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Your vehicleHome›VIN decoder› Mercedes-Benz

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

VIN decoder

Mercedes-Benz (Mercedes) VIN decoder

Paste a Mercedes-Benz VIN and see the model year, model, body, engine and the plant it was built in, from the record Mercedes-Benz 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

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Mercedes-Benz’s manufacturer codes (WMI)

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Mercedes-Benz files 23 manufacturer codes with NHTSA. The first three characters of a Mercedes-Benz VIN are one of them: they say who built the vehicle, what kind it is, and in which country. Built in Germany (11 codes), United States (3 codes), Argentina (3 codes), Brazil (1 code).

CodeVehicle typeBuilt inFiled by
1MBTrucksUnited StatesMercedes-Benz Truck Company Inc
4JGSUVs, vans and crossovers (MPV)United StatesMercedes-Benz Of North America, Inc.
55SCarsUnited StatesMercedes-Benz Cars
8BNChassis for upfitting (incomplete vehicle)ArgentinaMercedes-Benz Usa, Llc (Sprinter)
8BTSUVs, vans and crossovers (MPV)ArgentinaMercedes-Benz Usa, Llc (Sprinter)
8BUTrucksArgentinaMercedes-Benz Usa, Llc (Sprinter)
9DBTrucksBrazilMercedes-Benz Truck Company Inc
W1ACarsNot filedMercedes-Benz, Ag
W1KCarsGermanyMercedes-Benz Cars
W1LCarsNot filedMercedes-Benz, Ag
W1MCarsNot filedMercedes-Benz, Ag
W1NSUVs, vans and crossovers (MPV)GermanyMercedes-Benz, Ag
W1PSUVs, vans and crossovers (MPV)Not filedMercedes-Benz, Ag
W1RSUVs, vans and crossovers (MPV)Not filedMercedes-Benz, Ag
W1WSUVs, vans and crossovers (MPV)GermanyMercedes-Benz, Ag
W1XChassis for upfitting (incomplete vehicle)GermanyMercedes-Benz, Ag
W1YTrucksGermanyMercedes-Benz, Ag
WD3TrucksGermanyMercedes-Benz, Ag
WD4SUVs, vans and crossovers (MPV)GermanyMercedes-Benz, Ag
WDAChassis for upfitting (incomplete vehicle)GermanyMercedes-Benz, Ag
WDBCarsGermanyMercedes-Benz Cars
WDCSUVs, vans and crossovers (MPV)GermanyMercedes-Benz Cars
WDDCarsGermanyMercedes-Benz Cars

What each character means on a Mercedes-Benz

Source: 49 CFR 565

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

Mercedes-Benz 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.

A-ClassNewest on file: 2022AMG GTNewest on file: 2027B-Class Electric DriveNewest on file: 2017C-ClassNewest on file: 2027CLA-ClassNewest on file: 2027CLE-ClassNewest on file: 2027CLS-ClassNewest on file: 2023E-ClassNewest on file: 2027EQBNewest on file: 2025EQENewest on file: 2027EQSNewest on file: 2027G-ClassNewest on file: 2027GL-ClassNewest on file: 2016GLA-ClassNewest on file: 2026GLB-ClassNewest on file: 2026GLC-ClassNewest on file: 2027GLE-ClassNewest on file: 2027GLS-ClassNewest on file: 2027MaybachNewest on file: 2017MetrisNewest on file: 2023Metris CargoNewest on file: 2023Metris PassengerNewest on file: 2023S-ClassNewest on file: 2027SL-ClassNewest on file: 2027SLC-ClassNewest on file: 2020SLK-ClassNewest on file: 2016SprinterNewest on file: 2026

More for your Mercedes-Benz

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

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

Where is the VIN on a Mercedes-Benz?

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

Can I check Mercedes-Benz 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 Mercedes-Benz's own list.

Is my VIN stored?

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