At a glance
- Built in Mexico
- 3VW (cars) and 3VV (SUVs), plant M Puebla
- Built in Tennessee
- 1V2 (SUVs) and 1VW (cars), plant C Chattanooga
- Built in Germany
- WVW (cars) and WVG (SUVs), such as W Wolfsburg
- Model code
- Positions 7 and 8: BU Jetta, CD Golf, RM Tiguan, B2 Taos, DH Atlas
On this page
- What the VW VIN decoder shows
- How to read a Volkswagen VIN
- Example: a 2027 Jetta GLI, piece by piece
- A real Volkswagen VIN decoded: 2011 Jetta
- 2027 trim letters by model (position 4)
- Volkswagen plant codes in vPIC
- Volkswagens with Chrysler codes
- Volkswagen models in vPIC
- Where is the VIN on a Volkswagen?
- Common questions
- Sources
What the VW VIN decoder shows
Type in the VIN and the decoder confirms the check digit, then reads Volkswagen's record in NHTSA's vPIC database: model year, model, trim, body class, drive type, engine displacement, cylinders and fuel, transmission, GVWR, doors, plant and air bags. NHTSA's recall campaigns for that model and year appear with the result. A campaign on the list doesn't mean your car still needs the fix; NHTSA's VIN recall search or a VW dealer can tell you that.
Many brands put the model near the front of the VIN. Volkswagen doesn't: on a VW, the model code sits in positions 7 and 8, after the trim, engine and air bag characters.
How to read a Volkswagen VIN
These are the codes from VW's 2027 U.S. VIN breakdown (revision 5, September 25, 2026), which covers the Golf GTI, Golf R, Jetta, Jetta GLI, Taos, Tiguan and Atlas:
| Position | What VW encodes | 2027 codes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturer and type | W Germany, 3 Mexico, 1 United States |
| 2 | Manufacturer and type | V = Volkswagen |
| 3 | Manufacturer and type | WVW and 3VW passenger cars; 3VV and 1V2 multipurpose vehicles (WVG in vPIC for German-built SUVs) |
| 4 | Series: trim, drive and package | Set per model, such as 5 Jetta S, 2 Jetta GLI Autobahn, U Tiguan 4Motion SEL R-Line Turbo |
| 5 | Engine type | W 1.5L Jetta (158 hp), M 2.0L Jetta GLI (228 hp), A 2.0L GTI (241 hp), B 2.0L Golf R (328 hp), D 1.5L Taos (174 hp), 5 2.0L Atlas (282 hp) |
| 6 | Restraint systems | 7 on the Golf, Jetta, Tiguan and Taos, 3 on the Atlas: front side air bags and side curtain air bags, plus advanced front air bags |
| 7 | Model, 1st character | B Jetta, C Golf GTI and Golf R, R Tiguan, B Taos, D Atlas |
| 8 | Model, 2nd character | U Jetta, D Golf, M Tiguan, 2 Taos, H Atlas |
| 9 | Check digit | Calculated per NHTSA's formula |
| 10 | Model year | V = 2027 |
| 11 | Plant of manufacturing | M Puebla, Mexico; W Wolfsburg, Germany; C Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| 12 | Sequential production number | Positions 12 to 17 |
| 13 | Sequential production number | |
| 14 | Sequential production number | |
| 15 | Sequential production number | |
| 16 | Sequential production number | |
| 17 | Sequential production number |
Every 2027 series code on the sheet lists an automatic transmission. GVWR class is C (4,001 to 5,000 lb) for the Taos and D (5,001 to 6,000 lb) for the Tiguan and Atlas.
Example: a 2027 Jetta GLI, piece by piece
Put VW's codes together and a 2027 Jetta GLI Autobahn from Puebla reads 3VW2M7BU?VM plus a six-digit production number, with ? standing in for the check digit:
- 3VW: Volkswagen de Mexico passenger car.
- 2: Jetta GLI 2.0 TSI Autobahn, automatic.
- M: 2.0L four-cylinder gasoline engine, 228 hp.
- 7: front side and side curtain air bags.
- BU: Jetta or Jetta GLI sedan.
- V: 2027. M: Puebla.
