Free VIN decoder
Volkswagen VIN decoder
Decode a VW VIN character by character: the WMI, model year and plant code tables, a real VIN taken apart position by position, and a free check of what the registries hold on the exact car.
Updated 8 September 2026
Example: Free preview included
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How the free check works
Enter a Volkswagen VIN in the box above and we check it against official registries and manufacturer build data. The preview of what we found for that exact car is free: make, model and build details, and whether recorded history exists. The tables below let you read the VIN yourself, character by character, without any tool at all.
How a Volkswagen VIN is built
Every Volkswagen built since August 1979 carries a 17 character VIN under the ISO standard. The characters are not random: each position answers a fixed question about the car.
| VIN characters | What they say |
|---|---|
1 to 3 | World manufacturer identifier: which company built the car and where. The VW codes are in the table below. |
4 to 6 | On European Volkswagens these are usually the filler letters ZZZ. On cars built for North America they describe body, engine and restraint systems instead. |
7 to 8 | The model code: which platform and generation the car is. Golf IV reads 1J here, a Passat B8 reads 3G. |
9 | On North American cars this is a calculated check digit. On European cars it is a filler character, usually Z or a digit with no public meaning. |
10 | The model year code. The full table is below. |
11 | The assembly plant. W is Wolfsburg, H is Hannover, the table below has the common ones. |
12 to 17 | The serial number of the individual car. |
A real VW VIN, decoded
WVWZZZ1JZ3W386752
Take this Golf VIN and read it with the tables on this page:
| VIN characters | What this part says |
|---|---|
WVW | Volkswagen passenger car, built in Germany. |
ZZZ | Filler: a European market car, so positions 4 to 6 carry no content. |
1J | Model code for the Golf IV and Bora platform. |
Z | Filler position on a European car. A North American VIN would carry its check digit here. |
3 | Model year 2003. |
W | Built in Wolfsburg. |
386752 | The serial number of this individual Golf. |
That is everything the VIN itself will tell you: a 2003 Golf IV built in Wolfsburg. What the VIN cannot tell you is what happened to the car afterwards. Mileage records, damage, imports and the factory equipment list all live in registries and manufacturer archives, which is what the free check above looks into.
Volkswagen WMI codes (characters 1 to 3)
The first three characters name the manufacturer and the country of build. These are the Volkswagen codes you will meet on the used market:
| Code | What they say |
|---|---|
WVW | Volkswagen passenger cars, Germany |
WVG | Volkswagen SUVs and MPVs (Tiguan, Touareg, Touran, ID.4), Germany |
WV1 | Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, panel vans (Crafter, Caddy van) |
WV2 | Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, buses and campers (Transporter, Multivan, California) |
1VW | Volkswagen USA, Chattanooga |
3VW | Volkswagen Mexico, Puebla |
9BW | Volkswagen Brazil |
AAV | Volkswagen South Africa |
LFV | FAW Volkswagen, China |
LSV | SAIC Volkswagen, China |
XW8 | Volkswagen Group Rus, Kaluga (production ended, the cars are still on the market) |
Imports keep their original WMI forever. A Passat registered in Warsaw with a 1VW code started life in the USA, and its early history lives in American records, not European ones. That is exactly the case where a paid history check earns its money.
Model year codes (character 10)
Character 10 encodes the model year in a 30 year cycle. The letters I, O, Q, U and Z and the digit 0 are never used, so nothing here can be misread as a number it is not:
| Code | First cycle | Current cycle |
|---|---|---|
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 |
A car built in autumn 2015 can already carry the 2016 model year code, and a car can be first registered a year after it was built. When an advert's year and the VIN's year code disagree by one, this is usually why. When they disagree by more, ask questions.
