VW VIN Decoder
Buying a car is a big investment, and you need to make sure you get it done right! One of the easiest ways to do this is with a VW VIN decoder. With just the VIN, you can compare the specifications, features, and history of any VW car and pick the best one that suits your needs.
Find out where you can find the VW VIN number and how to get it decoded.
What is a VW VIN Number?
A VW VIN number is a unique 17-character code (or 5 to 14 characters in classic cars) assigned to every VW vehicle for identification. Think of it as the vehicle’s fingerprint with no two VINs alike.
With the VIN showing specific information about just one vehicle, car buyers, sellers, and dealers can easily view the vehicle’s history records, specifications, features, fuel economy, pricing, and more using a VW VIN decoder.
Check your Volkswagen VIN today!
VW VIN Number Breakdown – How to Read a VW VIN Number
Before we start, note that Q (q), I (i), and O (o) don’t appear in a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to avoid any mix-up with the numbers 1, 0, and 9.
Now, let’s break down what all those characters in a VW’s VIN mean. A VIN is made up of 17 characters (except in classic vehicles), and each one gives you a clue about your VW’s specific details. For a full report on your vehicle’s history and past details, don’t forget to check the vehicle history. These characters are also grouped into three segments to make decoding easier, they are:
- World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI): It is composed of the first three characters and signifies the country of origin and the manufacturer, in this case, VW.
- Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS): This section includes the 4th to 9th characters and contains information about the vehicle’s make, engine specs, model, and more.
- Vehicle Identifier Section: Here, you will find the 10th to 17th characters, which encode details like the encoding information, such as model year, manufacturing plant, and a specific serial number for each car.
Breaking Down VW VIN Number
1st Character: Volkswagen Country of Origin
The first digit of the VIN shows where your Volkswagen was manufactured. This helps identify the country of production. Some common characters you will find here are:
- 1, 4, 5 = United States
- 2 = Canada
- 3 = Mexico
- 9 = Brazil
- S-Z = Europe
For European Countries, the characters can be reused. For example, an “S” represents Germany, but you could find a “W” used on German or Slovak-built vehicles.
2nd Character: Manufacturer
The second character in the VIN tells the vehicle’s make. Almost all VWs sold in the U.S. show a “V” as the second character of the VIN. In some cases, however, you could find other characters, like a “B” representing Volkswagen Brazil.
3rd Character: Vehicle Type
The third character shows the specific vehicle type. Some examples are;
- 1 = Pickup/truck.
- 2 = MPV (Multi-purpose vehicle)
- U = Passenger car (Audi)
- W = Passenger car (VW)
4th to 6th Characters: Features
For Volkswagens sold in Europe, these three characters are often just “ZZZ” as they do not hold much meaning. For US vehicles, however, these characters give information on the body and trim styles, engine specs, and restraint systems.
It’s best to use our VW VIN decoder to decode these characters to get accurate information.
7th & 8th Characters: Model
These two characters represent the vehicle’s model. These are the most common ones:
- 11 – Beetle (Brazilian, Mexican, Nigerian)
- 13 – Scirocco 3
- 14 – Caddy 1 (European Golf 1 pickup)
- 15 – Cabriolet (1980 Beetle, Golf 1)
- 16 – Jetta 1 and 2 (early)
- 16 – Beetle (2012-on)
- 17 – Golf 1
- 18 – Iltis
- 19 – Golf 2 (early)
- 1C – New Beetle (US market)
- 1E – Golf 3 Cabriolet
- 1F – Eos
- 1G – Golf and Jetta 2 (late)
- 1H – Golf and Vento 3
- 1J – Golf and Bora 4
- 1K – Golf and Jetta 5, 6
- 1T – Touran
- 1Y – New Beetle Cabriolet
- 24 – T3 Transporter Single/Double Cab Pickup
- 25 – T3 Transporter Van, Kombi, Bus, Caravelle
- 28 – LT Transporter 1
- 2D – LT Transporter 2
- 2E – Crafter 1
- 2H – Amarok
- 2K – Caddy, Caddy Maxi 3
- 30 – Fox (US model ex-Brazil)
- 31 – Passat 2
- 32 – Santana sedan
- 33 – Passat 2 Variant
- 3A – Passat 3, 4
- 3B – Passat 5
- 3C – Passat 6, 7, 8, CC
- 3D – Phaeton
- 3H – Arteon
- 50 – Corrado (early)
- 53 – Scirocco 1, 2
- 5K – Golf and Jetta 6
- 5M – Golf Plus
- 5N – Tiguan 1, 2, Tiguan Allspace
- 5Z – Fox (Europe)
- 60 – Corrado (late)
- 6K – Polo Classic, Variant 3
- 6N – Polo 3
- 6R – Polo 5
- 6X – Lupo
- 70 – T4 Transporter Vans and Pickups
- 74 – Taro
- 7H – T5 Transporter, T6.1 Transporter
- 7J – T6 Transporter
- 7L – Touareg 1
- 7M – Sharan
- 7P – Touareg 2
- 86 – Polo and Derby 1 and 2
- 87 – Polo Coupe
- 9C – New Beetle
- 9K – Caddy 2 Van (ex-SEAT Ibiza)
- 9N – Polo 4
- 9U – Caddy 2 Pickup (ex-Skoda Felicia)
- A1 – T-Roc
- AA – Up!
