BMW VINs start with WBA, WBS, WBY or WBX (Germany and Europe), 5UX or 5YM (Spartanburg, South Carolina) or 3MW (Mexico).
Specs are free. The BMW's history is the part that costs money — $5.99 of it.
Accident records, title brands, odometer readings, service history and open recalls for this VIN.
Get the full report — $5.99BMW VIN decoder: reading the code yourself
A BMW VIN is quick to read once you know its habits. The first three characters say whether the car came from Germany, South Carolina or Mexico, the eleventh names one of a dozen plants, and the last seven are what BMW itself uses to look a car up. The middle is BMW's own type code, which is where a decoder earns its keep.
| Position | What BMW encodes there |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | World Manufacturer Identifier (table below): BMW AG, BMW M, BMW i, or the Spartanburg and Mexico plants. |
| 4–8 | BMW's type code, which fixes series, body, engine and drive in a few characters. 5R1C after WBA is a 2019-on 330i xDrive; CR6C after 5UX is a 2019-on X5 xDrive40i. The same 330i built in Mexico reads 3MW5R1J — same model block, different plant and drive. |
| 9 | Check digit. |
| 10 | Model year (table below). |
| 11 | Assembly plant (table below). |
| 12–17 | Production serial. Positions 11–17 together are the "last 7". |
BMW WMI codes (positions 1–3)
| Code | Meaning | Typical vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| WBA | BMW AG, passenger cars | 1 to 8 Series, Z4 and the M Performance cars (M340i, M550i) |
| WBS | BMW M GmbH | M3, M4, M5, M6, M8 |
| WBY | BMW i | i3, i8 |
| WBX | X models built in Europe | X1, X2; the X3 built by Magna Steyr, 2004–2010 |
| 5UX | BMW Manufacturing, Spartanburg (Greer), South Carolina | X3, X4, X5, X6, X7 |
| 5YM | M SUVs from Spartanburg | X5 M, X6 M |
| 4US | Spartanburg, cars | Z3 and the 2003–2008 Z4 |
| 3MW | BMW de México, San Luis Potosí | 3 Series sedan (2019 on) |
| WMW | MINI, owned by BMW | Hardtop, Clubman, Countryman — this decoder reads them too |
BMW assembly plant codes (position 11)
| Code | Plant | Builds |
|---|---|---|
| A · F · K | Munich, Germany | 3 Series sedan, i4 |
| B · C · D · G | Dingolfing, Germany | 5, 6, 7 and 8 Series, M5, M8, iX, i7 |
| E · J · P · 5 | Regensburg, Germany | 1 and 2 Series, X1, X2, the 2009–2016 Z4, the 2015–2018 M3 |
| V · 7 | Leipzig, Germany | i3, i8, 2 Series, the first X1 |
| L · 0 · 9 | Spartanburg (Greer), South Carolina | X3 to X7 and XM; earlier the Z3 and Z4 |
| N | Rosslyn, South Africa | 3 Series (to 2018), X3 (2018 on) |
| W | Magna Steyr, Graz, Austria | Z4 (2019 on); X3 (2004–2010) |
| 8 | San Luis Potosí, Mexico | 3 Series sedan (2019 on), 2 Series coupé and M2 |
| 3 | VDL Nedcar, Born, Netherlands | MINI and some X1 |
A 2016 M3 checked while writing this guide decoded as WBS…5: BMW M, built in Regensburg. "German-built" is therefore true of most BMW cars but not of a Spartanburg X5, a Rosslyn X3 or a Mexican 3 Series, and the VIN settles it in one character.
Model-year letters (position 10)
Every maker uses the same tenth-character code. 2001–2009 are the digits 1–9; from 2010 the alphabet starts again at A, skipping I, O, Q, U and Z so nothing is mistaken for a digit. The same letters were used for 1980–2000, which is why a VIN's seventh character matters: a letter there means the vehicle is 2010 or newer, a digit means 2009 or older.
| 1 2001 | 2 2002 | 3 2003 | 4 2004 | 5 2005 |
| 6 2006 | 7 2007 | 8 2008 | 9 2009 | A 2010 |
| B 2011 | C 2012 | D 2013 | E 2014 | F 2015 |
| G 2016 | H 2017 | J 2018 | K 2019 | L 2020 |
| M 2021 | N 2022 | P 2023 | R 2024 | S 2025 |
| T 2026 | V 2027 | W 2028 | X 2029 | Y 2030 |
The last 7, and what the VIN doesn't hold
BMW's parts catalogue and dealer systems identify a car by its last seven characters — plant letter plus serial — because that pair is unique inside BMW and points to the exact build date, which decides which parts and software fit. Give a parts counter all 17 anyway; it avoids mix-ups.
Options are another matter. The VIN fixes model, engine and drive, but not whether a car has the M Sport package, adaptive suspension, a head-up display or the driving-assistance package. Those are option codes on BMW's factory build record for the VIN. The window-sticker lookup shows the original equipment, so you can check it against what the seller is charging for.
BMW trouble spots to check in the history report
BMW problems follow the engine more than the model, so note the engine size the decoder returns and match it against this list. Years are approximate.
