Audi VIN Decoder: Free VIN Lookup

Decode any 17-character Audi VIN to see year, model, engine, and build plant, instantly, free, no signup.

Enter a 17-character Audi VIN

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An Audi VIN is a 17-character code identifying model, engine, model year and origin. Most Audis start with WAU (German-built cars), WA1 (SUVs), WUA (Audi Sport models) or TRU (Győr, Hungary). Decoding is free, but it won't reveal title brands, odometer records, flood damage or theft history.

Example: decoding an Audi VIN

Sample pattern: WA1•NAFY•PD••••••

Positions	Characters	Meaning
1–3	WA1	Audi SUV, Audi AG manufacturer coding
4–8	•NAFY	Body, engine, restraint descriptors (Q5 family pattern)
9	•	Check digit
10	P	Model year 2023
11	D	Plant code, this position, not the WMI, tells you whether a Q5 came from Mexico
12–17	••••••	Serial

Structure per NHTSA 49 CFR Part 565.

Audi WMI codes: where your Audi was built

WMI	Country	Detail
WAU	Germany	Audi AG passenger cars, A3–A8, S models (Ingolstadt, Neckarsulm)
WA1	Germany (manufacturer code)	Audi SUVs, Q5, Q7, Q8; Q7/Q8 assembled in Bratislava, Slovakia and Q5 in San José Chiapa, Mexico still carry WA1, with position 11 distinguishing the plant
WUA / WU1	Germany	Audi Sport GmbH, R8, RS models
TRU	Hungary	Győr, TT, A3 Cabriolet (era-dependent)
93U / 93V	Brazil	Audi Brazil (Curitiba A3/A4 eras; rare in U.S. market)
WAUZZZ…	Rest-of-world	European-market VINs use ZZZ filler in positions 4–6, a tell for gray-market imports

Source: NHTSA vPIC WMI registry.

How to read each position of an Audi VIN

Positions 1–3, WMI: World Manufacturer Identifier. Identifies the maker and country of origin.
Positions 4–8, VDS: Vehicle Descriptor Section. Encodes body style, engine, restraint system, and model line.
Position 9, Check digit: Math-derived validator. A failed check digit can indicate a typo or a cloned VIN.
Position 10, Model year: Single character; see the table below.
Position 11, Assembly plant: Manufacturer-specific code for the factory.
Positions 12–17, Sequence: Sequential production number unique to that car.

Model-year code table (position 10)

Code	Year	Code	Year
A	1980 / 2010	S	1995 / 2025
B	1981 / 2011	T	1996 / 2026
C	1982 / 2012	V	1997 / 2027
D	1983 / 2013	W	1998 / 2028
E	1984 / 2014	X	1999 / 2029
F	1985 / 2015	Y	2000 / 2030
G	1986 / 2016	1	2001 / 2031
H	1987 / 2017	2	2002 / 2032
J	1988 / 2018	3	2003 / 2033
K	1989 / 2019	4	2004 / 2034
L	1990 / 2020	5	2005 / 2035
M	1991 / 2021	6	2006 / 2036
N	1992 / 2022	7	2007 / 2037
P	1993 / 2023	8	2008 / 2038
R	1994 / 2024	9	2009 / 2039

The position-7 rule: year codes repeat every 30 years. If position 7 is a letter the vehicle is 2010 or newer; if a digit it's 2009 or older. Letters I, O, Q, U, Z are never year codes.

Plant codes vary by model line, the decoder above returns the registered plant for your exact VIN.

Where to find the VIN on an Audi

On a metal plate at the base of the windshield on the driver's side (visible from outside).
On a sticker on the driver's door jamb.
Stamped on the engine block or firewall on many models.
On the title, registration, and insurance card, always confirm the paperwork matches the physical VIN. Mismatches are a serious red flag.

Audi title & history red flags to check before you buy

Decoding a VIN tells you how a vehicle was built. To see what happened to it, you need a full vehicle history report, which surfaces title brands, odometer readings, theft records, and more.

High odometer-fraud rate among imports

European import-market studies have repeatedly singled out Audi as one of the worst brands for imported-vehicle mileage manipulation, and cross-border cars are up to 4.5x more likely to be clocked. U.S. gray-market and Canadian-import Audis deserve extra odometer scrutiny.

Damage history on imported Audis

European import-market studies have found a majority of imported Audis carry recorded damage events, verify any non-U.S.-origin Audi against title and total-loss records.

Flood-titled luxury cars

NICB expects 300,000+ flood vehicles from the 2024 storms to be resold; luxury models are frequent title-washing candidates because cleaned-up examples command high prices.

Open fuel-leak recall on used Q5/Q7

2013–2017 Q5/Q7 fuel pump flange cracking can leak fuel; earlier interim repairs (butyl tape) were later superseded by flange replacement, many used cars only got the interim fix.

EV battery recalls on e-tron models

The 2019–2022 e-tron / 2020–2022 e-tron Sportback recall (23V-867) and Q5/A7 PHEV battery-module fire recalls mean a used electrified Audi needs a recall-completion check by VIN.

Audi recalls: check before you buy

NHTSA 23V-867 (Audi code 93U9), 2019–2022 e-tron and 2020–2022 e-tron Sportback high-voltage battery (LG modules) thermal overload fire risk; software monitoring remedy. Q5/Q7 fuel pump flange crack recall, 2013–2017 models; flange replacement after interim butyl-tape repair. Q5 PHEV / A7 PHEV battery-module fire recall, 2022–2023 plug-in hybrids.