- AU – Golf 7
- AW – Polo 6
- C1 – T-Cross
- CD – Golf 8
- SK – Caddy 4
- SY – Crafter 2
9th Character: Check Digit
This digit simply verifies that the VIN is authentic and not a fake string of random characters. It is calculated using a specific algorithm developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
10th Character: Model Year
The tenth character shows the model year and switches between numbers and letters. Each letter stands for a unique year; for instance, ‘W’ means that the VW is from the 1998 model year.
Here’s a table that can help you easily identify any VW’s model year:
| Code/Year | Code/Year | Code/Year | Code/Year | Code/Year |
| A 1980 B 1981 C 1982 D 1983 E 1984 F 1985 G 1986 H 1987 J 1988 K 1989 | L 1990 M 1991 N 1992 P 1993 R 1994 S 1995 T 1996 V 1997 W 1998 X 1999 | Y 2000 1 2001 2 2002 3 2003 4 2004 5 2005 6 2006 7 2007 8 2008 9 2009 | A 2010 B 2011 C 2012 D 2013 E 2014 F 2015 G 2016 H 2017 J 2018 K 2019 | L 2020 M 2021 N 2022 P 2023 R 2024 S 2025 T 2026 V 2027 W 2028 X 2029 |
11th Character: Assembly Plant
The eleventh character shows the vehicle’s assembly or manufacturing plant which is the exact place where the Volkswagen was made. The most common factory codes are:
- E = Emden, Germany
- H = Hanover, Germany
- K = Osnabrück, Germany
- N = Neckarsulm, Germany
- C = Chattanooga, Tennessee
- V = Westmoreland, Pennsylvania
- 8 = Dresden, Germany
- F = Resende, Brazil
- D = Bratislava, Slovakia
- G = Graz, Austria
- M = Puebla, Mexico
- A = Ingolstadt, Germany
- P = Mosel, Germany
- S = Salzgitter, Germany
- W = Wolfsburg, Germany
12th to 17th Characters: Serial Number
These characters make up the unique sequential number of the VW. This distinguishes it uniquely from other VWs with the same model, trim, etc., manufactured in the same plant.
Where is the VIN Number on a VW?
Looking for your VW VIN number? It’s no surprise that VW has made it easy to locate this essential information by placing it in several significant spots on the vehicle itself and in important documents.
Here are some of the places where you can spot your VIN:
- On the dashboard, near the windshield
- On the driver’s side door jamb
- On the engine block
- On the vehicle’s firewall
- In the left-hand inner wheel arch
- On the steering wheel or column
- On the radiator support bracket
- In the car’s title, registration, maintenance book, or auto insurance policy
With just a quick look in these spots, you should be able to find your VIN. However, if after a thorough search, it’s still nowhere to be found, it could be a red flag that you’re dealing with a stolen or cloned vehicle. Stay alert!
What Information Can I Get from a VW VIN Lookup?
A VW VIN number lookup provides detailed information about the vehicle’s specifications, features, build sheets, warranty coverage, and past history records.
