CarFlow AIBMW VIN Decoder
Enter a BMW VIN to see the model, model year, engine and plant. Works for sedans, X models built in the US, M cars and BMW motorcycles.
No VIN at hand? Try an example:
- 1-31-3 · Manufacturer
- 4-84-8 · Description
- 99 · Check
- 1010 · Year
- 1111 · Plant
- 12-1712-17 · Serial number
Data from the public NHTSA vPIC database. CarFlow is not affiliated with any vehicle manufacturer; make and model names belong to their owners.
How to read a BMW VIN
Most BMW cars built in Germany start with WBA. M models carry WBS, which is registered to BMW M GmbH, and SUVs built in Germany use WBX. BMW's X models built in the United States start with 5UX, and their M versions with 5YM. Cars from the Mexican plant use 3MW and 3MF.
BMW puts its internal type code in positions 4 to 7. That code identifies the model, body and engine combination, and it is the part dealers and parts catalogs work with. In the sample VIN 5UXWX7C57BA123456 the type code is WX7C, a 2011 X3 xDrive35i.
BMW paperwork and parts systems often quote only the last seven characters of the VIN. That short form is the plant character plus the six-digit serial, and it is enough for a dealer to find the car.
BMW manufacturer codes
The first three characters of a VIN are the World Manufacturer Identifier. These are the codes registered with NHTSA for vehicles sold as BMW.
| Code | Registered to | Vehicle type | Assigned to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3MF | BMW AG | Passenger Car | Mexico |
| 3MW | BMW AG | Passenger Car | Mexico |
| 4US | BMW Manufacturer Corporation / BMW North America | Passenger Car | United States |
| 5UM | BMW AG | Passenger Car | United States |
| 5UX | BMW Manufacturer Corporation / BMW North America | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle | United States |
| 5YM | BMW Manufacturer Corporation / BMW North America | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle | United States |
| WAP | BMW of North America, LLC | Passenger Car | Germany |
| WB1 | BMW AG Motorcycles | Motorcycle | Germany |
| WB3 | BMW AG Motorcycles | Motorcycle | Germany |
| WB4 | BMW AG Motorcycles | Motorcycle | Germany |
| WB5 | BMW AG | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle | Germany |
| WBA | BMW AG | Passenger Car | Germany |
| WBS | BMW M GmbH | Passenger Car | Germany |
| WBX | BMW AG | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle | Germany |
| WBY | BMW AG | Passenger Car | Germany |
The country comes from the first two characters of the code, following the international allocation.
Where to find the VIN on a BMW
Windshield and door jamb
On the driver side of the dashboard and on the label inside the driver door opening, as on any car sold in the US.
Under the hood
Stamped into the body in the engine bay, usually on one of the strut towers.
Paperwork
On the title, registration and insurance documents, and in the service history kept by the dealer.
Motorcycles
On BMW motorcycles the VIN is stamped on the frame near the steering head and repeated on a label.
BMW models you can decode
The decoder covers every BMW sold in the United States. Among the most common:
- BMW 3 Series
- BMW 5 Series
- BMW X1
- BMW X3
- BMW X5
- BMW X7
- BMW M3
- BMW M5
- BMW i4
- BMW Z4
BMW VIN questions
WBA for most German-built cars, WBS for M cars, WBX for German-built SUVs, 5UX and 5YM for X models built in the United States, 3MW and 3MF for cars from Mexico. BMW motorcycles use WB1, WB3 and WB4.
It is the short VIN BMW dealers and parts catalogs use: the 11th character, which is the plant, followed by the six-digit serial number.
You will get the manufacturer, the country and the breakdown by position. The model and engine are often missing because the database is built from what BMW files for the US market.
BMWs built for Europe do not have to carry a valid check digit in position 9. On a car sold new in the US or Canada the check digit should be valid, so re-check the VIN for typos.