- N54 twin-turbo six, 2007–2010 (135i, 335i, 535i, Z4 sDrive35i, 1 Series M): high-pressure fuel-pump failures, which BMW covered with an extended warranty, plus leaking injectors and rattling turbo wastegates.
- N20 2.0 turbo four, 2012–2015 (228i, 328i, 428i, 528i, X1, X3, Z4 sDrive28i): plastic timing-chain guides that wear and can break, taking the engine with them. Look for chain and guide work on record.
- N63 4.4 twin-turbo V8, 2009–2015 (550i, 650i, 750i, X5 xDrive50i, X6 xDrive50i): oil consumption, valve-stem seals, timing chains and injectors. BMW ran a customer-care programme for these engines; a car with no sign of it is a gamble.
- Electric water pump and thermostat (N52, N54 and N55 sixes, about 2006–2016): they fail without warning, so a recorded replacement is a plus.
- Oil leaks from the oil-filter-housing and valve-cover gaskets on most 2006–2016 sixes; oil reaching the drive belt is the expensive version.
- Air suspension and xDrive transfer case on 2007–2018 X5, X6 and 7 Series: rear air springs, compressors and transfer-case actuator motors.
- Diesels (2009–2018 335d, 328d, 535d, X5 xDrive35d): particulate filter, EGR and urea (AdBlue) system faults.
- Takata airbag inflators: in 2023 BMW told owners of some older models with unrepaired inflators — mostly 2000–2006 3 Series, 5 Series and X5 — not to drive them until fixed. The free recall check above lists the campaigns for the model and year; nhtsa.gov/recalls confirms whether this VIN's repair was done.
A VIN-first checklist for buying a used BMW
- Decode the VIN and note the engine — it decides which of the faults above apply.
- Check the plant character if the seller makes a point of where the car was built.
- Compare the window sticker with the options in the listing; packages are where BMW prices get padded.
- Run the history report for accidents, title brands and the dealer service trail. BMWs from 2017 on came with three years of scheduled maintenance, so a car with no dealer visits in that window is worth a question.
- Match the dash VIN, the door-pillar label and the title; the last 7 on service invoices should match too.
What a BMW VIN decode can't tell you
Everything above was fixed on the day the vehicle was built, which is exactly why it is reliable and exactly why it is incomplete. A collision, a flood title issued in another state, a rolled-back odometer or a skipped timing-chain service all happen later, so none of them touch the VIN. They live in the vehicle history report: accident and damage records, title brands, the odometer timeline, open recalls, service entries and ownership changes. Decode here for free as often as you like; buy history only for the BMW you are serious about. Dealers and flippers who check every car can bring that to $1.30 a report.
Guides that go with this decoder
- How to read a vehicle history report — which flags are deal-breakers.
- What the 17 digits in a VIN mean — the full position-by-position breakdown.
- Signs of a rolled-back odometer — what a decode can't catch and a report can.
- Is a salvage-title car worth buying? — every brand, and what it does to value.
- Dealer auction VIN checks — the pre-bid routine volume buyers use.
- Other makes: any VIN · Ford · Chevrolet · Toyota · Honda · Nissan · Jeep · BMW · Mercedes-Benz · Audi · Volkswagen · Lexus · Porsche · window sticker lookup
Frequently asked questions
How do I decode a BMW VIN?
Enter the 17-character VIN above. The decoder returns model, model year, body, engine, drivetrain, transmission and assembly plant from the official NHTSA vPIC database. The first three characters identify the maker: WBA is BMW AG passenger cars, WBS is BMW M GmbH, WBY is BMW i, WBX is X models built in Europe, 5UX and 5YM are X models built in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and 3MW is cars built in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
What are the last 7 of a BMW VIN?
Positions 11 to 17: the plant letter followed by a six-digit serial number. BMW dealers, parts catalogues and BMW's own systems look a car up by these seven characters, so when a parts counter asks for the last 7, read them off the end of the VIN.
Which plant built my BMW?
The eleventh character. A, F and K are Munich; B, C, D and G Dingolfing; E, J, P and 5 Regensburg; V and 7 Leipzig; L, 0 and 9 Spartanburg (Greer), South Carolina; N Rosslyn, South Africa; W Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria; and 8 San Luis Potosí, Mexico. The decoder names the plant for you.
Is an M340i a real M car in VIN terms?
No. Full M cars such as the M3, M4, M5 and M8 carry BMW M GmbH's WBS code, and the M versions of the X5 and X6 carry 5YM. M Performance models such as the M340i and M550i are built on the regular lines and carry WBA, 3MW or 5UX like the rest of the range. The decoder shows which you have.
Does a VIN decode show if a BMW has been in an accident?
No. A decode returns factory build data only. Accidents, branded titles, odometer readings, service records and open recalls appear in the full vehicle history report, $5.99 for a single VIN.
Where is the VIN on a BMW?
On the driver's side of the dashboard, visible through the windshield; on the certification label on the driver's door pillar; and on the title, registration and insurance card. Match all three, and check that the last 7 on any service invoice match too.