That's a reading of the breakdown, not a real VIN. A regular Jetta shares BU but would show a different series letter, such as 7 for the SE, and W for the 158 hp 1.5L.
A real Volkswagen VIN decoded: 2011 Jetta
This 2011 Jetta went through an NHTSA crash test (test 7187), and the test record lists its VIN. NHTSA's vPIC database returns this for 3VW2K7AJ3BM026172:
| Field | vPIC result |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | 2011 Volkswagen Jetta S |
| Body | Sedan, 4 doors |
| Engine | 2.0L four-cylinder, 115 hp, automatic |
| Plant | Puebla, Mexico |
| GVWR | Class 1: 6,000 lb or less |
| Airbags | Front, side (row 1) and curtain (row 1) |
vPIC's airbag and safety fields can be incomplete; the window sticker or owner's manual has the full list.
2027 trim letters by model (position 4)
VW gives 4Motion all-wheel-drive versions their own series letters, so position 4 tells you about the drive as well as the trim. The letters are reused between models, though: C is a Tiguan S but an Atlas 4Motion SEL R-Line Black, so read position 4 with positions 7 and 8.
| Model (7 and 8) | Series letters on the 2027 breakdown |
|---|---|
| Jetta (BU) | 5 S, B Sport, 7 SE, G SEL; Jetta GLI: 2 Autobahn |
| Golf GTI and Golf R (CD) | L GTI S, S GTI SE, 3 GTI SE with Leather Seating Package, N GTI Autobahn, J Golf R, K Golf R Black Edition |
| Taos (B2) | 5 S, R Sport, S SE, E SE with Sunroof Package, 3 SE Black; 4Motion: 8 S, T Sport, U SE, V SE with Sunroof Package, 2 SE Black, 4 SEL |
| Tiguan (RM) | C S, F SE, N SE with Panoramic Sunroof Package, H SE R-Line Black; 4Motion: B S, E SE, M SE with Sunroof Package, G SE R-Line Black, U SEL R-Line Turbo |
| Atlas (DH) | B SE, H SE with Technology, K SE with Technology and Sunroof Package; 4Motion: A SE, G SE with Technology, J SE with Technology and Sunroof Package, C SEL R-Line Black, F SEL Premium R-Line |
Engine letters repeat too: W is the Jetta's 1.5L but also a 268 hp 2.0L on the Tiguan 4Motion, which also has R (201 hp); the Tiguan without 4Motion uses 2 (201 hp).
Volkswagen plant codes in vPIC
| Code | Plant | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| M | Puebla, Mexico | On 3VW and 3VV VINs |
| C | Chattanooga, Tennessee | On 1V2 VINs and in vPIC's WVW and 3VW tables |
| W | Wolfsburg, Germany | On WVW and 3VW VINs |
| H | Hannover, Germany | On WVG VINs and in the WVW and 3VW tables |
| E, D, 8 | Emden (Germany), Bratislava (Slovakia), Dresden (Germany) | In vPIC's WVW and 3VW tables |
| 4, V, R | Curitiba (Brazil), Palmela (Portugal), Windsor (Ontario) | In vPIC's WVW and 3VW tables |
vPIC's passenger car table also lists Volkswagen Group sites such as Ingolstadt, Neckarsulm, Osnabrueck, Graz, Brussels and Mosel.
Volkswagen models in vPIC
vPIC lists nine VW models for 2026: Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport, Golf GTI, Golf R, ID.4, Jetta, Jetta GLI, Taos and Tiguan. The 2025 list adds the ID. Buzz. All years together come to 40, from the Rabbit, Dasher, Scirocco, Quantum, Vanagon and Corrado to the Passat, Beetle, Touareg, Phaeton, EuroVan, Routan, e-Golf and Arteon.
Where is the VIN on a Volkswagen?
- Check the lower edge of the windshield on the driver's side, where federal rules require the VIN to be readable from outside (49 CFR 565.13).
- Open the driver's door and find the certification label on the door edge or pillar (49 CFR 567.4).
- Look at the title, registration or insurance card.
For the original equipment list, the Volkswagen window sticker page explains how to get the sticker. Selling your VW? With CarShots, your phone photos get a clean backdrop in about 20 seconds each. Audi shares this layout; see the Audi VIN decoder.