VIN Structure Guide

World Manufacturer Identifier - Identifies the manufacturer and country

• • First character: Region (A-H: Africa, J-R: Asia, S-Z: Europe, 1-5: North America)
• • Characters 2-3: Manufacturer code
• • Example: WBA = BMW (Germany)

Vehicle Descriptor Section - Describes vehicle attributes (model, body type, engine)

• • Model-specific information
• • Body style, engine type, restraint system
• • Format varies by manufacturer

Validates the VIN using ISO 3779 algorithm

• • Calculated from other positions
• • Helps detect errors and prevent fraud
• • Can be 0-9 or X (if remainder is 10)

Encoded model year (1980-2039, cycles every 30 years)

• • A-Y for letters (excluding I, O, Q, U, Z)
• • 1-9 for numbers
• • Example: R = 2024 or 1994

Manufacturing plant identifier

• • Identifies the factory where vehicle was built
• • Format varies by manufacturer
• • Can be letters or numbers

Sequential production number (unique to each vehicle)

• • Unique serial number
• • Assigned sequentially during production
• • Makes each VIN unique