At a glance
- Volvo car WMIs
- YV1 and YV4 (Sweden), 7JR and 7JD (Ridgeville, South Carolina), LVY and LYV (China)
- Volvo truck WMIs
- 4V4 and 4V5 (United States), 3V4 and 3V6 (Mexico)
- Car model letter
- Position 7, such as R for the XC60
- 2027 model year
- V in position 10
On this page
- What the Volvo VIN decoder shows
- How to read a Volvo car VIN
- 2027 Volvo engine codes (positions 4 and 5)
- Example: a 2027 XC90 pattern
- A real Volvo VIN decoded: 2011 XC60
- Volvo truck VIN decoder: VNL, VNR, VNX and VHD
- Volvo plant codes in vPIC
- Volvo models in vPIC
- Where is the VIN on a Volvo?
- Common questions
- Sources
What the Volvo VIN decoder shows
Enter the VIN and the decoder checks it, then pulls the maker's record from NHTSA's vPIC database: model year, model, trim, body class, drive type, engine size and fuel or electric drive, transmission, GVWR, doors, plant and air bags. Recall campaigns NHTSA lists for that model and year are shown with it; for one specific vehicle's status, use NHTSA's VIN recall search or a Volvo dealer.
Volvo cars and Volvo trucks come from different companies, Volvo Car USA and Volvo Trucks North America, and each files its own VIN sheet with NHTSA. vPIC names the truck make "Volvo Truck", so a truck decode shows that name.
How to read a Volvo car VIN
Volvo Car USA's MY2027 VIN decoder for the USA and Canada, updated September 10, 2026, sets out each position:
| Position | What Volvo encodes | 2027 codes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturer code and vehicle type | Y Sweden, 7 United States |
| 2 | Manufacturer code and vehicle type | V in YV4, J in 7JD |
| 3 | Manufacturer code and vehicle type | YV4 and 7JD, both multipurpose vehicles |
| 4 | Engine version (with position 5) | Two characters per engine; see the table below |
| 5 | Engine version | |
| 6 | Version divider (formerly emission code) | 0 or 2 SULEV, 3 battery electric |
| 7 | Vehicle series | R XC60, P XC90 7-seat, J XC90 6-seat, V EX90 7-seat, K EX90 6-seat, D EX60, Y or Z EX30, C EX30 Cross Country |
| 8 | Trim level | J Core, K Plus, L Ultra, C Plus Dark, M Ultra Dark, E Plus Bright, F Ultra Bright, B Plus Black Edition, D Ultra Black Edition |
| 9 | Check digit | 0 to 9 or X |
| 10 | Model year | V = 2027 |
| 11 | Factory | 1 Torslanda, Sweden; 2 Ghent, Belgium; G Ridgeville, South Carolina; S Zhangjiakou, China |
| 12 | Serial (chassis) number | Six-digit chassis number |
| 13 | Serial (chassis) number | |
| 14 | Serial (chassis) number | |
| 15 | Serial (chassis) number | |
| 16 | Serial (chassis) number | |
| 17 | Serial (chassis) number |
Positions 7 and 8 together also set the restraint category. The XC90 gets category 2 (belts at every seat, driver and passenger air bags, a driver knee air bag, front side air bags and curtains for all three rows), and the EX90 category 4, which adds front far-side air bags.
2027 Volvo engine codes (positions 4 and 5)
| Code | Engine on the sheet | Output | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| HD | B420T16 2.0L four-cylinder plug-in hybrid (T8) | 184 kW engine plus 115 kW motor (250 plus 154 hp) | AWD |
| 06 | B4204TE 2.0L four-cylinder mild hybrid (B6) | 220 kW (295 hp) | AWD |
| M2 | B420T14 2.0L four-cylinder mild hybrid (B5) | 184 kW (250 hp) | AWD |
| EK | E400V14 electric, twin motor | 315 kW (422 hp) | AWD |
| EL | E400V18 electric, single motor | 200 kW (268 hp) | RWD |
| DA | E800V32 electric, Twin Performance | 500 kW (670 hp) | AWD |
| DB | E800V33 electric, twin motor | 330 kW (442 hp) | AWD |
| DD | E800V35 electric, single motor | 245 kW (329 hp) | RWD |
| NP | E800V43 electric (P10) | 375 kW (503 hp) | AWD |
| NB | E800V31 electric (P6) | 275 kW (369 hp) | RWD |
Volvo added code 0 in position 6 for the HD engine in September 2026. The sheet lists engines and series separately, so it doesn't say which engine goes in which model.
Example: a 2027 XC90 pattern
Read with the 2027 sheet, a seven-seat XC90 with the T8 plug-in hybrid in Ultra trim starts YV4HD0PL?V, with ? for the check digit, then the factory code and a six-digit chassis number:
- YV4: Volvo Car Corporation, multipurpose vehicle.
