and encodes basics such as the maker, model, body, engine and year. Color, options and trim details sit in the maker's build records, not the VIN.
Does a VIN tell you accident history?
Not by itself. Accident, title and mileage history are records linked to the VIN by insurers, DMVs and repair shops, which history-report services collect.