Here’s a glimpse of VW specifications you can access when you decode the VIN with a VW VIN decoder:
- Year
- Make
- Exterior dimensions
- Number of doors
- Ground clearance
- Standard seating
- Transmission style
- Fuel type
- Braking
- Range extender
- Engine Description
- Front airbag information
- Emissions
- Cargo dimensions
- Model
- Valve train design
- Interior dimensions
- Suspension
- Traction battery
- Engine Size and specs
- Drive Type
- Tank capacity
- Trailering
- Displacement
- Mileage
- Tire pressure and size
- Wheels
- Electrical powertrain
- Trim
- Country
- Delivery charges
- Steering
- Weight
- MSRP
- Body type
- Seating
- EPA Class
- Engine model
- Engine configuration
- Seat belt type
- Off-road attributes
- Electrical specifications
- Year
- Make
- Exterior dimensions
- Number of doors
- Ground clearance
- Standard seating
- Transmission style
- Fuel type
- Braking
- Range extender
- Engine Description
- Front airbag information
- Emissions
- Cargo dimensions
- Model
- Valve train design
- Interior dimensions
- Suspension
- Traction battery
- Engine Size and specs
- Drive Type
- Tank capacity
- Trailering
- Displacement
- Mileage
- Tire pressure and size
- Wheels
- Electrical powertrain
- Trim
- Country
- Delivery charges
- Steering
- Weight
- MSRP
- Body type
- Seating
- EPA Class
- Engine model
- Engine configuration
- Seat belt type
- Off-road attributes
- Electrical specifications
Alongside these vehicle specs, a VW VIN lookup can also give you all of the vehicle’s records from when it first left the factory. Some records you can view include:
By conducting a Honda VIN number lookup, you can track the vehicle history records from when the vehicle first left the factory. Below are the records you can uncover:
- Mileage
- Odometer Readings
- Sales History
- Auction History
- Accident History
- Title Brand
- Salvage Title
- Hail Damage
- Flood Damage
- Structural Damage
- Ownership History
- Usage History
- Ownership Duration
- Lien & Loans
- Maintenance Schedule
- Warranty Status
- Repair Cost
- Recalls History
- Mileage
- Odometer Readings
- Sales History
- Auction History
- Accident History
- Title Brand
- Salvage Title
- Hail Damage
- Flood Damage
- Structural Damage
- Ownership History
- Usage History
- Ownership Duration
- Lien & Loans
- Maintenance Schedule
- Warranty Status
- Repair Cost
- Recalls History
The details you get will depend on the provider you use, but with the right tools, you can get a complete picture of the vehicle’s life from the day it rolled off the assembly line.
How to Decode a VW VIN Number
If you have the VIN handy, you can decode it with our VW VIN decoder instantly with just a few steps:
- Enter the VW VIN in the form above. Our tool can decode standard VINs (17 characters) and classic VINs (5 – 14 characters). You can also use the license plate number or the year, make, and model of the vehicle if you don’t have the VIN.
- Click on ‘Search’ to preview your vehicle’s specifications for free.
- Complete the payment process to get a detailed vehicle history report showing vehicle specifications and history records.
Using our VW VIN decoder, you can also break down all the characters of a VIN to access the specifications, options, and build data, whether for classic or modern vehicles.
Common Uses of the VW VIN Number
The VIN has several applications, depending on who’s using it. Some of the common uses of the VW VIN number are:
Vehicle Registration
Every Volkswagen needs to be registered before it can be legally driven. This registration process at State bureaus or DMVs requires the VIN. The VIN is usually used on all paperwork for proper vehicle identification.
Insurance Purposes
The VIN is also used for insurance. Insurance companies usually check every vehicle before providing quotes. With the VIN, they can check the vehicle’s specifications, costs, and history records to create personalized quotes for VW owners.
Window Stickers
Another important application is generating window stickers. Window stickers are attached to new vehicles after manufacture but they often get misplaced with time. With the VIIN, anyone can get window stickers to view a vehicle’s specifications, such as make, model, engine type, MSRP, warranty, standard and optional features, and trim.
Vehicle History Checks
The VIN is also useful in checking any vehicle’s history records, such as theft records, sales records, damages, accidents, salvage brands, rebuilt titles, build data, warranty coverage, and more. With a simple VW vehicle history check, car buyers, sellers, and dealers can avoid damaged cars and negotiate accurately.
Police Checks
The police also need the VIN to track vehicles. For example, if a car gets reported as stolen, they can place police markers on the VIN and keep track of the vehicle easily. With this, they can even get alerts at checkpoints.
Safety Recalls
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are recalled every year. Volkswagen can use the VINs to identify specific vehicle models that are recalled and notify the owners to have them fixed as soon as possible. Car buyers can also use the VIN to check for pending recalls on any used car before purchasing it.
Top VW Models You Can Lookup With a BWM VIN Decoder
You can look up all Volkswagen models – from old classic cars to the latest models. Some popular models you can check are:
| Tiguan | ID.4 | Type 3 Fastback | Atlas Cross Sport |
| Atlas | Passat | Type 1 Karmann Ghia | Golf Alltrack |
| Taos | Arteon | Routan | Golf SportWagen |
| Jetta | Polo | Touareg | Jetta GLI |
| Gold (GTI & Golf R) | Beetle | Tiguan LWB | New Beetle |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I decode my Volkswagen VIN number?
You can decode the Volkswagen VIN number with our instant VW VIN decoder. Simply enter the VIN into the form on this page and submit it. You will be provided with a detailed list of vehicle specifications.
Can I lookup my vehicle specs with VIN?
Yes, you can look up your vehicle specs with the VIN number. Simply fill out the form above and that’s it! You can also check the vehicle specifications with the license plate number, or year, make, and model information.
How can I decode my VIN number for free?
Our VIN decoder allows anyone to decode the VIN number to view vehicle specifications for free. Just enter the VIN into the form on this page and submit to decode your VIN.