Mercedes-Benz VINs start with WDD, WDB, WDC, W1K or W1N (Germany and Europe) or 4JG (Tuscaloosa, Alabama).
Specs are free. The Mercedes' 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 — $5.99Mercedes-Benz VIN decoder: reading the code yourself
Mercedes-Benz VINs changed more than most in the last decade — new manufacturer codes, new plants on three continents — and a rest-of-world Mercedes VIN does not even follow the US model-year convention. Here is how to read one, and how to tell which kind you are holding.
| Position | What Mercedes-Benz encodes there |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | World Manufacturer Identifier (table below). The code tells you car versus SUV versus van, and Germany versus Alabama. |
| 4–8 | On US-market VINs, the chassis series, body and engine family — Mercedes' internal model designation. The block WF4JB, for example, belongs to a C 300 4MATIC sedan of the 2015–2021 generation. Rest-of-world VINs instead carry the six-digit model number (the Baumuster, such as 205.004) across positions 4–9. |
| 9 | Check digit on US-market cars; on rest-of-world cars, the last digit of the model number. |
| 10 | Model year on US-market cars (table below). On rest-of-world cars, steering side: 1 = left-hand drive, 2 = right-hand drive. |
| 11 | Assembly plant (table below). |
| 12–17 | Production sequence. |
Mercedes-Benz WMI codes (positions 1–3)
| Code | Meaning | Typical vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| WDB | Passenger cars (older) and commercial vehicles, Germany | W124, W202, W210 era and earlier; Sprinter and trucks |
| WDD | Passenger cars, Germany and Europe, to about 2019 | C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, CLA, CLS, SL |
| W1K | Passenger cars, from about 2019–2020 | C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, CLA, CLS |
| WDC | SUVs built in Europe, to about 2019 | GLC, GLK, G-Class |
| W1N | SUVs built in Europe, from about 2020 | GLA, GLB, GLC, G-Class, EQB |
| 4JG | Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Vance (Tuscaloosa), Alabama | ML and GLE, GL and GLS, R-Class, GLE Coupé, EQS and EQE SUV |
| WMX | Mercedes-AMG GmbH, Affalterbach | SLS AMG, AMG GT |
| WD3 · WD4 · W1W · W1X · W1Y · W1V | Vans | Sprinter, Metris (Vito) |
| WME | smart | fortwo, forfour |
Mercedes-Benz assembly plant codes (position 11, US-market VINs)
| Code | Plant | Builds |
|---|---|---|
| A | Sindelfingen, Germany | E-Class, S-Class, CLS, EQS, Maybach |
| F | Bremen, Germany | C-Class, GLC, SL, EQC |
| R | East London, South Africa | C-Class sedans, including many sold in the US |
| N | Kecskemét, Hungary | CLA, B-Class, EQB |
| X | Magna Steyr, Graz, Austria | G-Class |
| A / B (with 4JG) | Vance (Tuscaloosa), Alabama | GLE, GLS, GLE Coupé, EQS and EQE SUV |
Other letters exist (Rastatt for the compact cars, Aguascalientes in Mexico for some GLB and A-Class sedans); the decoder resolves them from the full VIN.
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 |
VIN versus data card
A Mercedes VIN tells you the model, engine family, plant and year. It does not tell you whether the car has the AMG Line package, air suspension, Distronic or Burmester audio — that is on the data card, the factory build record keyed to the VIN, which lists paint, upholstery and every option code. The window-sticker lookup reproduces the original equipment list for US cars; a dealer or specialist can print the data card itself. Check it before paying an AMG-package premium on a car that decodes as a base model.
Mercedes-Benz trouble spots to check in the history report
Mercedes problems cluster by engine and gearbox rather than by model, so the engine code the decoder returns is the key to this list. Years are approximate.
- M272 V6 and M273 V8, 2005–2008 (C, E, S, CLK, ML, GL, R): balance-shaft and idler-gear sprocket wear that throws camshaft-timing codes and needs the engine out to repair. An invoice for the fix, or an engine replaced under goodwill, is worth a great deal.
- M271 four-cylinder, 2003–2014 (C 230, C 250, E 250, SLK): stretched timing chains and camshaft-adjuster wear; a rattle at start-up is the symptom.
- 7G-Tronic (722.9) automatic, 2004–2012: conductor plate and valve-body failures; look for gearbox fluid services and any "conductor plate" or "TCU" line.
- AIRMATIC air suspension (2000s S-Class, E-Class, CLS, ML, GL, R): compressors and struts; a car sitting low on one corner in the listing photos is a clue.
- SBC electro-hydraulic brakes, 2003–2006 (E-Class, CLS, SL): recalled and later covered by an extended programme; confirm completion.
- Rust, 1996–2007 (W210 E-Class, W203 C-Class, early W211): rust-belt registration history plus no bodywork invoices means look underneath.
- M276 V6 and M278 V8, 2012–2015: camshaft-adjuster bolt recall; coolant-pump leaks.
- CLA and GLA 2014–2017: complaints about the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox at low speed.
- BlueTEC diesels, 2009–2016: emissions-system settlement work and AdBlue system faults; recall completion appears in the report.
- Takata airbag inflators: 2005–2014 C-Class, E-Class, ML, GL, SLK and others.
A VIN-first checklist for buying a used Mercedes-Benz
- Decode the VIN and note the engine code — it decides which of the problems above apply.
- Check position 10: a 1 or 2 means a rest-of-world car, so ask for import papers and treat pre-import history as unverified.
- Compare the window sticker or data card with the options the seller is charging for.
- Run the history report and look for the specific repairs above, recall completion and a dealer-stamped service pattern.
- Match the dash VIN, the door-jamb label and the title; plant and year must agree.
What a Mercedes-Benz 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 Mercedes-Benz 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 Mercedes-Benz 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 manufacturer code: WDD, WDB, W1K for cars, WDC and W1N for SUVs built in Europe, and 4JG for SUVs built in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
What is the difference between WDD and W1K?
Only the date. Mercedes-Benz moved its passenger cars from the WDD code to W1K, and its SUVs from WDC to W1N, around 2019–2020 when the company was reorganised. A 2018 C-Class is WDD; a 2021 C-Class is W1K.
Which plant built my Mercedes?
The eleventh character on US-market VINs: A is Sindelfingen (E-Class, S-Class), F is Bremen (C-Class, GLC, SL), R is East London, South Africa (many US-market C-Class sedans), N is Kecskemét, Hungary (CLA, GLA) and X is Graz, Austria (G-Class). VINs beginning 4JG were built in Vance (Tuscaloosa), Alabama. The decoder names the plant for you.
Can I decode the model year of a European-market Mercedes from the VIN?
Not from position 10. Rest-of-world Mercedes VINs put the six-digit model number in positions 4 to 9 and a steering-side digit at position 10 (1 for left-hand drive, 2 for right-hand drive) instead of a model-year letter. If the tenth character of a Mercedes VIN is 1 or 2, you are looking at a grey import.
What is a Mercedes data card?
The factory build record for one VIN: paint and interior codes and every option code fitted. It is not encoded in the VIN itself. The window-sticker lookup shows the original equipment; the data card is what a dealer or specialist pulls to confirm it.
Does a VIN decode show if a Mercedes has been in an accident?
No. A decode returns factory build data only. Accidents, branded titles, odometer history, service records and open recalls appear in the full vehicle history report, $5.99 for a single VIN.