Every BMW 3 Series (2019–2024) carries a 17-character VIN that begins with the WBA WMI. The 3 Series is a gas sedan; this page shows what each character of a BMW 3 Series VIN means and gives 4 checksum-valid sample VINs you can drop straight into test fixtures. Synthetic — not real: no scraping, no real-owner data. The generator below is pre-filtered to the 3 Series.
Each sample below is built from the real WBA WMI and the 3 Series's descriptor, so it decodes to a BMW 3 Series of the right model year:
Have a real BMW 3 Series VIN? Decode it →
Worked on the sample WBA5R1C5XKK229069 — a 2019 BMW 3 Series:
| Position | Section | Value | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | WMI | WBA | Marks the VIN as BMW, built in Germany |
| 4–8 | VDS | 5R1C5 | Descriptor for the 3 Series — sedan body, gas powertrain |
| 9 | Check digit | X | Mod-11 checksum over the other 16 characters |
| 10 | Model year | K | Code K = 2019 |
| 11 | Plant | K | Assembly-plant code |
| 12–17 | Serial | 229069 | Sequential production number |
Positions 1–3 of every BMW 3 Series VIN read WBA — the World Manufacturer Identifier that marks the vehicle as BMW, assembled in Germany (Europe). After the WMI, positions 4–8 (5R1C5 in our seed) describe the 3 Series itself; see the full 17-digit format.
Position 10 encodes the model year. For the 3 Series, 2019 is code K and 2024 is code R. See the 2024 year code or the check-digit math.
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A BMW 3 Series VIN is 17 characters starting with the WBA WMI, for example WBA5R1C5XKK229069. Positions 4–8 describe the 3 Series, position 9 is the check digit, position 10 is the model year, and 12–17 are the serial number.
Read it left to right: WBA is the BMW WMI, positions 4–8 are the 3 Series descriptor, position 9 verifies the VIN via a mod-11 checksum, position 10 gives the year, position 11 the plant, and 12–17 the serial. Paste any VIN into the decoder to do it automatically.
The 3 Series in our seed uses the WBA WMI (Germany). Any VIN beginning with WBA decodes to BMW.
No. They are synthetically generated but checksum-valid, use the real BMW WBA WMI, and carry the 3 Series's descriptor and a valid year code — so a decoder returns a BMW 3 Series. No real vehicle's VIN is used.