At a glance
- BMW WMIs in vPIC
- 18, including WB1 for motorcycles and WMW for MINI
- US-built X models
- 5UX, plant 9 = Greer, South Carolina
- Codes change by year
- X3 30 xDrive: 53GP0 (2026), 53KA0 (2027)
- Motorrad plant code
- 6 or Z = Berlin
On this page
How to read a BMW VIN
BMW's filings explain positions 4 to 8 together, as one type code covering the line, series, body, GVWR class, engine and restraints. That makes the five characters a lookup key rather than five separate answers. This chart reads a real 2026 X3.
| Position | BMW meaning | 5UX53GP06T9567601 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Country of the WMI: 5 USA, W Germany, 3 Mexico | 5 |
| 2 | Part of the WMI 5UX | U |
| 3 | Part of the WMI: 5UX is a BMW SAV built in the USA | X |
| 4 | Type code, 1st character | 5 |
| 5 | Type code, 2nd character | 3 |
| 6 | Type code, 3rd character | G |
| 7 | Type code, 4th character | P |
| 8 | Type code, 5th character | 0 |
| 9 | Check digit | 6 |
| 10 | Model year | T = 2026 |
| 11 | Plant | 9 = Greer, South Carolina |
| 12 | Production sequence, 1 of 6 | 5 |
| 13 | Production sequence, 2 of 6 | 6 |
| 14 | Production sequence, 3 of 6 | 7 |
| 15 | Production sequence, 4 of 6 | 6 |
| 16 | Production sequence, 5 of 6 | 0 |
| 17 | Production sequence, 6 of 6 | 1 |
53GP0 is a 2026 X3 30 xDrive: 4-door SAV, GVWR class D, 2.0L four-cylinder, 255 hp. The 2026 X3 M50 xDrive is 73GP0.
Example: a BMW X3 VIN decoded
NHTSA's vPIC database returns this for 5UX53GP06T9567601:
| Field | vPIC result |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | 2026 BMW X3 30 xDrive |
| Body and drive | SUV, 4 doors, all-wheel drive |
| Engine | 2.0L four-cylinder, 255 hp |
| Plant | Greer, South Carolina |
| GVWR | Class 1D: 5,001 to 6,000 lb |
| Listed as standard | Pedestrian automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert |
| Listed as optional | Adaptive cruise control, lane centering |
Optional items in the decode may or may not be fitted to this car; the VIN can't tell.
Same model, new code: why the year matters
BMW reassigns type codes between model years, so a decoder has to read positions 4 to 8 against the year in position 10. From BMW's 2026 and 2027 filings:
| Model | 2026 code | 2027 code |
|---|---|---|
| X3 30 xDrive | 53GP0 | 53KA0 |
| X3 M50 xDrive | 73GP0 | 83GP0 |
| X5 xDrive40i (X5 40 xDrive in 2027) | 23EU0 | 63JF0 |
| X5 xDrive50e (X5 50e in 2027) | 43EU0 | 73JF0 |
| i5 eDrive40 sedan | 63HG0 | 63HG0 |
53GP0 doesn't appear in the 2027 table at all: the X3 30 xDrive moved to 53KA0 and the M50 from 73GP0 to 83GP0. Some codes, like the i5 eDrive40's, carry over unchanged.
BMW plant codes in position 11
The legend in BMW's 2026 and 2027 car filings:
| Code | Plant | Country |
|---|---|---|
| C | Dingolfing | Germany |
| F | Munich | Germany |
| 5 | Regensburg | Germany |
| 7 | Leipzig | Germany |
| W | Graz | Austria |
| 3 | Born | Netherlands |
| 8 | San Luis Potosi | Mexico |
| 9 | Greer, South Carolina | USA |
BMW motorcycle VIN decoder: Motorrad codes
BMW motorcycles carry WB1, WB3 or WB4 and their own type codes. Position 11 is 6 or Z for Berlin, R for Chennai, India, and S for Loncin, China. Patterns from BMW's 2027 Motorrad filing:
| 2027 model | Positions 1 to 8 | Engine | Plant code |
|---|---|---|---|
| R 1300 GS | WB10M230 | 1,300 cc twin, 143 hp | 6 (Berlin) |
| S 1000 RR | WB10P230 | 999 cc four, 202 hp | 6 |
| K 1600 GT | WB10F230 | 1,649 cc six, 158 hp | 6 |
| R 18 | WB10N730 | 1,802 cc twin, 90 hp | 6 |
| F 900 GS | WB10K630 | 895 cc twin, 103 hp | 6 |
| F 800 GS | WB10K530 | 895 cc twin, 86 hp | 6 |
| F 450 GS | WB30R330 | 420 cc twin, 47 hp | R (Chennai) |
Check the model name against the bike. Filled in with a valid check digit, the 2027 F 800 GS pattern decodes in vPIC as an "F 850 GS" with series K80, which is the series BMW lists for the F 800 GS. That test VIN was built from the filing, not taken from a real bike.
BMW WMIs: WBA, WBS, 5UX and the rest
- WBA, WBY: cars from BMW AG in Germany. WBX, WB5: SAVs from BMW AG.
- WBS and 3MF: cars from BMW M GmbH. 5YM: M SAVs registered to BMW's US company.
- 5UX: SAVs built in the USA. 3MW: cars from BMW SLP in Mexico.
- WB1, WB3, WB4: motorcycles.
- WMW, WMZ: MINI cars and SAVs, decoded as MINI; see the MINI VIN decoder.
- WZ1: registered to BMW AG but decoded as Toyota, for the GR Supra built in Graz. The Toyota VIN decoder covers it.
Finding a BMW's VIN
On a car or SAV, check the plate visible through the windshield on the driver's side and the certification label in the driver's door opening, which also gives the build month. On a motorcycle, the label sits on the frame near where the steering post meets the handlebars (49 CFR 567.4). Shopping across German brands? The Mercedes-Benz VIN decoder reads a four-character model code instead of five.
For options and the original price, the BMW window sticker page explains how to get a copy of the sticker.