Run a free Audi recall check →

Recall counts shown by the free tool are model-level context for this model year, not a VIN-specific verdict. VIN-specific recall completion status is in the $9.99 report.

Buying an electric Audi?

Audi's e-tron family carries real recall history: the 2019–2022 e-tron / 2020–2022 e-tron Sportback battery recall (23V-867) and the 2022–2023 Q5/A7 PHEV battery-module recalls, plus a separate e-tron GT high-voltage battery campaign reported for 2022–2026 cars. For any used electrified Audi: confirm recall completion by VIN and review insurance total-loss records, since early EV battery damage often totals the car.

What to check on a used Audi

A used Audi can be an excellent buy, but the condition you can see during a test drive is only part of the picture. Two vehicles with the same year, mileage, and asking price can have completely different histories, and the difference usually lives in the paperwork rather than under the hood.

Start with maintenance evidence. Ask for service records covering oil changes, cooling system work, brakes, tires, and any major repair, and be skeptical of a seller who offers a single recent receipt instead of a history. Inspect for mismatched paint, uneven panel gaps, replacement lights, and fresh undercoating, since all of them can mask prior collision repair. Look for rust on the frame, rocker panels, and brake lines if the vehicle spent time in a salt state.

Flood damage is the pattern buyers miss most often. Storm-damaged vehicles are frequently repaired, moved to another state, and retitled, so check for musty odors, silt under the carpet and in the spare tire well, corroded seat rails and bolts, and moisture inside light housings. A car that smells strongly of air freshener deserves a closer look.

Before money changes hands, verify the four items a visual inspection cannot answer: whether the title carries a brand such as salvage, junk, rebuilt, or flood, whether the recorded odometer readings move forward consistently over time, whether the vehicle was ever declared a total loss or reported stolen, and whether a lien is still open against it. Recall completion on the exact VIN belongs on that list too.

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Looking at safety campaigns? Read Audi recalls: how to check open safety recalls, or run a VIN through the free recall check.

Free VIN decode vs. full vehicle history report

What you learn	TitlePull Report, $9.99 one-time	Free decoder	Other providers
Year, make, model, engine specs	✓	✓	✓ (free)
Title history	✓	No	Varies by provider
Title brands (salvage, flood, lemon)	✓	No	Varies by provider
Odometer readings over time	✓	No	Varies by provider
Theft & total-loss records	✓	No	Varies by provider
Recalls	✓ VIN-specific completion status	Model-level list (free tool)	Varies
Black Book® valuation	✓	No	Often extra
AI summary	✓	No	Rare
Subscription required	Never	Never	Often

Checked the specs? Now check the history.

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Audi VIN decoder: frequently asked questions

WAU is Audi AG's World Manufacturer Identifier for German-built passenger cars, A3 through A8 and most S models from Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm. WA1 covers Audi SUVs, WUA covers Audi Sport models like the R8 and RS cars, and TRU indicates Győr, Hungary.

The WMI encodes the manufacturer's coding scheme, and Audi assigns WA1 to its SUVs regardless of final assembly point. The plant, San José Chiapa, Mexico for the Q5, Bratislava, Slovakia for the Q7/Q8, is encoded at position 11. A live decode shows the true plant.

European-market Audi VINs typically contain ZZZ in positions 4–6, U.S.-spec cars never do. Imports deserve extra care: European import-market studies have flagged imported Audis as among the most likely to carry clocked odometers. Verify mileage against recorded odometer history before buying.

Decoding is free, model, engine, plant and year from NHTSA vPIC data. Title brands, flood/salvage records, odometer history, theft records and recall status require the full report: $9.99 flat at TitlePull, with no subscription or auto-renewal.

Look for flood or salvage title brands and insurance total-loss records in a vehicle history report, they don't appear in any free decode. NICB warns that hundreds of thousands of flood cars from recent hurricane seasons are being retitled and resold, and luxury cars are prime targets.

Yes, NHTSA 23V-867 covers 2019–2022 e-tron and 2020–2022 e-tron Sportback models for a battery thermal-overload fire risk, and certain 2022–2023 Q5 and A7 plug-in hybrids were recalled for defective battery modules. Check any used electrified Audi's VIN for open recalls before purchase.

Position 10: P = 2023, R = 2024, S = 2025, T = 2026; the previous cycle ran A = 2010 through N = 2022, skipping I, O, Q, U and Z. Cross-reference the model generation if the car could plausibly be 30 years older.

European import-market studies repeatedly place Audi near the top of brands with manipulated odometers, and NHTSA estimates more than 450,000 U.S. vehicles are sold each year with false odometer readings, costing buyers over $1 billion annually. German luxury cars gain outsized value from "missing" miles, so compare the seller's odometer against every recorded reading in the title history.

By the TitlePull Team · Published June 7, 2026 · Last updated July 29, 2026 · Fact-checked against NHTSA vPIC

Sources: NHTSA vPIC & 49 CFR Part 565 · NHTSA recall database · NICB theft data · HLDI (Highway Loss Data Institute) · Mitchell · NMVTIS (U.S. Department of Justice).