Free · NHTSA vPIC data

Lincoln VIN decoder

Type a Lincoln VIN below to decode it with NHTSA's vPIC database: model, year, engine, body, plant and more, followed by the recalls NHTSA lists for that model year.

Decode a Lincoln VIN

Free, using official NHTSA data. Your VIN is sent only to NHTSA and is not stored.

How to read a Lincoln VIN (position by position)

Every Lincoln built for North America since 1981 carries a 17-character VIN. The first three characters are the WMI: NHTSA's vPIC lists 12 WMIs used on Lincoln vehicles, such as 1L1, 1LJ and 1LN.

The 17 characters of a Lincoln VIN
PositionPartOn a Lincoln VIN
1Country of manufacture1, 2, 3, 5 (the United States, Canada and Mexico)
1–3World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI)1L1, 1LJ, 1LN, 1MR, 2L1, 2LJ and 6 more
4–8Vehicle descriptorLincoln's own codes for model, body, engine and restraints
9Check digitCalculated from the other 16 characters
10Model yearG (2016) to S (2025) for current Lincoln models
11PlantLincoln plant code (the decoder names the plant)
12–17Serial numberLincoln's production sequence

Lincoln WMI codes

Lincoln WMIs point to 3 countries of manufacture: the United States (1L1, 1LJ, 1LN, 1MR…), Canada (2L1, 2LJ, 2LM, 2LN) and Mexico (3LN). vPIC registers Lincoln WMIs for passenger car, incomplete vehicle, suv / mpv and truck vehicle types.

World Manufacturer Identifiers NHTSA's vPIC ties to Lincoln
WMIManufacturerCountryVehicle type
1L1FORD MOTOR COMPANYUNITED STATES (USA)Passenger Car
1LJFORD MOTOR COMPANYUNITED STATES (USA)Incomplete Vehicle
1LNFORD MOTOR COMPANYUNITED STATES (USA)Passenger Car
1MRFORD MOTOR COMPANYUNITED STATES (USA)Passenger Car
2L1FORD MOTOR COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD.CANADAIncomplete Vehicle
2LJFORD MOTOR COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD.CANADAIncomplete Vehicle
2LMFORD MOTOR COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD.CANADAMultipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV)
2LNFORD MOTOR COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD.CANADAPassenger Car
3LNFORD MOTOR COMPANY, MEXICOMEXICOPassenger Car
5L1FORD MOTOR COMPANYUNITED STATES (USA)Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV)
5LMFORD MOTOR COMPANYUNITED STATES (USA)Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV)
5LTFORD MOTOR COMPANYUNITED STATES (USA)Truck

The plant code (11th character) is defined by Lincoln itself, and vPIC does not publish a list of them; the decoder above shows the plant city and country for any Lincoln VIN.

Lincoln model year codes

The 10th character gives the model year: a 2025 Lincoln Nautilus carries S, a 2025 Lincoln Navigator carries S and a 2025 Lincoln Navigator L carries S. The letters repeat every 30 years.

Full VIN year chart, 1980–2039 →

Where to find the VIN on a Lincoln

  • On the dashboard, at the base of the windshield on the driver side (read it from outside).
  • On the label in the driver-side door jamb.
  • On the title, registration and insurance card.
  • Often stamped on the engine bay firewall or the frame.

Lincoln recalls

NHTSA lists 424 Lincoln vehicle recall campaigns across the 2008–2024 model years (counting each campaign once per model year). The 2021 model year has the most, with 49; 2020–2024 models account for 200.

NHTSA vehicle recall campaigns for Lincoln, by model year
Model yearCampaigns
202426
202332
202245
202149
202048
201925
201827
201722
201623
201530
201417
201321
201211
201113
201011
200912
200812
Check one car: decode its VIN above to see the recalls issued for its model year, then confirm which are still open at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Lincoln models in vPIC

vPIC lists 11 Lincoln models for the 2016–2025 model years.

  • Aviator 2020–2025
  • Continental 2017–2020
  • Corsair 2020–2025
  • MKC 2016–2019
  • MKS 2016
  • MKT 2016–2019
  • MKX 2016–2018
  • MKZ 2016–2020
  • Nautilus 2019–2025
  • Navigator 2016–2025
  • Navigator L 2017–2025

FAQ

How do I tell the year of a Lincoln by its VIN?

Read the 10th character: on Lincoln models from 2016 to 2025 it runs from G to S (L = 2020, R = 2024). The same letters were used 30 years earlier.

What does a Lincoln VIN tell you?

The maker and country (characters 1–3), model, body and engine (4–8), a check digit (9), the model year (10), the plant (11) and the serial number (12–17). It does not record color, options or accident history.

Can I find a Lincoln paint code from the VIN?

Usually not: the paint code isn't part of the VIN. It's printed on the vehicle's information label, often in the driver's door jamb, and a Lincoln dealer can look it up from the VIN.