Plant codes (character 11)
Character 11 names the assembly plant. These are the codes behind most Volkswagens on European roads:
| Code | Assembly plant |
|---|---|
W | Wolfsburg, Germany (Golf, Tiguan, Touran) |
E | Emden, Germany (Passat, ID.7) |
H | Hannover, Germany (Transporter, Multivan) |
Z | Zwickau, Germany (ID.3, ID.4, ID.5) |
Y | Pamplona, Spain (Polo, T-Cross) |
X | Poznan, Poland (Caddy, Transporter) |
D | Bratislava, Slovakia (Touareg) |
M | Puebla, Mexico (Jetta, older Beetle) |
C | Chattanooga, USA (Atlas, US market Passat) |
B | Brussels, Belgium (older Golf and Polo builds) |
Model codes (characters 7 and 8)
Characters 7 and 8 identify the platform, which pins down the model and generation. The codes you will meet most often on the used market:
| Code | Model and generation |
|---|---|
1J | Golf IV, Bora (1997 to 2006) |
1K | Golf V (2003 to 2009) |
5K | Golf VI (2008 to 2013) |
5G | Golf VII (2012 to 2020) |
CD | Golf VIII (2019 on) |
9N | Polo IV (2001 to 2009) |
6R | Polo V (2009 to 2014) |
6C | Polo V facelift (2014 to 2017) |
AW | Polo VI (2017 on) |
3B | Passat B5 (1996 to 2005) |
3C | Passat B6 and B7, Passat CC (2005 to 2015) |
3G | Passat B8 (2014 on) |
5N | Tiguan I (2007 to 2016) |
AD | Tiguan II (2016 on) |
7L | Touareg I (2002 to 2010) |
7P | Touareg II (2010 to 2018) |
CR | Touareg III (2018 on) |
2K | Caddy III and IV (2003 to 2020) |
7H | Transporter T5 (2003 to 2015) |
1T | Touran I (2003 to 2015) |
E1 | ID.3 (2019 on) |
E2 | ID.4 and ID.5 (2020 on) |
Where to find the VIN on a Volkswagen
Check at least two locations and make sure they agree. A VIN that differs between the windscreen and the door jamb is a walk away flag on its own.
- Windscreen base visible from outside through the glass on the driver side.
- Door jamb sticker on the driver side B pillar, together with tyre pressures on most models.
- Under the bonnet stamped into the body or on a plate near the suspension mount.
- Documents the registration certificate and the service book both carry it, and both must match the metal.
The factory equipment list, by VIN
For Volkswagen Group cars the VIN also unlocks the factory build list: engine and gearbox codes, paint code, and the options the car left the plant with, down to the audio system and the headlight type. Sellers cannot edit it, which makes it the cleanest way to check whether the advertised equipment was really fitted at the factory or bolted on later.
This is the shape of what comes back:
| Field | Example entry |
|---|---|
| Paint | LC9Z Black Magic pearl |
| Engine | 1.9 TDI, engine code AXR |
| Gearbox | 5 speed manual |
| Factory options | Cruise control, heated front seats, rear fog light |
The rows above illustrate the format. A MrVIN report shows the actual list recorded for your VIN at the factory, alongside the recorded history: mileage readings over the years, damage records, and imports. The preview shows you what exists for the car before you pay anything.
Works for every Volkswagen
The check reads the VIN, not the badge, so every model is covered. The ones buyers look up most:
The same decoding sits behind our partner API: send a VIN, get the identity and the recorded history back as JSON. Dealers, marketplaces and fleets use it to check cars before listing them.
Read the VIN decoder API reference →
Decode your VIN now
See what the registries hold on the exact car: recorded mileage, damage, imports and the factory build. The preview of the findings is free.
Example: WVWZZZ1JZ3W386752Free preview included
Not ready yet? See a full sample report
Frequently asked questions
Can I decode a Volkswagen VIN for free?
Yes, twice over. The tables on this page decode the VIN structure by hand: make, model code, year and plant. And the check box runs the VIN against official registries and manufacturer build data, with a free preview of what exists for that exact car. Only the full history report is paid.
Why does my VW VIN have ZZZ in it?
ZZZ in positions 4 to 6 is normal on European market Volkswagens: those positions are only required to carry content in North America, so European cars fill them with Z. It is not a defect and not a sign of tampering.
What does the 10th character of a VW VIN mean?
The model year, encoded in a 30 year cycle: A is 1980 or 2010, L is 1990 or 2020, the digit 3 is 2003. The full table is on this page. The car itself tells you which cycle applies, a Golf IV with year code 3 is obviously 2003, not 1973.
Can I see the factory equipment of a Volkswagen by VIN?
Yes. Volkswagen Group build records tie the VIN to the exact factory option list: engine and gearbox codes, paint, and fitted options. A MrVIN report includes the build data we can retrieve for the VIN, and the free preview shows what exists for the car before you pay.
Does the VIN tell me the exact model and generation?
Characters 7 and 8 name the platform: 1J is a Golf IV, 3G is a Passat B8, E2 is an ID.4 or ID.5. The model code table on this page covers the codes most common on the used market. What the VIN alone cannot prove is trim level or later modifications, which is what the build list in a report is for.
What can a VW VIN check tell me that the VIN itself cannot?
The VIN describes the car as built. A VIN check adds what happened since: odometer readings recorded at inspections and services, damage and theft records, import trail across countries, and the factory equipment list. The preview of those findings is free at MrVIN.
Decode another make
MrVIN is operated by VERIFY SIA and is independent of Volkswagen AG. Volkswagen, VW and the model names on this page are trademarks of their owner, used only to identify the vehicles this page is about.