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

VIN decoder

Volvo VIN decoder

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

Volvo’s manufacturer codes (WMI)

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Volvo files 8 manufacturer codes with NHTSA. The first three characters of a Volvo VIN are one of them: they say who built the vehicle, what kind it is, and in which country. Built in Sweden (4 codes), United States (2 codes), China (2 codes).

CodeVehicle typeBuilt inFiled by
7JDSUVs, vans and crossovers (MPV)United StatesVolvo Car Usa, Llc
7JRCarsUnited StatesVolvo Car Usa, Llc
LVYCarsChinaDaqing Volvo Car Manufacturing Co Ltd
LYVSUVs, vans and crossovers (MPV)ChinaDaqing Volvo Car Manufacturing Co Ltd
YV1CarsSwedenVolvo Car Corporation
YV2Chassis for upfitting (incomplete vehicle)SwedenVolvo Car Corporation
YV4SUVs, vans and crossovers (MPV)SwedenVolvo Car Corporation
YV5Chassis for upfitting (incomplete vehicle)SwedenVolvo Car Corporation

What each character means on a Volvo

Source: 49 CFR 565

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

Common questions

Source: NHTSA vPIC, 49 CFR Part 565

Is the Volvo VIN decoder free?

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

Where is the VIN on a Volvo?

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

Can I check Volvo 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 Volvo's own list.

Is my VIN stored?

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