Lexus VIN Decoder: Free VIN Lookup

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

Enter a 17-character Lexus VIN

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A Lexus VIN is a 17-character identifier revealing model, engine, model year and build plant. Japan-built Lexus vehicles start with JTH (cars) or JTJ (SUVs); 2T2 means Canada-built (RX, Cambridge, Ontario) and 58A means U.S.-built (ES, Kentucky). Decoding is free, but it does not show title or accident history.

Example: decoding a Lexus VIN

Sample pattern: 2T2••••••PC••••••

Positions	Characters	Meaning
1–3	2T2	Lexus SUV built in Canada (TMMC, Cambridge, Ontario)
4–8	•••••	Model line, engine, drivetrain, restraint codes (e.g., RX 350 AWD descriptors)
9	•	Check digit
10	P	Model year 2023 (R=2024, S=2025)
11	C	Plant code (Cambridge)
12–17	••••••	Production serial

Structure per NHTSA 49 CFR Part 565.

Lexus WMI codes: where your Lexus was built

WMI	Country	Detail
JTH	Japan	Passenger cars, ES, IS, GS, LS (Tahara, Motomachi, Kyushu)
JTJ	Japan	SUVs, RX, NX, GX, LX
2T2	Canada	RX built by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, Cambridge, Ontario
58A	USA	ES 350 built at TMMK, Georgetown, Kentucky (2015+)
JT8	Japan	1990s-era Lexus sedans/coupes (LS 400, SC)
JT6	Japan	Late-1990s Lexus SUVs (RX 300, LX 450)

Source: NHTSA vPIC WMI registry.

How to read each position of a Lexus 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 a Lexus

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.

Lexus 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.

Theft and export targeting

NICB's most-recent national reports show import brands topping U.S. theft lists, and high-value Lexus SUVs are frequent export-theft and VIN-cloning targets; a history report surfaces active theft records.

Odometer rollback pays more on Lexus

Because Lexus holds value (No. 1 in J.D. Power dependability three straight years), rolled-back mileage adds outsized resale value, NHTSA estimates more than 450,000 vehicles are sold each year with false odometer readings, costing buyers over $1 billion annually.

Open Denso fuel-pump recall

Part of a ~3.3 million-vehicle Toyota/Lexus campaign (NHTSA 20V-012 and expansions), many used examples remain unrepaired.

Flood-titled luxury SUVs

RX/NX models are common family vehicles in hurricane states; NICB warns flood cars are retitled out of state with brands washed.

VIN cloning on stolen RX/GX

Cloned VINs from legitimately titled vehicles get applied to stolen ones; mismatched plant/spec data in a decode plus title-history gaps are the tell.

Lexus recalls: check before you buy

Denso low-pressure fuel pump recall, NHTSA 20V-012 plus Nov 2020 expansion; ~3.3 million Toyota/Lexus vehicles total, including ES 350, RX 350, LS, GX, LX model years ~2017–2020. Takata airbag inflator campaigns, multiple Lexus models in the industry-wide recall. Lexus campaign 20LA01, the dealer-facing designation of the fuel pump fix (NHTSA RCRIT-20V012).

Run a free Lexus 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 a Lexus hybrid or EV?

Lexus hybrids (RX 450h, NX 350h, ES 300h) are long-lived and widely resold; hybrid-battery replacement history won't appear in a free decode, but auction/salvage and title records in a history report flag cars totaled for battery or flood damage. RZ EV buyers should run the NHTSA recall check by VIN.

What to check on a used Lexus

A used Lexus 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.

See the history on this exact Lexus before you pay for it.

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Looking at safety campaigns? Read Lexus 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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Lexus VIN decoder: frequently asked questions

JTH is the World Manufacturer Identifier for Lexus passenger cars built in Japan, typically ES, IS, GS and LS sedans from plants in Aichi Prefecture and Kyushu. JTJ is the Japan-built SUV counterpart used for RX, NX, GX and LX models.

The "2" prefix means Canada. Lexus RX models for North America are built by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada in Cambridge, Ontario, the first Lexus plant outside Japan. It's the same engineering standard; the WMI simply records the true country of origin.

The Lexus ES 350 has been built at Toyota's Georgetown, Kentucky plant since 2015, those VINs start with 58A. Most other Lexus models sold in the U.S. are built in Japan (JTH/JTJ) or Canada (2T2 for the RX).

Yes, TitlePull decodes model, engine, year and plant free using NHTSA vPIC data. The free decode does not include title brands, odometer records, salvage or theft history; the complete report is $9.99 flat, with no subscription or recurring charge.

Run the VIN through a vehicle history report that includes theft records. Lexus SUVs are targets for theft and VIN cloning because of high resale value. Also verify the dash VIN, door-jamb VIN and title document all match exactly.

Yes. The Denso fuel-pump campaign covered about 3.3 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles, including 2018–2020 ES 350 and 2017–2020 RX 350. Recalls follow the vehicle, not the owner, check the VIN for open recalls before buying, since unrepaired cars can stall.

Lexus ranked No. 1 in J.D. Power's 2025 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study for the third straight year (140 problems per 100 vehicles vs. a 202 industry average). That reputation also makes Lexus a favorite target for odometer tampering, verify mileage against title records.

Read position 10: P = 2023, R = 2024, S = 2025, T = 2026. Combine it with the WMI: a JT8 prefix points to the 1990s, JTH/JTJ to 2001-era and later, and 58A to 2015 or newer U.S.-built ES models.

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).