How to Check and Decode a Mercedes VIN
You can find your Mercedes-Benz VIN on the driver’s side of the dashboard or door jamb. Decode your Mercedes VIN with this guide.
Written by Ethan Moser
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
You can use your Mercedes-Benz VIN to decode the vehicle’s country of origin, manufacturer, vehicle information, model year, and assembly plant. The VIN is typically located on the driver’s side dashboard or door jamb.
If you ever need to renew your driver’s license or update your vehicle’s registration, you’ll first have to locate your car’s vehicle identification number (VIN). But what exactly does that 17-digit code mean?
Here with a comprehensive guide on the digit-by-digit breakdown of Mercedes Benz VINs is
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A Mercedes-Benz VIN is its vehicle identification number. With your vehicle’s VIN, you can decode its specifications, place of origin, and more.
There are several places to find your Mercedes-Benz VIN. They include:
- Your DMV-issued registration card
- A sticker or metal tag on the driver’s side of your dashboard, visible through the windshield
- A sticker inside the driver’s side door jamb
You’ll almost always be able to locate your Mercedes-Benz VIN in one of these locations. You can also find it on your vehicle’s engine bay frame. The code will be stamped either near the strut tower or firewall.
How to decode a Mercedes-Benz VIN
Your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) uses VINs for a series of car-related services, but what exactly does that 17-digit code mean?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standardized the VIN system in 1981, though they have been used throughout the U.S. in one form or another since the 1950s. In 1981, the NHTSA developed a formula for determining a vehicle’s unique VIN. They accomplished this by establishing a 17-digit code system that denotes a vehicle’s place of manufacturing, specifications, and even the assembly plant that produced the car.
VINs are composed of alphanumerical digits. A unique code is created for every single car that is manufactured. You will never find the letters I, O, and Q in a VIN code, however, because they are too easily confused with the numbers 1, 0, and 9.
First position: country of origin
The first three digits of any VIN are known as the vehicle’s world manufacturer identifier (WMI) code. For Mercedes-Benz, the first digit denotes the vehicle’s country of origin.
Mercedes-Benz models are almost exclusively produced in Germany. As such, the vast majority of Mercedes-Benz VINs will begin with the letter W, which represents Germany.
Positions 2-3: manufacturer information
The second and third digits of a Mercedes’ VIN are derived from the vehicle’s manufacturer and division. The majority of Mercedes-Benz manufacturers will be Daimler, which is marked by a D in the second position. The third digit will either be a B for the Benz division, a C for Chrysler, or a D for Daimler AG.
Positions 4-8: vehicle-specific information
The following five digits will refer to your Mercedes-Benz vehicle-specific information. In order, these five digits will denote the vehicle’s class, body type, model (sixth and seventh digit), and safety restraint system.
Position 9: the VIN check digit
The ninth digit of your Mercedes-Benz VIN is a security code that identifies that the VIN has been authorized by the manufacturer. This acts as a “check digit” that stops people from coming up with fake VINs using the NHTSA’s standardized formula.
Position 10: model year
The 10th digit of your Mercedes-Benz’s VIN reflects the year in which it was manufactured. Certain digits have had to be reused over the years to indicate more than one model year because the NHTSA only allocated a single digit to represent model years.
The only digits you will never see as the 10th digit of your VIN are the letters U or Z, or the number 0 (in addition to I, O, and Q).
Here’s how the VIN model year codes for the last 20 years break down:
Code | Year |
|---|---|
1 | 2001 |
2 | 2002 |
3 | 2003 |
4 | 2004 |
5 | 2005 |
6 | 2006 |
7 | 2007 |
8 | 2008 |
9 | 2009 |
A | 2010 |
B | 1981 OR 2011 |
C | 1982 OR 2012 |
D | 1983 OR 2013 |
E | 1984 OR 2014 |
F | 1985 OR 2015 |
G | 1986 OR 2016 |
H | 1987 OR 2017 |
J | 1988 OR 2018 |
K | 1989 OR 2019 |
L | 1990 OR 2020 |
M | 1991 OR 2021 |
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Position 11: assembly plant
The production plant that actually assembled your Mercedes-Benz will be reflected by the 11th digit of your vehicle’s VIN. Every manufacturer has its own system for deciding what character to use. If your VIN’s 11th digit is a letter between A and E, for example, your Mercedes-Benz was assembled in Sindelfingen, Germany. F through H stands for Bremen, Germany, and M for Woking, England, to name a few.
Positions 12-17: vehicle serial number
The final six digits of any VIN are the individual car’s serial number. This number will be unique to your Mercedes-Benz and usually reflects a production sequence number.
How to find affordable Mercedes-Benz car insurance
If you look at your insurance card, you’ll likely be able to find your Mercedes-Benz VIN. But will your insurance card also reflect an affordable and reliable insurance policy? You can rest assured that you’re getting the best deal on car insurance without sacrificing the coverage you need when you sign up with the
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