Toyota VIN decoder
Toyota VIN decoder
Toyota builds many of its US models in North America: the Camry in Kentucky, the Tundra and Tacoma in Texas and Mexico, and the RAV4 in Canada and Kentucky. The first three VIN characters tell you which plant group built yours.
Toyota WMI codes
The first three VIN characters. Verified against the NHTSA vPIC database.
| WMI | Manufacturer | Vehicle type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2T1 | Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada | Cars | Canada |
| 2T3 | Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada | SUVs, vans & crossovers | Canada |
| 3TM | Toyota Motor Mfg De Baja California S De Rl De Cv | Trucks | Mexico |
| 3TY | Toyota Motor Manufacturing De Guanajuato | Trucks | Mexico |
| 4T1 | Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. | Cars | United States |
| 4T3 | Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. | SUVs, vans & crossovers | United States |
| 4T4 | Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Northern Kentucky, Inc. | Cars | United States |
| 5TD | Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana, Inc. | SUVs, vans & crossovers | United States |
| 5TE | Toyota Motor Manufacturing, California, Inc. | Trucks | United States |
| 5TF | Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas, Inc. | Trucks | United States |
| 7MU | Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, USA, Inc. | SUVs, vans & crossovers | United States |
| JT2 | Toyota Motor Corporation | Cars | Japan |
| JT3 | Toyota Motor Corporation | SUVs, vans & crossovers | Japan |
| JT4 | Toyota Motor Corporation | Trucks | Japan |
| JTD | Toyota Motor Corporation | Cars | Japan |
| JTE | Toyota Motor Corporation | SUVs, vans & crossovers | Japan |
| JTK | Toyota Motor North America, Inc | Cars | Japan |
| JTL | Toyota Motor Corporation | SUVs, vans & crossovers | Japan |
| JTM | Toyota Motor Corporation | SUVs, vans & crossovers | Japan |
| JTN | Toyota Motor Corporation | Cars | Japan |
What to know about Toyota VINs
- VINs starting with J were built in Japan; 4T and 5T were built in the United States; 2T in Canada; 3T in Mexico.
- Toyotas hold their value, which makes them a target for title washing after flood damage. Check flood and salvage brands carefully.
- Toyota and Lexus share some WMIs, so always confirm the make and model shown after decoding.
Toyota models you can decode
- Camry
- Corolla
- RAV4
- Highlander
- Grand Highlander
- 4Runner
- Tacoma
- Tundra
- Sienna
- Prius
- Sequoia
- bZ4X
Any 17-character Toyota VIN from the 1981 model year onwards can be decoded. Check open recalls for free on NHTSA.
How a Toyota 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 Toyota
- 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 Toyota, 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
Can a VIN tell me a Toyota’s trim level?
The descriptor section (positions 4–8) encodes the model line, body and engine. Trim detail varies by model year, so check the decoded series against the window sticker or listing.
How do I check a used Toyota for flood damage?
Run a VinCode report to look for flood, salvage and total-loss records, then have a mechanic inspect for corrosion, silt and electrical faults.
Is the Toyota VIN decoder free?
Yes. Decoding a Toyota VIN is free. A full VinCode report with title brands, accidents, odometer readings and owners costs $5.99.
Does a Toyota 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.