- HD: B420T16 plug-in hybrid, T8.
- 0: SULEV, the code added for HD engines.
- P: XC90, seven seats, GVWR class E (6,001 to 7,000 lb), restraint category 2.
- L: Ultra.
- V: 2027.
That's a reading of the sheet, not a real VIN.
A real Volvo VIN decoded: 2011 XC60
This 2011 XC60 went through an NHTSA crash test (test 7118), and the test record lists its VIN. NHTSA's vPIC database returns this for YV4940DL5B2148276:
| Field | vPIC result |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | 2011 Volvo XC60 |
| Body and drive | SUV, 4 doors, front-wheel drive |
| Engine | 3.2L inline six-cylinder (engine code B6324S), 230 hp |
| Plant | Ghent, Belgium (vPIC: Gent plant) |
| GVWR | Class 1D: 5,001 to 6,000 lb |
| Airbags | Front, side (row 1) and curtain (rows 1 and 2) |
vPIC's airbag and safety fields can be incomplete; the window sticker or owner's manual has the full list.
Volvo truck VIN decoder: VNL, VNR, VNX and VHD
Volvo Trucks North America's sheet, updated August 13, 2026 to add the VNX, decodes its trucks this way:
| Position | What it means | Codes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Country, maker and type | 4V4 complete and 4V5 incomplete (United States); 3V4 complete and 3V6 incomplete (Volvo Group Operations Mexico) |
| 4 | Model and series | N VNL, W VNR, K VHD, R VAH, B VNL (4), C VNR (4), D VNX (4) |
| 5 | Chassis, GVWR class and brakes | 6 4x2 class 6, 1 4x2 class 7, 3 4x2 class 8, B 6x2, C 6x4, F 8x2, G 8x4, H 8x6, J 10x4, 9 other; all class 8 except 6 and 1, all with air brakes |
| 6 | Cab type | 9 conventional, new generation |
| 7 | Engine | D Volvo D11 10.8L diesel, E Volvo D13 12.8L diesel, K Volvo E1 electric, T Cummins ISX15L 14.9L diesel, S Cummins L9 8.9L diesel, V Cummins L9N 8.9L CNG, U Cummins ISXG12N 11.9L CNG |
| 8 | Engine horsepower band | D 225 to 274, E 275 to 324, F 325 to 374, G 375 to 424, H 425 to 474, J 475 to 524, K 525 to 574, L 575 to 625, M 626 to 675, N 349 to 496 |
| 9 | Check digit | Calculated as Part 565 requires |
| 10 | Model year | T 2026, V 2027, Y 2030, then 1 for 2031 |
| 11 | Plant | N New River Valley, Dublin, Virginia; P Monterrey, Mexico |
| 12 to 17 | Sequential serial number | Assigned by Volvo |
Heavy trucks don't get the position 7 tiebreaker that cars use, so a truck's year letter alone can't separate 2000 from 2030. The title settles it.
Volvo plant codes in vPIC
Beyond the sheets above, vPIC lists more plant letters. On car VINs: 1 Torslanda and 2 Ghent on YV1 and YV4, 3 Halifax (Canada) on YV1, B Chengdu, P Daqing and S Zhangjiakou (China) on YV4 and LVY, and G Ridgeville on 7JR and 7JD. On 4V4 truck VINs: N New River Valley (Dublin, Virginia), C Columbia (South Carolina), R Orrville (Ohio), U Ogden (Utah) and M for Mexico.
Volvo models in vPIC
vPIC's 2026 list for the make Volvo includes the EX30, EX30 CC, EX40, EC40, EX90, S90, V60CC, V90CC, XC40, XC60 and XC90, along with heavy-vehicle entries such as the B12R, B9TL and Volvo Trailers, since vPIC files buses and some trucks under this make too. Its all-years list of 65 adds the 240, 740, 850 and 940 series, S40, S60, S80, V70, XC70, C30, C70 and the new EX60. Volvo trucks sit under the separate make Volvo Truck.
Where is the VIN on a Volvo?
- Cars and SUVs: through the windshield at the driver's side corner of the dash, readable from outside (49 CFR 565.13), and on the certification label in the driver's door opening (49 CFR 567.4).
- Trucks: the windshield rule covers vehicles up to 10,000 lb GVWR, so on a VNL or VNR start with the certification label on the door edge or pillar.
- Paperwork: title, registration and insurance card for any Volvo.
For a Volvo car's original options, see the Volvo window sticker page. Selling a Volvo car? CarShots turns phone photos into backdrop shots, about 20 seconds per photo. For other heavy trucks, see the Mack VIN decoder and Freightliner VIN decoder.