VIN Decoder

Paste any 17-character VIN to decode it. fastvin checks the check digit, reads the model year and manufacturer instantly in your browser, and pulls the full make, model, year, body, and engine from the free NHTSA database — no key, no signup.

What each part of a VIN means

A VIN encodes a lot in 17 characters. Every position has a job:

Position	Section	What it tells you
1–3	WMI	World Manufacturer Identifier — the make and country of origin (e.g. 1HG = Honda USA, 5YJ = Tesla)
4–8	VDS	Vehicle Descriptor — model, body style, engine, restraint system
9	Check digit	A mod-11 checksum over the other 16 characters; catches typos
10	Model year	A single letter/number code (e.g. N = 2022)
11	Plant	The assembly plant that built the vehicle
12–17	Serial	The unique sequential production number

How to decode a VIN

Three steps, all shown above automatically when you paste a VIN:

1. Validate the check digit — position 9 must match the mod-11 checksum of the other 16 characters. If it doesn't, the VIN is mistyped.
2. Read the year and maker — position 10 gives the model year; positions 1–3 (the WMI) identify the manufacturer.
3. Look up the vehicle — the full make/model/trim/body/engine comes from NHTSA's vPIC database.

What a VIN can and can't tell you

It tells you: make, model, model year, body style, engine and fuel type, drivetrain, assembly plant, and country of origin. It does not tell you: mileage, accident history, title status, or the owner — those live in title/history databases (Carfax, NMVTIS), not in the VIN itself. Need test vehicles with those attributes? Use the VIN generator and scenario fixtures.

Frequently asked questions

Is this VIN decoder free?

Yes, completely, and it runs in your browser. The check-digit, model-year and WMI reads are computed locally; the full make/model decode uses NHTSA's free public vPIC API — no key, no account, no limits.

Is my VIN sent anywhere?

The local checks never leave your browser. The full decode sends the VIN to NHTSA's US government vPIC API to look up the vehicle. fastvin stores nothing.

How accurate is it?

The make, model year and structure come straight from the VIN standard and are exact. The detailed make/model/trim comes from NHTSA's manufacturer-submitted data, which is authoritative for US-market vehicles from 1981 on.

What is a WMI?

The World Manufacturer Identifier — the first three characters of a VIN. It identifies the manufacturer and country (for example 1 and 4/5 are the USA, J is Japan, W is Germany).

Can I decode a VIN by license plate?

Not here — a plate-to-VIN lookup needs a state DMV or a paid data provider. This tool decodes a VIN you already have.

Why does my VIN show as invalid?

Usually a typo. Position 9 is a checksum, so a single wrong character makes it fail. Also note VINs never contain the letters I, O, or Q (to avoid confusion with 1 and 0).