Enter a 17-character VIN to instantly look up a car's year, make, model, trim, engine and specs — straight from the official NHTSA database. Free, no signup.
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Free · no signup · data from the official NHTSA vPIC database
A VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is the unique 17-character code stamped on every car. A VIN decoder reads that code and tells you exactly what the vehicle is. This tool uses the official NHTSA vPIC database — the same source used across the auto industry — so the results are accurate and completely free.
A VIN decode covers the vehicle's specifications. It does not include ownership records or accident history — for that you'd need a paid history report.
Every VIN issued since 1981 follows the same 17-character structure under the international ISO 3779 standard. Each block of characters encodes a specific piece of information:
| Position | Section | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | World Manufacturer Identifier | The manufacturer and the country or region where the vehicle was built |
| 4–8 | Vehicle Descriptor | Body style, engine, and restraint system — each manufacturer uses its own coding here |
| 9 | Check digit | A mathematically calculated digit, required in North America under 49 CFR § 565, that verifies the VIN wasn't mistyped, altered, or cloned |
| 10 | Model year | A letter or number mapped to a specific model year — see the chart below |
| 11 | Plant code | The specific factory where the vehicle was assembled |
| 12–17 | Serial number | The vehicle's unique, sequential production number |
You'll never see the letters I, O, or Q anywhere in a VIN — they're excluded industry-wide because they're too easily confused with the numbers 1, 0, and 9 on a stamped plate or a handwritten note.
The 10th character is a model year code that repeats on a 30-year cycle, so the same letter can mean two different decades. To tell them apart, check the 7th character: a number means the 1980–2009 cycle, a letter means the 2010–2039 cycle.
| Code | 1980–2009 | 2010–2039 |
|---|---|---|
| A | 1980 | 2010 |
| B | 1981 | 2011 |
| C | 1982 | 2012 |
| D | 1983 | 2013 |
| E | 1984 | 2014 |
| F | 1985 | 2015 |
| G | 1986 | 2016 |
| H | 1987 | 2017 |
| J | 1988 | 2018 |
| K | 1989 | 2019 |
| L | 1990 | 2020 |
| M | 1991 | 2021 |
| N | 1992 | 2022 |
| P | 1993 | 2023 |
| R | 1994 | 2024 |
| S | 1995 | 2025 |
| T | 1996 | 2026 |
| V | 1997 | 2027 |
| W | 1998 | 2028 |
| X | 1999 | 2029 |
| Y | 2000 | 2030 |
| 1 | 2001 | 2031 |
| 2 | 2002 | 2032 |
| 3 | 2003 | 2033 |
| 4 | 2004 | 2034 |
| 5 | 2005 | 2035 |
| 6 | 2006 | 2036 |
| 7 | 2007 | 2037 |
| 8 | 2008 | 2038 |
| 9 | 2009 | 2039 |
VIN structure and model-year coding per 49 CFR § 565.15 (U.S. federal VIN standard) and ISO 3779.
Look on the driver's-side dashboard through the windshield, on the sticker inside the driver's door jamb, or on your registration and insurance documents. It's always 17 characters (no letters I, O, or Q).
Once you know the exact specs, two free tools take you the rest of the way: the car listing description generator turns these details into ready-to-post copy, and the car listing video maker turns your photos into a video that gets far more inquiries. Not sure where to post? See where to sell a car online.
Yes — completely free, no signup. It uses the public NHTSA vPIC database to decode your VIN instantly.
The year, make, model, trim, engine, fuel type, drivetrain, body style, doors and plant. It does not include ownership or accident history.
Enter your 17-character VIN in the tool above and it instantly returns the vehicle's specifications from the NHTSA database — no account or payment needed.
On the driver's-side dashboard (through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration and insurance documents.
Yes — it gives you the exact specs for an accurate listing. From here you can auto-fill a description and make a listing video.
The first three characters (WMI) identify the manufacturer and country of origin. Characters 4–8 describe the vehicle itself — body style, engine, and restraint system. Character 9 is a check digit that verifies the VIN is authentic. Character 10 encodes the model year, character 11 identifies the assembly plant, and characters 12–17 are the vehicle's unique serial number.
It's a digit calculated from the rest of the VIN using a formula set by U.S. federal regulation (49 CFR § 565). It catches VINs that have been mistyped, altered, or cloned — if the check digit doesn't match what the formula predicts, the VIN is invalid.
The 10th character is the model year code. Because it repeats every 30 years, check the 7th character to know which cycle applies: a number means 1980–2009, a letter means 2010–2039. See the full chart above.
It shows the base trim and core factory-installed systems — engine, drivetrain, restraint system — wherever the manufacturer encodes them in the VIN. It won't show every dealer-installed option or package; for a complete build sheet, some manufacturers offer separate option-code lookups.
A VIN decoder reveals the vehicle's factory specifications — year, make, model, trim, engine. A vehicle history report is a separate, usually paid product that adds ownership records, accident history, title status, and odometer readings, typically compiled from insurance and DMV data rather than the VIN itself.
Every VIN issued since 1981 is exactly 17 characters. If you have fewer, you likely have a partial VIN — double-check the source, since a partial VIN can't be decoded reliably. Vehicles built before 1981 used non-standardized formats not compatible with this tool.
Those three letters are excluded industry-wide because they're too easily mistaken for the numbers 1, 0, and 9 — especially on stamped metal plates or in handwriting. The rule applies internationally under the ISO 3779 standard.
Yes. After decoding a VIN, the tool checks NHTSA's recall database for that exact year, make, and model and lists any open recalls, including the component affected, the safety consequence, and the remedy — or confirms none are on file.