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Your vehicleHome›VIN decoder› Ford

The sign says quality. The VIN says what it is.

VIN decoder

Ford VIN decoder

Paste a Ford VIN and see the model year, model, body, engine and the plant it was built in, from the record Ford files with NHTSA. Free, no email, and the VIN goes only to NHTSA’s decoder, never to WhichTrim.

17 characters. The letters I, O and Q never appear in a VIN. Find it on the driver's-side dashboard, the door jamb, your insurance card or the title.

Photo: Samuel Regan-Asante / Unsplash

Also on this page:

Ford’s manufacturer codes (WMI)

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Ford files 22 manufacturer codes with NHTSA. The first three characters of a Ford VIN are one of them: they say who built the vehicle, what kind it is, and in which country. Built in United States (8 codes), Mexico (6 codes), Canada (5 codes), Brazil (1 code).

CodeVehicle typeBuilt inFiled by
1F1SUVs, vans and crossovers (MPV)United StatesFord Motor Company
1F7CarsUnited StatesFord Motor Company
1FACarsUnited StatesFord Motor Company
1FCChassis for upfitting (incomplete vehicle)United StatesFord Motor Company
1FDChassis for upfitting (incomplete vehicle)United StatesFord Motor Company
1FMSUVs, vans and crossovers (MPV)United StatesFord Motor Company
1FTTrucksUnited StatesFord Motor Company
2FACarsCanadaFord Motor Company Of Canada, Ltd.
2FCChassis for upfitting (incomplete vehicle)CanadaFord Motor Company Of Canada, Ltd.
2FDChassis for upfitting (incomplete vehicle)CanadaFord Motor Company Of Canada, Ltd.
2FMSUVs, vans and crossovers (MPV)CanadaFord Motor Company Of Canada, Ltd.
2FTTrucksCanadaFord Motor Company Of Canada, Ltd.
3FACarsMexicoFord Motor Company, Mexico
3FCChassis for upfitting (incomplete vehicle)MexicoFord Motor Company, Mexico
3FDChassis for upfitting (incomplete vehicle)MexicoFord Motor Company, Mexico
3FEChassis for upfitting (incomplete vehicle)MexicoFord Motor Company, Mexico
3FMSUVs, vans and crossovers (MPV)MexicoFord Motor Company, Mexico
3FTTrucksMexicoFord Motor Company, Mexico
5LDChassis for upfitting (incomplete vehicle)United StatesFord Motor Company
9BFTrucksBrazilFord Motor Company Brasil Ltda.
JC2TrucksJapanMazda Motor Corporation
KNJCarsSouth KoreaKia Motors (Ford Imports)

What each character means on a Ford

Source: 49 CFR 565

Every Ford VIN since the 1981 model year follows the federal format. Positions 4 to 8 are Ford’s own code for the model, body, engine and restraints; the decoder reads them from Ford’s filing, so they need no table here.

PositionSectionWhat it tells you
1–3World manufacturer identifierWho built it and where. 1, 4 and 5 are the United States, 2 Canada, 3 Mexico, J Japan, K South Korea, W Germany, S the United Kingdom.
4–8Vehicle descriptorModel, body style, restraint system, engine — the section that makes a VIN say which car this is rather than which unit.
9Check digitA checksum of the other sixteen characters. A VIN that fails it has been mistyped or invented.
10Model yearA letter or digit, not the year itself: N is 2022, P 2023, R 2024, S 2025, T 2026. I, O, Q, U and Z are never used.
11Assembly plantThe manufacturer's code for the factory that built this vehicle.
12–17Serial numberThe unit's own sequence number on that line.
Model yearCode (position 10)
2030Y
2029X
2028W
2027V
2026T
2025S
2024R
2023P
2022N
2021M
2020L
2019K
2018J
2017H
2016G
2015F
2014E
2013D
2012C
2011B
2010A
20099
20088
20077
20066

Ford models on WhichTrim

A decode that matches one of these opens its model-year page: recalls, owner complaints, service bulletins, crash ratings and fuel economy.

BroncoNewest on file: 2026Bronco SportNewest on file: 2026C-MAXNewest on file: 2018E-SeriesNewest on file: 2027E-TransitNewest on file: 2026EcoSportNewest on file: 2022EdgeNewest on file: 2024EscapeNewest on file: 2026ExpeditionNewest on file: 2027ExplorerNewest on file: 2027F-150Newest on file: 2026F-150 LightningNewest on file: 2025F-250 Super DutyNewest on file: 2027F-350 Super DutyNewest on file: 2027F-450 Super DutyNewest on file: 2027FiestaNewest on file: 2019FlexNewest on file: 2019FocusNewest on file: 2018FusionNewest on file: 2020GTNewest on file: 2022MaverickNewest on file: 2026MustangNewest on file: 2026Mustang Mach-ENewest on file: 2026RangerNewest on file: 2026TaurusNewest on file: 2019TransitNewest on file: 2027Transit ConnectNewest on file: 2023Transit T150 WagonNewest on file: 2022

More for your Ford

Source: where to go from here
Window sticker Ford window sticker by VIN The original sticker: options, MSRP and fuel economy, where Ford publishes it. Open →Service bulletins Ford TSB lookup Every bulletin and campaign Ford filed with NHTSA, by model and year. Open →Recalls Ford recalls Every recall campaign on file, by model, with the free repair it names. Open →Title history What a VIN cannot tell you Title brands, odometer and total losses live in NMVTIS, sold by approved providers. Open →

Common questions

Source: NHTSA vPIC, 49 CFR Part 565

Is the Ford VIN decoder free?

Yes, with no email and no account. The decode comes from NHTSA's vPIC database, the record Ford files with the federal government for every vehicle it sells in the US.

Where is the VIN on a Ford?

At the base of the windshield on the driver's side, readable from outside; on the certification label in the driver's door jamb; and on the title, registration and insurance card.

Does a decode show accidents or title brands?

No. A decode says what Ford built. What happened afterwards (title brands, odometer readings, total losses) is in NMVTIS, sold by providers the Department of Justice approves.

Can I check Ford recalls by VIN?

The decode opens the model year's page here, which lists every recall campaign on file. Whether this exact vehicle is still unrepaired is answered by NHTSA's lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls, which reads Ford's own list.

Is my VIN stored?

No. The decode runs in your browser against NHTSA's public database. WhichTrim never receives it.