What is a VIN made of?
A VIN has three parts. The first 3 characters (WMI) identify the manufacturer and country. Characters 4–9 (VDS) describe the model, body and engine; character 9 is a check digit on North American cars. Characters 10–17 (VIS) encode the model year, plant and serial number.
How is the model year encoded?
Character 10 encodes the model year: for example L — 2020, M — 2021, N — 2022, P — 2023, R — 2024, S — 2025, T — 2026. Codes repeat every 30 years, so on European cars the year is sometimes ambiguous.
Decoding vs. full report
Decoding shows the car's factory data. A full report shows its past — auction sales, accidents, mileage records and title status.