Dodge VINs start with 2C3 (Charger, Challenger), 1C4, 2C4 or 3C4 (SUVs and vans); Ram trucks with 1C6, 3C6 or 3C7; older models with 1B3, 2B3, 1D3 or 1D7.
Specs are free. The truck'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 — $5.99Dodge and Ram VIN decoder: reading the code yourself
Dodge and Ram use the same Stellantis VIN layout as Jeep and Chrysler, which makes a few characters very useful: the fifth names the brand, the eighth the engine and the eleventh the plant. That is enough to catch a "HEMI" listing on a V6 Charger or a Ram 1500 Classic sold as the newer truck.
| Position | What Dodge and Ram encode there |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | World Manufacturer Identifier (table below). |
| 4–7 | Vehicle codes. Position 5 is the brand: D for Dodge, R for Ram. |
| 8 | Engine: G 3.6 Pentastar V6, T 5.7 HEMI V8 (Ram 1500), L 6.7 Cummins diesel (Ram 2500), B 2.4 four (Journey). |
| 9 | Check digit. |
| 10 | Model year (table below). |
| 11 | Assembly plant (table below). |
| 12–17 | Production serial. |
Dodge and Ram WMI codes (positions 1–3)
| Code | Meaning | Typical vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| 2C3 | Cars built in Canada (Brampton) | Charger, Challenger, Chrysler 300 |
| 1C3 | Cars built in the US | Dart |
| 1C4 · 2C4 · 3C4 | SUVs and vans: US · Canada · Mexico | Durango · Grand Caravan · Journey |
| 1C6 | Trucks built in the US | Ram 1500, Ram 1500 Classic |
| 3C6 · 3C7 | Trucks built in Mexico · incomplete vehicles | Ram 2500 and 3500 · chassis cabs |
| 1B3 · 2B3 · 1D3 · 1D7 | Older Dodge cars and trucks | Pre-2011 models, including the Dodge Ram |
Dodge and Ram assembly plant codes (position 11)
| Code | Plant | Builds |
|---|---|---|
| H | Brampton, Ontario | Charger, Challenger |
| R | Windsor, Ontario | Grand Caravan |
| C | Detroit, Michigan | Durango |
| T | Toluca, Mexico | Journey |
| D | Belvidere, Illinois | Dart (2013–2016) |
| N | Sterling Heights, Michigan | Ram 1500 (2019 on) |
| S | Warren, Michigan | Ram 1500 Classic; earlier Dodge Ram |
| G | Saltillo, Mexico | Ram 2500 and 3500 |
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 |
Dodge and Ram trouble spots to check in the history report
Years are approximate. Match the engine character against the list.
- 5.7 HEMI lifters and camshaft (Ram 1500, Durango, Charger, Challenger): failed lifter rollers and worn camshafts — the "HEMI tick" — especially on engines with cylinder deactivation. A lifter or camshaft job on record is a big repair already done.
- 3.6 Pentastar V6, 2011–2013: valve-seat wear in the left cylinder head, covered by an extended warranty; plastic oil-cooler housing leaks on later engines.
- 2011–2013 Durango: power-module (TIPM) faults causing no-starts, recalled for the fuel-pump relay.
- 2014–2016 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel: emissions settlement and software update; EGR cooler recalls on the 3.0 diesel.
- Dart, 2013–2016: complaints about the dual-dry-clutch automatic.
- Takata airbag inflators on a number of older models. 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 Dodge or Ram
- Decode the VIN and check the engine character against the listing — V6 or HEMI, gas or diesel.
- Run the history report for accidents, title brands, fleet use and the service trail.
- If the vehicle spent time where hurricanes hit, check the flood car check for its counties.
- Match the dash VIN, the door-jamb label and the title; on trucks, the frame stamp too.
- Pull the original window sticker to confirm packages such as towing, off-road or performance options.
What a Dodge or Ram 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 Dodge or Ram 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
- Jeep VIN decoder — the same Stellantis VIN layout, with the Pentastar issues in detail.
- 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 · GMC · Toyota · Honda · Nissan · Hyundai · Kia · Subaru · Mazda · Jeep · Dodge and Ram · Tesla · BMW · Mercedes-Benz · Audi · Volkswagen · Lexus · Land Rover · Porsche · window sticker lookup
Frequently asked questions
How do I decode a Dodge or Ram VIN?
Enter the 17-character VIN above. The decoder returns model year, model, trim, body, engine, drivetrain and assembly plant from the official NHTSA vPIC database. On newer VINs the fifth character is the brand: D for Dodge, R for Ram. Stellantis shares codes such as 1C4 across Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep, and that letter tells them apart.
Which character shows the engine on a Dodge or Ram?
The eighth. On recent models G is the 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 (Charger, Challenger, Durango, Grand Caravan), T the 5.7-litre HEMI V8 on a Ram 1500, L the 6.7-litre Cummins diesel on a Ram 2500 and B the 2.4-litre four on a Journey. Each was checked against NHTSA's database with a sample VIN.
Which plant built my Dodge or Ram?
The eleventh character. H is Brampton, Ontario (Charger, Challenger); R is Windsor, Ontario (Grand Caravan); C is Detroit (Durango); T is Toluca, Mexico (Journey); N is Sterling Heights, Michigan (Ram 1500); S is Warren, Michigan (Ram 1500 Classic and older Rams); G is Saltillo, Mexico (Ram 2500 and 3500).
Why does an older Dodge Ram VIN start with 1D7?
Before Ram became its own brand in 2010 and Chrysler changed its VIN format, Dodge trucks used codes such as 1D3 and 1D7 and Dodge cars 1B3 and 2B3. They decode here too.
Is my Ram EcoDiesel part of the emissions settlement?
2014–2016 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel trucks were covered by a 2019 settlement that required an emissions software update. The decoder shows whether the truck has the 3.0 diesel; the history report shows the recall work.
Does a VIN decode show if a Dodge or Ram 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.