Free Tesla VIN Decoder — Decode Any Tesla VIN
Decode any Tesla VIN instantly and free. Enter a 17-character Tesla VIN to reveal the model year, assembly plant, engine, transmission, drivetrain, body style, and trim, decoded from the VIN's WMI, VDS, and VIS sections using NHTSA vPIC data. No signup required.
What a Tesla VIN reveals
- World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) confirming the Tesla manufacturer and country of assembly.
- Model year (10th character) and plant code for the Tesla.
- Engine, transmission, drivetrain, body class, and trim from the descriptor section.
- Open NHTSA recalls and 5-star NCAP safety ratings for the decoded Tesla model.
How to read a Tesla VIN, position by position
| Position | What it encodes on a Tesla |
|---|
| 1–3 | World Manufacturer Identifier — Tesla division and country of assembly |
| 4–8 | Vehicle descriptor — model line, body style, restraint system, and engine (make-specific encoding) |
| 9 | Check digit — a calculated value that validates the whole VIN (catches typos and many forgeries) |
| 10 | Model year (see the year-code chart below) |
| 11 | Assembly plant code |
| 12–17 | Sequential production serial number |
Tesla VIN year codes (position 10)
The 10th character is the model year. Letters repeat on a 30-year cycle (I, O, Q, U, Z and 0 are never used) — the 7th character disambiguates: if it's a letter, the VIN is from 2010 or later.
| Code | Model year | Code | Model year | Code | Model year |
|---|
| A | 1980 / 2010 | B | 1981 / 2011 | C | 1982 / 2012 |
| D | 1983 / 2013 | E | 1984 / 2014 | F | 1985 / 2015 |
| G | 1986 / 2016 | H | 1987 / 2017 | J | 1988 / 2018 |
| K | 1989 / 2019 | L | 1990 / 2020 | M | 1991 / 2021 |
| N | 1992 / 2022 | P | 1993 / 2023 | R | 1994 / 2024 |
| S | 1995 / 2025 | T | 1996 / 2026 | V | 1997 / 2027 |
| W | 1998 | X | 1999 | Y | 2000 |
| 1 | 2001 | 2 | 2002 | 3 | 2003 |
| 4 | 2004 | 5 | 2005 | 6 | 2006 |
| 7 | 2007 | 8 | 2008 | 9 | 2009 |
Beyond the free decode
A decode shows factory specs; a full Tesla vehicle history report (from $5.12/report) adds accidents, title brands (salvage, flood, lemon), odometer history, prior owners, and Copart/IAAI auction photos and sale prices.
How to decode a Tesla VIN — questions
How do I decode a Tesla VIN for free?
Enter the 17-character Tesla VIN into VinCheck's free decoder. It instantly returns the model year, assembly plant, engine, transmission, drivetrain, body style, and trim, decoded from the VIN's WMI, VDS, and VIS sections using NHTSA vPIC data — no signup or payment.
How do I read a Tesla VIN number?
A Tesla VIN has 17 characters: the first 3 (WMI) identify Tesla and the country of assembly, characters 4-8 (VDS) describe the model, engine, and body, the 9th is a check digit, the 10th is the model year, the 11th is the plant, and the last 6 are the serial number. VinCheck's decoder reads all of them for you.
What can a Tesla VIN tell you?
A Tesla VIN reveals the exact model year, engine and transmission, drivetrain, body class, trim, and manufacturing plant — plus open NHTSA recalls and safety ratings. A full history report adds accidents, salvage/flood/lemon title brands, odometer readings, and prior auction sales.
Where is the VIN on a Tesla?
On most Tesla vehicles the 17-character VIN is on the dashboard by the base of the windshield (driver's side), on the driver's door jamb sticker, and on the title, registration, and insurance card.
Related: Tesla auction history · Tesla recalls by model · Tesla window sticker by VIN · Free VIN decoder · Tesla safety ratings · Full Tesla VIN history — from $5.12/report