Decode a Toyota VIN
How to read a Toyota VIN (position by position)
Every Toyota built for North America since 1981 carries a 17-character VIN. The first three characters are the WMI: NHTSA's vPIC lists 30 WMIs used on Toyota vehicles, such as 2T1, 2T3 and 3MY.
| Position | Part | On a Toyota VIN |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Country of manufacture | 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, J, N, S, V, W (Canada, Mexico, the United States and Japan and others) |
| 1–3 | World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) | 2T1, 2T3, 3MY, 3TM, 3TY, 4T1 and 24 more |
| 4–8 | Vehicle descriptor | Toyota's own codes for model, body, engine and restraints |
| 9 | Check digit | Calculated from the other 16 characters |
| 10 | Model year | G (2016) to S (2025) for current Toyota models |
| 11 | Plant | Toyota plant code (the decoder names the plant) |
| 12–17 | Serial number | Toyota's production sequence |
Toyota WMI codes
Toyota WMIs point to 8 countries of manufacture: Canada (2T1, 2T3), Mexico (3MY, 3TM, 3TY), the United States (4T1, 4T3, 4T4, 5TB…), Japan (JT2, JT3, JT4, JT5…), Turkey (NMT), the United Kingdom (SB1), France (VNK) and Germany (WZ1). 4 of them are shared with sister brands, so the WMI alone doesn't always tell you the make. vPIC registers Toyota WMIs for passenger car, suv / mpv and truck vehicle types.
| WMI | Manufacturer | Country | Vehicle type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2T1 | TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING CANADA | CANADA | Passenger Car |
| 2T3 | TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING CANADA | CANADA | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| 3MY | MAZDA MOTOR MANUFACTURING DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V. | MEXICO | Passenger Car |
| 3TM | TOYOTA MOTOR MFG DE BAJA CALIFORNIA S DE RL DE CV | MEXICO | Truck |
| 3TY | TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING DE GUANAJUATO | MEXICO | Truck |
| 4T1 | TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, KENTUCKY, INC. | UNITED STATES (USA) | Passenger Car |
| 4T3 | TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, KENTUCKY, INC. | UNITED STATES (USA) | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| 4T4 | TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, NORTHERN KENTUCKY, INC. | UNITED STATES (USA) | Passenger Car |
| 5TB | TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, INDIANA, INC. | UNITED STATES (USA) | Truck |
| 5TD | TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, INDIANA, INC. (also Lexus) | UNITED STATES (USA) | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| 5TE | TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, CALIFORNIA, INC. | UNITED STATES (USA) | Truck |
| 5TF | TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, TEXAS, INC. | UNITED STATES (USA) | Truck |
| 5YF | TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, MISSISSIPPI, INC. | UNITED STATES (USA) | Passenger Car |
| 7MM | MAZDA TOYOTA MANUFACTURING, USA, INC. (also Mazda) | UNITED STATES (USA) | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| 7MU | MAZDA TOYOTA MANUFACTURING, USA, INC. | UNITED STATES (USA) | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| 7SV | TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, TEXAS, INC. | UNITED STATES (USA) | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| JT2 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | JAPAN | Passenger Car |
| JT3 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | JAPAN | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| JT4 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | JAPAN | Truck |
| JT5 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | JAPAN | Passenger Car |
| JTD | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | JAPAN | Passenger Car |
| JTE | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (also Lexus, Subaru) | JAPAN | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| JTK | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC | JAPAN | Passenger Car |
| JTL | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | JAPAN | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| JTM | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (also Subaru) | JAPAN | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
| JTN | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | JAPAN | Passenger Car |
| NMT | TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING,TURKEY ,INC. | TURKEY | Passenger Car |
| SB1 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | UNITED KINGDOM (UK) | Passenger Car |
| VNK | TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, FRANCE, S.A.S. | FRANCE | Passenger Car |
| WZ1 | BMW AG | GERMANY | Passenger Car |
The plant code (11th character) is defined by Toyota itself, and vPIC does not publish a list of them; the decoder above shows the plant city and country for any Toyota VIN.
Toyota model year codes
The 10th character gives the model year: a 2024 Toyota Venza carries R, a 2020 Toyota Yaris carries L and a 2019 Toyota Yaris iA carries K. The letters repeat every 30 years.
Full VIN year chart, 1980–2039 →
Where to find the VIN on a Toyota
- 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.
Toyota recalls
NHTSA lists 647 Toyota vehicle recall campaigns across the 2008–2024 model years (counting each campaign once per model year). The 2010 model year has the most, with 56; 2020–2024 models account for 162.
| Model year | Campaigns |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 34 |
| 2023 | 43 |
| 2022 | 36 |
| 2021 | 21 |
| 2020 | 28 |
| 2019 | 33 |
| 2018 | 31 |
| 2017 | 29 |
| 2016 | 37 |
| 2015 | 37 |
| 2014 | 43 |
| 2013 | 38 |
| 2012 | 38 |
| 2011 | 48 |
| 2010 | 56 |
| 2009 | 48 |
| 2008 | 47 |
Toyota models in vPIC
vPIC lists 35 Toyota models for the 2016–2025 model years. Linked models have year-by-year pages with EPA mpg, owner complaints and recalls.
- 4Runner 2016–2025
- 86 2017–2020
- Avalon 2016–2022
- bZ4X 2023–2025
- C-HR 2018–2022
- Camry 2016–2025
- Corolla 2016–2025
- Corolla Cross 2022–2025
- Corolla iM 2017–2018
- Crown 2023–2025
- Crown Signia 2025
- GR Corolla 2023–2025
- GR86 2022–2025
- Grand Highlander 2024–2025
- Highlander 2016–2025
- Land Cruiser 2016–2025
- Mirai 2016–2025
- Prius 2016–2025
- Prius C 2016–2020
- Prius Prime (PHEV) 2017–2025
- Prius V 2016–2017
- RAV4 2016–2025
- RAV4 Prime (PHEV) 2021–2025
- Scion FR-S 2016
- Scion iA 2016
- Scion iM 2016
- Scion tC 2016
- Sequoia 2016–2025
- Sienna 2016–2025
- Supra 2020–2025
- Tacoma 2016–2025
- Tundra 2016–2025
- Venza 2016–2024
- Yaris 2016–2020
- Yaris iA 2017–2019
Toyota models compared by year →
FAQ
How do I tell the year of a Toyota by its VIN?
Read the 10th character: on Toyota 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 Toyota 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 Toyota 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 Toyota dealer can look it up from the VIN.