Your car’s VIN can tell you where it came from. Just check the first two characters to identify its country of origin.
In this guide, we’ll cover VIN country codes, the full country list, and how to find where your car was actually built.
Key takeaways
- Vincario checks VINs for free. Get vehicle origin, factory, specs, and theft status with 3 free reports monthly.
- The first two VIN characters usually indicate the country of origin, while the 11th helps identify the assembly plant.
- US VINs often start with 1, 4, 5, or 7. Newer vehicles increasingly use 7.
- The US has the most VIN country codes. 127, compared to China’s 66.
What is a VIN country code?
The VIN country code is the first one or two characters of a 17-character VIN. Together with the 3rd character, they form the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI). The part that names the maker.
SAE International hands out these codes on behalf of ISO. Every car sold since 1981 uses the system, so the country code works the same on a 1985 pickup and a 2026 EV.
Which digit of the VIN is the country?
The 1st character shows the region or, for big producers, the country. The 2nd character pins down the exact country inside that region. The 3rd adds the manufacturer. The 11th shows the assembly plant.
Example: 1HGCM82633A004352 is a Honda Accord. The first character, 1, indicates the USA; 1HG identifies a Honda built in America; and A in position 11 identifies the Marysville plant in Ohio. It’s a Japanese brand, but this particular car was built in America.
How to find the VIN country code
- Find the VIN. Look at the dashboard through the windshield, the driver’s door jamb or the registration. A VIN OCR scanner reads it from a photo without typos.
- Read the first two characters and match them with the list below.
- Check position 11 if you need the exact factory, not only the country.
- Decode it. A free VIN decoder returns country, maker and plant in one step, so you don’t have to work through tables.
Tip: In the US, the window sticker (Monroney label) lists the final assembly point and the country of origin of the engine and transmission. The VIN only shows where the car was assembled, not where the parts came from.
VIN country codes by first character
This is the quick lookup most people need. One character, one region:
| First character | Country | Real examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1, 4, 5 | United States | 1HG Honda Ohio, 4T1 Toyota Kentucky, 5UX BMW South Carolina, 5YJ Tesla California |
| 7 | United States (7F-70), formerly New Zealand (7A-7E) | 7SA Tesla Model Y, 7G2 Cybertruck, 7FC Rivian, 7JR Volvo South Carolina |
| 2 | Canada | 2HG Honda Civic, 2T3 Toyota RAV4, 2C4 Chrysler Pacifica |
| 3 | Mexico | 3VW Volkswagen Jetta, 3N1 Nissan Sentra, 3TM Toyota Tacoma |
| J | Japan | JT Toyota, JH Honda, JN Nissan, JM Mazda, JF Subaru |
| K | South Korea (KL-KR), Israel (KF-KH) | KM Hyundai, KN Kia, KL Chevrolet Trax |
| L, H | China | LRW Tesla Shanghai, LYV Volvo, LPS Polestar |
| W | Germany | WBA BMW, WAU Audi, WVW Volkswagen, WP0 Porsche, W1K Mercedes-Benz |
| S | United Kingdom (SA-SM) | SAL Land Rover, SAJ Jaguar, SCB Bentley |
| V | France, Spain, Austria | VF3 Peugeot, VSS SEAT, VBK KTM |
| Y | Sweden, Belgium, Finland | YV1 Volvo, YS3 Saab |
| Z | Italy (ZA-ZU) | ZFF Ferrari, ZAR Alfa Romeo, ZDM Ducati |
| M | India, Indonesia, Thailand | MA3 Maruti Suzuki, MR0 Toyota Thailand |
| 9 | Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay | 9BW Volkswagen Brazil |
VIN country of origin list
The full VIN country code list by region, based on current SAE allocations:
| Region | Country and codes |
|---|---|
| North America | United States 1, 4, 5, 7F-70 · Canada 2 · Mexico 3 |
| Asia | China H, L · Japan J · South Korea KL-KR · Israel KF-KH · India MA-ME, MY-M0 · Indonesia MF-MK · Thailand ML-MR · Myanmar MS · Kazakhstan MX · Pakistan NF-NG · Turkey NL-NR · Uzbekistan NS-NT · Philippines PA-PC · Singapore PF-PG · Malaysia PL-PR · Bangladesh PS-PT · Cambodia PV · UAE RA-RB · Taiwan RF-RK · Vietnam RL-RN · Saudi Arabia RS-RT · Hong Kong R1-R7 |
| Europe | UK SA-SM · Germany W, SN-ST · Poland SU-SZ · Switzerland TA-TH · Czech Republic TJ-TP · Hungary TR-TV · Portugal TW-T2 · Denmark UH-UM · Ireland UN-UR · Romania UU-UX · North Macedonia U1-U2 · Slovakia U5-U7 · Austria VA-VE · France VF-VR, VX-V2 · Spain VS-VW · Croatia V3-V5 · Estonia V6-V8 · Bulgaria XA-XC · Greece XF-XH · Netherlands XL-XR · Luxembourg XX-XY · Belgium YA-YE · Finland YF-YK · Sweden YS-YW · Norway YX-Y2 · Belarus Y3-Y5 · Ukraine Y6-Y8 · Italy ZA-ZU · Slovenia ZX-ZZ · Lithuania Z3-Z5 · Russia E, RU-RW, XS-XW, XZ-X0, Z6-Z0 |
| Africa | South Africa AA-AH · Kenya BF-BG · Uganda BU · Egypt CA-CB · Morocco DF-DK |
| Oceania | Australia 6A-6X · New Zealand 6Y-61 (formerly 7A-7E) |
| South America | Argentina 8A-8E · Chile 8F-8G · Ecuador 8L-8N · Peru 8S-8T · Venezuela 8X-8Z · Bolivia 82 · Costa Rica 84 · Brazil 9A-9E, 91-90 · Colombia 9F-9G · Uruguay 9S-9V |
Note: Ranges follow the VIN alphabet, which skips I, O and Q. So SA-SM means SA, SB, SC, SD, SE, SF, SG, SH, SJ, SK, SL, SM.
