As shown by the diagram below, each section of the VIN has a different meaning based on the 1979 and 1980 ISO standards. Check out the corresponding value of each character or section:
Characters 1-3: World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI)The WMI identifies the vehicle’s country of origin and the manufacturer. The first to third characters represent the country where the vehicle was manufactured, the manufacturer’s division or the vehicle type, the vehicle’s model or manufacturing division, respectively.
WMIRegionNotesA-CAfricaAA-AH = South AfricaJ-RAsiaJ = JapanKL-KR = South KoreaL = ChinaMA-ME = IndiaMF-MK = IndonesiaML-MR = ThailandMS = MyanmarNL-NR = TurkeyPA-PE = PhilippinesPL-PR = MalaysiaRF-RG = TaiwanS-ZEuropeSA-SM = United KingdomSN-ST, W = GermanySU-SZ = PolandTA-TH = SwitzerlandTJ-TP = Czech RepublicTR-TV = HungaryTW-T1 = PortugalVA-VE = AustriaVF-VR = FranceVS-VW = SpainVX-V2 = YugoslaviaXL-XM = The NetherlandsXS-XW = USSRX3-X0 = RussiaYA-YE = BelgiumYF-YK = FinlandYS-YW = SwedenZA-ZR = Italy1-5North America1, 4, 5 = United States2 = Canada3 = Mexico6-7Oceania6A-6W = Australia7A-7E = New Zealand8-9South America8A-8E = Argentina8F-8J = Chile8L-8R = Ecuador8X-82 = Venezuela9A-9E, 93-99 = Brazil9F-9J = ColombiaCharacters 4-8: Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS)The VDS section points to specific details about the vehicle, including its body type, engine type, series, and more. It may vary in length and content depending on the manufacturer and the specific vehicle.
Model Information: Concise representation of the model name or a combination of characters indicating the model.Body Style: Whether the vehicle is a sedan, coupe, convertible, SUV, truck, etc.Engine Type: Whether the vehicle is powered by an inline engine, a V engine, diesel engine, or other types.Trim Level: Various features, options, and upgrades, which helps distinguish between different configurations of the same model.Other Vehicle Specifics: Depending on the manufacturer, additional details like safety features, special packages, or specific equipment.The VDS code is not standardized across all automakers since they may use this section to encode various details based on their own internal coding systems.
Characters 9-17: Vehicle Identification Section (VIS)The VIS provides information about the vehicle’s model year, assembly plant, and the serial number of the vehicle as it came off the assembly line. The 9th character is often used to check the VIN’s accuracy.
Character 10: Vehicle Identification Section – Model YearThe 10th character represents the model year of a car.
CodeYearCodeYearCodeYearA1980X1999J2018B1981Y2000K2023C198212001L2023D198322002M2023E198432003N2023F198542004P2023G198652005R2024H198762006S2025J198872007T2026K198982008V2027L199092009W2028M1991A2010X2029N1992B2011Y2030P1993C201212031R1994D201322032S1995E201432033T1996F201542034V1997G201652035W1998H201762036