Ford VIN decoder
Ford VIN decoder
Ford builds the F-Series, America’s best-selling pickup line for more than four decades, along with the Explorer, Escape, Bronco and Mustang. Every Ford sold in the US since 1981 carries a 17-character VIN that encodes where it was built, its engine and its model year.
Ford WMI codes
The first three VIN characters. Verified against the NHTSA vPIC database.
| WMI | Manufacturer | Vehicle type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1FA | Ford Motor Company | Cars | United States |
| 1FB | Ford Motor Company | Buses | United States |
| 1FC | Ford Motor Company | Chassis cabs & incomplete | United States |
| 1FD | Ford Motor Company | Chassis cabs & incomplete | United States |
| 1FM | Ford Motor Company | SUVs, vans & crossovers | United States |
| 1FT | Ford Motor Company | Trucks | United States |
| 2FA | Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd. | Cars | Canada |
| 2FM | Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd. | SUVs, vans & crossovers | Canada |
| 2FT | Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd. | Trucks | Canada |
| 3FA | Ford Motor Company, Mexico | Cars | Mexico |
| 3FE | Ford Motor Company, Mexico | Chassis cabs & incomplete | Mexico |
| 3FM | Ford Motor Company, Mexico | SUVs, vans & crossovers | Mexico |
| 3FT | Ford Motor Company, Mexico | Trucks | Mexico |
| MAJ | Ford India Ltd | SUVs, vans & crossovers | India |
| NM0 | Ford Otomotiv Sanayi A.S., Turkey | Trucks | Turkey |
| WF0 | Ford Werke AG | Cars | Germany |
What to know about Ford VINs
- On Ford trucks and SUVs the 8th character is the engine code, which is how parts counters tell a 2.7L EcoBoost from a 5.0L V8.
- A VIN starting with 1F was assembled in the United States, 2F in Canada and 3F in Mexico.
- Ford trucks are common at insurance auctions after storms, so check title brands and total-loss records before buying a used F-150 or Super Duty.
Ford models you can decode
- F-150
- F-250 / F-350 Super Duty
- Ranger
- Maverick
- Explorer
- Escape
- Bronco
- Bronco Sport
- Edge
- Expedition
- Mustang
- Mustang Mach-E
- Transit
Any 17-character Ford VIN from the 1981 model year onwards can be decoded. Check open recalls for free on NHTSA.
How a Ford VIN is built
All 17-character VINs for vehicles sold in the US follow the same structure.
Example: 5NPD74LF5LH611542
| Position | What it means | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Country / region | Where the manufacturer is registered: 1, 4, 5 and 7 = United States, 2 = Canada, 3 = Mexico, J = Japan, K = South Korea, W = Germany. |
| 2–3 | Manufacturer | Positions 1–3 together form the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI), assigned to one maker and vehicle type. |
| 4–8 | Vehicle descriptor | Manufacturer-coded details such as model line, body style, restraint system, engine and gross weight rating. |
| 9 | Check digit | A 0–9 or X calculated from the other 16 characters. It catches typos and many fake VINs. |
| 10 | Model year | A letter or number for the model year. The codes repeat every 30 years (see the table below). |
| 11 | Assembly plant | The factory that built the vehicle. Plant codes are defined by each manufacturer. |
| 12–17 | Serial number | The production sequence number that makes the VIN unique. |
VIN model year chart (10th character)
Codes repeat every 30 years. On cars and light trucks, a letter in position 7 means the later year.
A
1980 · 2010
B
1981 · 2011
C
1982 · 2012
D
1983 · 2013
E
1984 · 2014
F
1985 · 2015
G
1986 · 2016
H
1987 · 2017
J
1988 · 2018
K
1989 · 2019
L
1990 · 2020
M
1991 · 2021
N
1992 · 2022
P
1993 · 2023
R
1994 · 2024
S
1995 · 2025
T
1996 · 2026
V
1997 · 2027
W
1998 · 2028
X
1999 · 2029
Y
2000 · 2030
1
2001 · 2031
2
2002 · 2032
3
2003 · 2033
4
2004 · 2034
5
2005 · 2035
6
2006 · 2036
7
2007 · 2037
8
2008 · 2038
9
2009 · 2039
The letters I, O, Q, U and Z and the number 0 are never used as year codes.
Where to find the VIN on a Ford
- Lower corner of the windshield on the driver’s side, readable from outside the car
- Sticker or plate on the driver’s door jamb (open the door)
- Title, registration card and insurance card
- Engine bay, often on the firewall or the front of the frame on trucks
- Seller’s listing or the dealer’s window sticker
The VIN on the car, the title and the listing must all match. If they do not, do not buy.
VinCode report · $5.99
Before you buy a used Ford, check its history
Title brands, accidents, total-loss events, odometer readings, owners and service records for the VIN, scored with the VinCode Score.
- Title brand check
- Accidents & damage
- Odometer chart
- Owners & usage
- Service records
- VinCode Score
How do I find the engine in a Ford VIN?
On most Ford cars, trucks and SUVs the 8th character of the VIN is the engine code. Decode the VIN above to see the engine description recorded for that code.
Where is the VIN on a Ford F-150?
At the lower driver’s side corner of the windshield, on the driver’s door jamb label and on the title and registration. Make sure all of them match.
Is the Ford VIN decoder free?
Yes. Decoding a Ford VIN is free. A full VinCode report with title brands, accidents, odometer readings and owners costs $5.99.
Does a Ford VIN show accident history?
No. The VIN only encodes how the vehicle was built. Accident, damage and title history come from records reported for the VIN, which is what the VinCode report shows.