Is this VIN decoder free?

Yes. It uses the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public vPIC database, and there is no sign-up or limit for normal use.

Can a VIN tell me if my car has a recall?

Our decoder lists every recall for the decoded make, model and year. Because recalls cover specific build ranges, use the link to nhtsa.gov to confirm whether a recall is still open on your exact VIN.

Does a VIN decoder show accident history?

No. A VIN decoder shows how the vehicle was built. Accident, title and odometer history come from vehicle history reports and the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS).

Why does my VIN fail the check digit?

Usually because of a typo, such as a 5 for an S or an 8 for a B. Vehicles built for markets outside North America also may not use the check digit.

Checked Oct 30, 2026

Free VIN Decoder

Decode any 17-character vehicle identification number with NHTSA's official data, then see the recalls, complaints, safety rating and fuel economy for that vehicle.

Find the VIN on the driver side dashboard, the door jamb sticker, your title or your insurance card.

What is a VIN?

A vehicle identification number is a 17-character code that identifies one car, truck, motorcycle or trailer. Every vehicle sold in the U.S. since the 1981 model year has one. VINs use the numbers 0 to 9 and every capital letter except I, O and Q, which look too much like 1 and 0.

Where to find your VIN

• Dashboard, driver side, seen through the windshield
• Sticker on the driver door jamb
• Vehicle title and registration card
• Insurance card or policy
• Engine bay or front of the frame on many trucks
• Service records and some repair invoices

What each character means

Position	Meaning	Details
1	Country	Where the vehicle was built. 1, 4 and 5 are the United States, 2 is Canada, 3 is Mexico, J is Japan, K is Korea, W is Germany.
2-3	Manufacturer	Together with the first character, this is the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI), such as 1FT for Ford trucks.
4-8	Vehicle descriptor	Model, body style, engine, restraint system and other attributes, coded by the manufacturer.
9	Check digit	A number from 0 to 9, or X, calculated from the other 16 characters to catch typos.
10	Model year	A letter or number for the model year. For example, L is 2020, M is 2021, N is 2022, P is 2023, R is 2024, S is 2025 and T is 2026.
11	Plant	The assembly plant where the vehicle was built.
12-17	Serial number	The production sequence number that makes each VIN unique.

Model year codes

The 10th character. Codes repeat every 30 years, so the same letter can mean 1990 or 2020.

A2010
B2011
C2012
D2013
E2014
F2015
G2016
H2017
J2018
K2019
L2020
M2021
N2022
P2023
R2024
S2025
T2026
V2027

Frequently asked questions

Is this VIN decoder free?: Yes. It uses the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public vPIC database, and there is no sign-up or limit for normal use.
Can a VIN tell me if my car has a recall?: Our decoder lists every recall for the decoded make, model and year. Because recalls cover specific build ranges, use the link to nhtsa.gov to confirm whether a recall is still open on your exact VIN.
Does a VIN decoder show accident history?: No. A VIN decoder shows how the vehicle was built. Accident, title and odometer history come from vehicle history reports and the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS).
Why does my VIN fail the check digit?: Usually because of a typo, such as a 5 for an S or an 8 for a B. Vehicles built for markets outside North America also may not use the check digit.

Source: NHTSA Product Information Catalog and Vehicle Listing (vPIC)

How the check digit works

The 9th character proves the VIN was copied correctly. Each letter is turned into a number (A and J are 1, B, K and S are 2, and so on), each of the 17 values is multiplied by a fixed weight for its position (8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 10, 0, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2), and the products are added. The remainder after dividing by 11 is the check digit, with 10 written as X. Our decoder checks this as you type, so a single wrong character is caught right away.

Data sources

vPIC VIN decoder APINational Highway Traffic Safety Administration

VIN decoding uses NHTSA's vPIC service. It shows what the manufacturer reported for that VIN pattern, not the history of a specific car.

Data as of 10/22/2026

See something wrong? Request a correction

About this data

Recalls: Recall information comes from NHTSA, FDA, USDA, CPSC and other agencies. A product, vehicle or lot may be affected even if it is not listed here, and listings may be delayed. Check the official recall notice and contact the manufacturer or dealer to confirm whether your item is included.

DatenUS is a private website and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. We republish public data from the sources listed on this page. Data can be incomplete, delayed or wrong. Always check the original source before you make a decision.

Our servers read this data automatically from government sources. Errors can come from the source itself or from the way we read, process or display it, and we do not guarantee that it is accurate, complete or current. Verify anything important with the official source.

Report an error Read the full disclaimer