Which countries own the most VIN codes?
We counted every two-character combination in the SAE allocation table. There are 1,089 possible pairs (33 × 33 allowed characters). 699 of them belong to 73 countries. The rest are still free.
The US leads with 127 pairs and is the only country assigned three complete first-character ranges plus most of a fourth. That fourth one is new. American plants used up so many codes in the 1, 4 and 5 ranges that SAE opened 7F-70 for the US, which is why a Tesla Model Y or a Rivian R1T now starts with 7.
Japan, one of the biggest car producers in the world, has only J. Each Japanese brand simply packs more models under one WMI.
Same brand, different country
The first character follows the factory, not the brand’s home country. That’s why the same model can carry two different country codes:
- Toyota: JT Japan, 4T or 5T USA (Camry from Kentucky, Tundra from Texas), 2T Canada (RAV4), 3TM Mexico (Tacoma). Check yours with the Toyota VIN decoder.
- Honda: JH Japan, 1H or 5J USA (Ohio, Alabama), 2H Canada, 3H Mexico. Honda VIN decoder
- Nissan: JN Japan, 1N or 5N USA (Tennessee, Mississippi), 3N Mexico. Nissan VIN decoder
- BMW: WBA Germany, 5UX USA for X3, X5 and X7 from Spartanburg. BMW VIN decoder
- Mercedes-Benz: W1K and W1N Germany (WDD and WDC on older cars), 4JG USA for SUVs from Alabama. Mercedes-Benz VIN decoder
- Tesla: 5YJ and 7SA USA, 7G2 Cybertruck, LRW China, XP7 Germany. Tesla VIN decoder
- Volvo: YV1 Sweden, 7JR USA, LYV China. Volvo VIN decoder
- Hyundai and Kia: KM and KN Korea, 5NP Hyundai Alabama, 5XY Kia Georgia. Hyundai and Kia decoders
- Volkswagen: WVW Germany, 1VW and 1V2 USA (Passat and Atlas from Chattanooga), 3VW Mexico. Volkswagen VIN decoder
When the VIN country isn’t the assembly country
Most lists skip this. The country code identifies the country associated with the WMI, which is usually, but not always, the country of assembly.
- Toyota GR Supra starts with WZ1, a German code. It’s built by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, on a BMW platform.
- MINI built in Oxford, England, starts with WMW, a German BMW Group code, not a UK S code.
- BMW Z4 starts with WBA, but it’s also assembled in Graz, Austria.
If the exact factory matters, for import duties, recalls or resale, check position 11 or decode the full VIN. The plant code settles it.
Motorcycle VIN country codes
Motorcycles use the same country codes as cars, so the list above works for them too. Common examples: 1HD Harley-Davidson (USA), JH2 Honda, JYA Yamaha and JKA Kawasaki (Japan), ZDM Ducati (Italy), WB1 BMW Motorrad (Germany), VBK KTM (Austria) and SMT Triumph (UK). Use the motorcycle VIN decoder for model and plant details.
Chrysler Town and Country VIN, where was it Built?
Most Town and Country minivans came from Windsor, Ontario, so their VIN starts with 2, for example 2C4 or 2A4. Some earlier model years were also built in Fenton, Missouri, and start with 1. Run the VIN through the Chrysler VIN decoder to see the plant for your exact year.
Final words
Two characters, one answer. The first shows the region, the second the country, and position 11 the factory. Use the list when you’re curious, and decode the full VIN when the plant actually matters for a purchase, a tariff question or a recall.
Check any VIN with Vincario for free: country of origin, plant, specs and theft status in one report.
FAQ
1. What digit of the VIN tells the country of manufacture?
The first character indicates the region or country, while the second helps narrow it down. Position 11 shows the exact plant.
2. What country is a VIN starting with 5?
United States. 5 belongs to the US, like 1 and 4. You’ll see it on many foreign brands built in America, for example 5UX BMW, 5YJ Tesla and 5NP Hyundai.
3. What country is a VIN starting with 7?
Most likely the United States. Codes 7F-70 were added for US plants, so 7SA Tesla, 7FC Rivian and 7JR Volvo are American-built. Older vehicles with 7A-7E were assigned to New Zealand.
4. What country is a VIN starting with 2, 3 or 4?
2 is Canada, 3 is Mexico and 4 is the United States.
5. What country is a VIN starting with W, J, K or L?
W is Germany, J is Japan, K is South Korea (or Israel for KF-KH) and L is China. H is also China.
6. Does the VIN country code show where the parts come from?
No. It shows where the vehicle was assembled. Engine and transmission origin is on the US window sticker, not in the VIN.
7. Can I look up the country of origin by VIN for free?
Yes. Vincario’s free VIN decoder shows country of origin, maker and plant with 3 free reports every month.
8. Is VIN a country?
No. VIN stands for Vehicle Identification Number. It’s a 17-character code, and only its first characters point to a country.
9. Do motorcycles and trucks use the same VIN country codes?
Yes. Cars, trucks, motorcycles and trailers all use the same country code system. See our VIN number examples for decoded VINs from several countries.
