How to Decode a VIN

The VIN is composed of the following sections:

Standard	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17
ISO 3779	WMI			VDS						VIS
North American	Manufacturer Identifier			Vehicle Attributes					Check Digit	Model Year	Plant Code	Sequential Number

When decoded, the VIN tells the country and year of manufacture; make, model and serial number; assembly plant; and in some cases it even identifies equipment specifications.

The system goes something like this: sequence for characters is first A to Z, then 1 to 9, and last 0. The letters "I", "O" and "Q" are typically omitted from system.

The vehicle identification number is divided into four parts:

World Manufacturer's Identification (WMI - three characters)
Vehicle Description Section (VDS - five characters)
The VIN Accuracy Check Digit
Vehicle Identification Section (VIS - eight characters)
World Manufacturer’s Identification (WMI)
The first character in the WMI sequence represents the country where the vehicle was manufactured. Countries like the United States (1 or 4), Canada (2) and Mexico (3) are represented by numbers while other countries such as Germany (W), Italy (Z) and Japan (J) are represented by letters.

The second character refers to the manufacturer. The characters can be either letters or numbers. For example: Jaguar (A), Dodge (B), Chrysler (C), Jeep (J), Buick (4), Cadillac (6) or Saturn (8).

The third character represents the vehicle type or manufacturing division.

Vehicle Description Section (VDS) and Check Digit

The vehicle description section consists of five characters (the 4th to 8th characters) which identify everything from the body style, engine type, and braking system to model, series, restraint system, etc. The 9th character is a VIN accuracy check digit which verifies the previous VIN numbers. It is determined by carrying out a mathematical computation developed by the Department of Transportation (DOT).

Vehicle Identification Section (VIS)

The vehicle identification section includes the last eight characters in the VIN number. The numbers identify the model year (10th character) and the assembly plant for the vehicle (11th character). A number or letter may represent the model year. For example: 1998 (W), 2000 (Y), 2007 (7) or 2008 (8).

The 12th to 17th characters are the actual serial number of the vehicle—these last 6 digits make the vehicle unique (think of DNA). It can also help to identify whether the vehicle was the first, the hundredth, or the last vehicle off the manufacturer’s assembly line. This is valuable information for collectors.

So, the next time you see that long number printed on your registration papers or stamped across your dashboard, you’ll know how to decode it. This will give you a better understanding of where your unique vehicle actually came from!

 

1966 - 1971 J Series Vin Decoder Page
 

The VIN number is stamped on a plate on the outer edge of the dashboard visible thru the window. It is also found stamped on the bottom line of a metal tag which is placed in the upper left (driver's side) corner of the firewall, by the hinge.

Character Position	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
Vehicle ID Number	1	4	1	4	C	1	9	1	2	3	4	5	6

Character Position	Vehicle ID Number	Description
1 & 2             BACK TO TOP	14	Chassis Code 13 J-100, 2WD, Wagoneer 14 J-100, 4WD, Wagoneer 23 J-2000, 2WD, Gladiator 24 J-2000, 4WD, Gladiator 33 J-3000, 2WD, Gladiator 34 1965 - '67: J-3000 4WD, Gladiator 1968 - '71: J-4000 4WD, Gladiator
3 & 4                                     BACK TO TOP	14	Body style 06 1965 - '70: Cab & Chassis, Truck 1971: J-2500 Cab & Chassis, Truck 07 1965 - '67: n/a 1968 - '70: Camper Special 1971: J-4800 Camper Special 08 1965 - '67: n/a 1968 - '70: Cab & Chassis, Truck 1971: J-4500, J-4600, J-4700 Cab & Chassis, Truck 12 1965 - '67: n/a 1968 - '70: 2 Door Station Wagon 1971: n/a 13 1965 - '70: Panel Delivery 1971: n/a 14 1965 - '70: 4 Door Station Wagon 1971: J-100 4 Door Station Wagon 18 1965 - '67: Stripped Chassis - Truck 1968 - '71: n/a
5                                           BACK TO TOP	C	Special Model Codes / Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) C 1965 - '71:Custom Station Wagon D 1965 - '70: Super Station Wagon with exterior metal type feature panels 1971: n/a O 1965 - '71: Disregard S 1965 - '67: Smog, discontinued with the inception of a 7 digit system 1968 - '71: n/a W 1965 - '70: 5000# GVW 1971: J-2500, J-4500 5000# GVW X 1965 - '67: 6000# GVW 1968 - '70: 6000# GVW, also console shift Wagoneer (1414X) with exterior metal type feature panels 1971: 6000# GVW, J-4600, also console shift Wagoneer (1414X) with exterior metal type feature Y 1965 - '70: 7000# GVW 1971: J-4700, 7000# GVW Z 1965 - '67: 8600# GVW with dual rear wheels 1968 - '71: 8000#, also 8600# GVW with dual rear wheels 1971: J-4000, 8000# GVW Camper
6               BACK TO TOP	1	Drive Code 1 1965 - ' 71: Left Hand Drive 2 1965 - '71: Right Hand Drive 3 1965 - '67: n/a 1968 - ' 70: Left Hand Drive 4 1965 - '67: n/a 1968 - '71: Right Hand Drive S 1965 - '67: Smog, discontinued with the inception of a 7 digit system 1968 - '71: n/a
7                       BACK TO TOP	9	Engine Code 6 1965 - '67: n/a 1968 - '70: 6-232 1971: 6-232 & 6-258 7 1965 - '67: n/a 1968 - '70: 6-232 w/Smog 1971: 6-232 & 6-258 w/Smog 8 1965 - '67: n/a 1968 - '70: V8-327 1971: n/a 9 1965 - '67: n/a 1968 - '70: V8-327 & V8-350 w/Smog 1971: V8-304, V8-350, & V8-360 w/Smog
8 - 13         BACK TO TOP	123456	Sequential Serial Number 50,001 199,999 V8-327 200,001 299,999 V8-350 300,001 399,999 V8-350 400,001 499,999 6-258 500,001 599,999 V8-304 600,001 699,999 V8-360