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Your vehicleHome›VIN decoder› Lincoln

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

VIN decoder

Lincoln VIN decoder

Paste a Lincoln VIN and see the model year, model, body, engine and the plant it was built in, from the record Lincoln 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:

Lincoln’s manufacturer codes (WMI)

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Lincoln files 12 manufacturer codes with NHTSA. The first three characters of a Lincoln VIN are one of them: they say who built the vehicle, what kind it is, and in which country. Built in United States (7 codes), Canada (4 codes), Mexico (1 code).

CodeVehicle typeBuilt inFiled by
1L1CarsUnited StatesFord Motor Company
1LJChassis for upfitting (incomplete vehicle)United StatesFord Motor Company
1LNCarsUnited StatesFord Motor Company
1MRCarsUnited StatesFord Motor Company
2L1Chassis for upfitting (incomplete vehicle)CanadaFord Motor Company Of Canada, Ltd.
2LJChassis for upfitting (incomplete vehicle)CanadaFord Motor Company Of Canada, Ltd.
2LMSUVs, vans and crossovers (MPV)CanadaFord Motor Company Of Canada, Ltd.
2LNCarsCanadaFord Motor Company Of Canada, Ltd.
3LNCarsMexicoFord Motor Company, Mexico
5L1SUVs, vans and crossovers (MPV)United StatesFord Motor Company
5LMSUVs, vans and crossovers (MPV)United StatesFord Motor Company
5LTTrucksUnited StatesFord Motor Company

What each character means on a Lincoln

Source: 49 CFR 565

Every Lincoln VIN since the 1981 model year follows the federal format. Positions 4 to 8 are Lincoln’s own code for the model, body, engine and restraints; the decoder reads them from Lincoln’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

Lincoln 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.

AviatorNewest on file: 2027ContinentalNewest on file: 2020CorsairNewest on file: 2026Corsair HybridNewest on file: 2027MKCNewest on file: 2019MKSNewest on file: 2016MKTNewest on file: 2019MKXNewest on file: 2018MKZNewest on file: 2020NautilusNewest on file: 2026NavigatorNewest on file: 2027

More for your Lincoln

Source: where to go from here
Window sticker Lincoln window sticker by VIN The original sticker: options, MSRP and fuel economy, where Lincoln publishes it. Open →Service bulletins Lincoln TSB lookup Every bulletin and campaign Lincoln filed with NHTSA, by model and year. Open →Recalls Lincoln 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 Lincoln VIN decoder free?

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

Where is the VIN on a Lincoln?

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 Lincoln built. What happened afterwards (title brands, odometer readings, total losses) is in NMVTIS, sold by providers the Department of Justice approves.

Can I check Lincoln 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 Lincoln's own list.

Is my VIN stored?

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