Tesla VIN decoder

Enter the VIN and the decoder checks it, then reads Tesla's record in NHTSA's vPIC database: model year, model, trim, body class, drive type, fuel type (electric), GVWR, doors, plant and the air bags. NHTSA recall campaigns for that model and year come with it. To see whether one specific car still needs a remedy, use NHTSA's VIN recall search or ask Tesla service.

Tesla's VIN sheets are short, and the 2026 and 2027 versions use the same codes for the models they share, so a Tesla VIN is easy to read by hand.

Codes from Tesla's sheets for the 2026 model year (filed July 2026) and 2027 model year (filed August 2026). Cybertruck and Semi use positions 5 and 6 differently; they're covered further down.

From Tesla's 2027 sheet, a five-seat, dual-motor Model Y built in Austin reads 7SAYGDEE?VA and then a six-digit serial, with ? for the check digit:

1. 7SA: Tesla, multipurpose vehicle.
2. Y: Model Y.
3. G: class D MPV, five doors.
4. D: belts for the front row and three second-row seats, with front, side and knee air bags.
5. E: electric.
6. E: dual motor, non-performance. A T here would mean Performance.
7. V: 2027. A: Austin, Texas.

That's a reading of the sheet, not a real VIN.

This 2026 Model Y went through an NHTSA crash test (test 15534), and the test record lists its VIN. NHTSA's vPIC database returns this for 7SAYGDEE3TF444198:

Tesla's trucks use 7G2 and swap the jobs of positions 5 and 6:

• Position 4: C Cybertruck, T Semi.
• Position 5, chassis and cab: B day cab (Semi); E truck with belts for the front row and three second-row seats plus front, side and knee air bags (Cybertruck).
• Position 6, GVWR: G 8,001 to 9,000 lb and H 9,001 to 10,000 lb on the Cybertruck; E Class 8, 33,001 lb and over, on the Semi.
• Position 11: A Austin, Texas, or N Reno, Nevada.

Because the GVWR class is in the VIN, a Cybertruck's VIN tells you whether it's rated at 8,001 to 9,000 lb or 9,001 to 10,000 lb.

vPIC added 7SA in November 2021 and 7G2 in October 2022, so a Model X or Model Y built before 7SA existed may start with 5YJ instead. vPIC also lists SFZ as a Tesla passenger car code; it isn't on the 2026 or 2027 sheets. The decoder handles any of them, since it reads whatever Tesla gave vPIC for that VIN.

vPIC lists seven Tesla models for 2026: the Model 3, Model S, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Semi and Cybercab. Its all-years list adds the Roadster, for eight in total.

Look through the windshield at the driver's side of the dash. Federal rules require it there, readable from outside, on cars, SUVs and trucks up to 10,000 lb GVWR, which covers every Cybertruck (49 CFR 565.13). The Semi is above that limit, so check its door label. Every model carries the VIN on the certification label in the driver's door opening (49 CFR 567.4), and it's on the title and registration.

For the original equipment and price, the Tesla window sticker page explains how to get the sticker. Selling a Tesla privately? CarShots gives your phone photos a clean backdrop in about 20 seconds each. For another electric maker, see the Rivian VIN decoder.