VW VINs start with WVW or WVG (Germany and Europe), 3VW or 3VV (Mexico) and 1VW or 1V2 (Chattanooga, Tennessee).
Specs are free. The Volkswagen'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 — $5.99Volkswagen VIN decoder: reading the code yourself
Volkswagen VINs are friendlier than most: the model is written in two characters you can read by eye, and the first character tells you which continent the car came from. A Jetta, Golf or Tiguan sold in the US may have been built in Mexico, Germany or Tennessee, and the VIN says which before you decode anything.
| Position | What Volkswagen encodes there (US-market VIN) |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | World Manufacturer Identifier (table below). |
| 4–6 | Trim line, engine and restraint-system codes. The decoder turns them into engine size, drive and trim — a 1.4 TSI versus a 2.0, or 4Motion versus front-drive. |
| 7–8 | Model code (table below). On European VINs positions 4–6 read ZZZ and this is the only model information. |
| 9 | Check digit; Z on European VINs. |
| 10 | Model year (table below). |
| 11 | Assembly plant (table below). |
| 12–17 | Production serial. |
Volkswagen WMI codes (positions 1–3)
| Code | Meaning | Typical vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| WVW | Volkswagen AG, cars built in Europe | Golf R, Golf GTI (2022 on), Arteon, CC, Eos, older Golf and GTI |
| WVG | Volkswagen AG, SUVs built in Europe | Touareg (Bratislava), first-generation Tiguan (Wolfsburg), early ID.4 (Zwickau) |
| 3VW | Volkswagen de México, cars | Jetta, Beetle, Golf and GTI (2015–2021) |
| 3VV | Volkswagen de México, SUVs | Tiguan (2018 on), Taos |
| 1VW | Volkswagen Chattanooga, cars | Passat (2012–2022) |
| 1V2 | Volkswagen Chattanooga, SUVs | Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport |
| 2V4 · 2V8 | Built by Chrysler in Windsor, Ontario | Routan minivan (2009–2014) |
Volkswagen model codes (positions 7–8)
| Code | Model | Example decode |
|---|---|---|
| AU | Golf and GTI, seventh generation | 3VW…AU…: 2016 Golf GTI, Puebla |
| BU | Jetta, 2019 on | 3VW…BU…: 2019 Jetta 1.4, Puebla |
| A3 | Passat (US-built, 2012–2022) | 1VW…A3…: 2013 Passat, Chattanooga |
| AX | Tiguan, second generation | 3VV…AX…: 2018 Tiguan 4Motion, Puebla |
| CA | Atlas | 1V2…CA…: 2019 Atlas SEL Premium, Chattanooga |
| 1K | Golf and Jetta, fifth generation | WVWZZZ1K…: a European-market Golf |
Volkswagen assembly plant codes (position 11)
| Code | Plant | Builds |
|---|---|---|
| W | Wolfsburg, Germany | Golf, Golf R, GTI (2022 on), first-generation Tiguan |
| M | Puebla, Mexico | Jetta, Beetle, Golf and GTI (2015–2021), Tiguan (2018 on), Taos |
| C | Chattanooga, Tennessee | Passat (2012–2022), Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport, ID.4 (2023 on) |
| E | Emden, Germany | CC, Arteon, Passat for Europe |
| D | Bratislava, Slovakia | Touareg |
| P | Zwickau, Germany | ID.4 (2021–2022) |
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 |
TDI diesels and the buyback
From 2009 to 2016 Volkswagen sold TDI diesels in the US with software that cheated emissions tests. Under the 2016 settlements, owners of 2009–2015 2.0-litre TDIs (Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Golf, Golf SportWagen, Beetle, Passat and the Audi A3) and 2009–2016 3.0-litre TDIs (Touareg, Porsche Cayenne and several Audis) could sell the car back or have it fixed. Many bought-back cars were later modified and resold. None of that is in the VIN, but the decoder will confirm a TDI, and the history report shows a transfer back to Volkswagen, auction sales and the emissions recall. A modified TDI is legal and drivable; it should simply be priced as one.
Volkswagen trouble spots to check in the history report
Years are approximate. Match the engine the decoder returns against the list.
- 2.0 TSI timing-chain tensioner, 2008–2012 (GTI, Jetta GLI, Passat, CC, Tiguan, Eos): a failed tensioner lets the chain jump and destroys the engine; a settlement covered many cars. An updated tensioner on record is good news.
- 2.0 FSI cam follower, 2006–2008 (GTI, Jetta GLI, Passat, Eos): the follower wears through and damages the camshaft; it should be replaced on a schedule.
- Water pump and thermostat housing leaks on the 1.8 and 2.0 turbo engines from 2015 (Golf, GTI, Jetta, Passat, Tiguan, Atlas 2.0T) — the most common repair on these cars.
- DSG dual-clutch gearbox (2006–2013 GTI, Jetta, Golf TDI): mechatronic-unit failures; the fluid needs changing every 40,000 miles or so, which should show in the records.
- 2.0 TDI high-pressure fuel pump, 2009–2014: pump failures can spread metal through the fuel system; an expensive repair.
- Early Atlas model years collected a long list of recalls; run the free recall check above.
- Window regulators on 2005–2010 Jetta, Golf and Rabbit.
- 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 this VIN's status.
A VIN-first checklist for buying a used Volkswagen
- Decode the VIN and note the engine — TDI, 1.4, 1.8 or 2.0 decides which issues above apply.
- Look at positions 4–6: ZZZ means a non-North American car with history you can't fully check.
- Compare the window sticker with the listing's trim and packages.
- Run the history report for accidents, title brands, a buyback and the service trail.
- Match the dash VIN, the door-jamb label and the title; model year and plant must agree.
What a Volkswagen 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 Volkswagen 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
- What to inspect before buying a used car — the lot checklist to print.
- 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 Volkswagen VIN?
Enter the 17-character VIN above. The decoder returns model, model year, trim, body, engine, drivetrain and assembly plant from the official NHTSA vPIC database. The first three characters: WVW is a car and WVG an SUV built in Europe, 3VW a car and 3VV an SUV built in Puebla, Mexico, and 1VW and 1V2 the Passat and the Atlas built in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
What do positions 7 and 8 of a VW VIN mean?
Volkswagen's two-character model code. AU is the seventh-generation Golf and GTI, BU the Jetta from 2019, A3 the 2012–2022 Chattanooga Passat, AX the second-generation Tiguan and CA the Atlas. European VINs use the same slot: 1K is the fifth-generation Golf.
What does ZZZ mean in a Volkswagen VIN?
That the car was built for a market outside North America. European VW VINs fill positions 4 to 6 with ZZZ and position 9 with Z, keep the model code in positions 7 and 8, and have no check digit; the model year and plant still read the usual way. In the US or Canada that means a private import, so ask for the import paperwork.
Was this TDI a Dieselgate buyback?
The decode tells you whether the car has a 2.0 or 3.0 TDI. Volkswagen bought back or fixed 2009–2015 2.0-litre and 2009–2016 3.0-litre TDIs under the 2016 US settlements, and bought-back cars that were resold had the approved emissions fix. The history report shows the transfer back to Volkswagen and the emissions recall.
Why does a Volkswagen Routan VIN start with 2V4?
The Routan minivan (2009–2014) was built by Chrysler in Windsor, Ontario, alongside the Dodge Grand Caravan, so it carries Chrysler-issued codes, 2V4 and 2V8, instead of a VW one. It decodes normally here.
Does a VIN decode show if a Volkswagen 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.