What is a VIN?
A VIN is your vehicle identification number. It consists of 17 characters, which may be letters or numbers, structured as follows:1st to 3rd characters
The first 3 digits are called the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI), and they identify the specific division of the vehicle manufacturer.
- 1st character: Indicates the continent where the vehicle was built
- A - C: Africa
- J - R: Asia
- S - Z: Europe
- 1 - 5: North America
- 6 - 7: Oceania
- 8 - 9: South America
- 1st and 2nd characters: Together, they indicate the country where the vehicle was built
- 93 - 99, 9A - 9E: Brazil
- 1st to 3rd characters: Together, they identify the specific division of the vehicle manufacturer
- Brazil:
- 9BD: Fiat
- 9BF: Ford
- 9BG: Chevrolet
- 9BW: Volkswagen
- 9BH: Hyundai Motor
- 935: Citroën
- 936: Peugeot
- Brazil:
The complete list of Brazilian manufacturers is available at the end of this page.
4th to 8th characters
- 4th character: Indicates specific model and safety-related characteristics
- 5th character: Indicates the vehicle’s specific model series
- 6th and 7th characters: Indicate the vehicle body type
- 8th character: Indicates the engine size
10th character
Indicates the vehicle’s model year. According to the standard, it must be represented by letters from A (1980) to Y (2000) and numbers from 1 (2001) to 9 (2009). When the available options are exhausted, the sequence starts again from the beginning. The letters I, O, Q, U, and Z are not used.
- P: 2023
- N: 2022
- M: 2021
- L: 2020
- K: 2019
- J: 2018
- H: 2017
- G: 2016
- F: 2015
How do I find my vehicle’s VIN?
It can be found on the CRLV (Vehicle Registration and Licensing Certificate) or on the vehicle itself. The exact location varies depending on the model. The most common locations are:- On the engine, near the cylinder head
- On the body, on the passenger side, inside a small cover on the metal section
- On the right-side front door pillar
- In the engine compartment
- On one of the windshields and one of the rear windows
- On at least two windows on each side of the vehicle
Complete list of Brazilian manufacturers
The following is the list of Brazilian manufacturers and their respective WMI codes:| WMI | Automakers |
|---|---|
| 9BW | Volkswagen |
| 9BG | Chevrolet/GM |
| 9BF | Ford |
| 9BD | Fiat |
| 9BR | Toyota |
| 93H | Honda Automóveis |
| 93U | Audi |
| 93X | Mitsubishi |
| 93Y | Renault |
| 94D | Nissan |
| 935 | Citroën |
| 936 | Peugeot |
| 937 | Dodge |
| 9BH | Hyundai Motor |
| 9BU | Gurgel |
| 9EA | JPX |
| 94T | Troller |
| 95P | CAOA Hyundai & CAOA Chery |
| 988 | Jeep |
| 98M | BWM |
| 98R | Chery |
| 99J | Jaguar Land Rover |
| 99L | BYD |