Mazda VIN Decoder: Free VIN Lookup

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

Enter a 17-character Mazda VIN

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A Mazda VIN is a 17-character code identifying model, engine, restraints, model year and assembly plant. Japan-built Mazdas start with JM1 (cars) or JM3 (SUVs); 3MZ and 3MD indicate Salamanca, Mexico; 7MM indicates Huntsville, Alabama. Decoding is free, but it does not reveal title, accident or odometer history.

Example: decoding a Mazda VIN

Sample pattern: JM3KFBCM•P0••••••

Positions	Characters	Meaning
1–3	JM3	Mazda SUV, built in Japan
4–8	KFBCM	Line/series (CX-5 family), body, engine and restraint descriptors
9	•	Check digit
10	P	Model year 2023
11	0	Plant code (Mazda commonly uses digits here)
12–17	••••••	Serial

Structure per NHTSA 49 CFR Part 565.

Mazda WMI codes: where your Mazda was built

WMI	Country	Detail
JM1	Japan	Passenger cars, Mazda3 (Japan-built), MX-5 Miata (Hiroshima)
JM3	Japan	SUVs/crossovers, CX-5, CX-9, CX-90
3MZ	Mexico	Salamanca, Guanajuato, Mazda3, CX-30
3MD	Mexico	Mazda de Mexico, Mazda2-class small cars
7MM	USA	Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, Huntsville AL, CX-50
1YV	USA	AutoAlliance/Flat Rock, MI, Mazda6, 626, MX-6 (historic)
4F2	USA	Ford-built Mazda models, Tribute, Navajo (historic)

Source: NHTSA vPIC WMI registry.

How to read each position of a Mazda 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 Mazda

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.

Mazda 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.

Takata do-not-drive vehicles still trading hands

NHTSA and Mazda issued do-not-drive warnings covering Mazda models (2003–2015 era: Mazda6, RX-8, CX-7, CX-9 and more); Ford and Mazda warnings covered 457,000+ vehicles combined. An unrepaired example can legally appear on a used lot in many states.

Open Denso fuel-pump recalls

Certain 2018+ Mazda3/Mazda6 and others were recalled for fuel-pump impeller failure causing stalls, same Denso defect as Toyota/Lexus.

Low-cost-to-rebuild salvage cars

Mazda3/CX-5 are high-volume commuter cars; lightly totaled examples are frequent rebuild candidates, and rebuilt/salvage brands only show in title history.

Odometer rollback on high-mileage commuters

NHTSA estimates more than 450,000 vehicles are sold each year with false odometer readings, costing buyers over $1 billion annually; value-holding brands like Mazda (No. 2 mass-market in J.D. Power dependability 2025) are attractive targets.

Flood-resale risk after hurricane seasons

NICB warns 300,000+ flood cars from 2024 storms will be resold; affordable used Mazdas are typical title-washing inventory.

Mazda recalls: check before you buy

Takata airbag inflator recalls including NHTSA 18V-717 (Mazda campaign 1317F) and the 2024 do-not-drive warning for 2003–2015 models. Denso low-pressure fuel pump recalls, 2018+ Mazda3, Mazda6 and others; stall risk.

Run a free Mazda 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 Mazda?

Mazda's electrified U.S. lineup is small (MX-30 sold in tiny numbers; CX-90/CX-70 PHEV growing). No headline battery recall comparable to ID.4/EQB as of September 2026, verify any PHEV's open recalls live by VIN.

What to check on a used Mazda

A used Mazda 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 Mazda before you pay for it.

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

JM1 identifies a Mazda passenger car built in Japan, J for Japan, M1 for Mazda passenger cars. The MX-5 Miata and Japan-built Mazda3s carry it. JM3 is the Japan-built SUV equivalent, used on the CX-5, CX-9 and CX-90.

VINs starting with 3MZ or 3MD come from Mazda's Salamanca, Guanajuato plant, primarily the Mazda3 and CX-30 for North America. The "3" prefix denotes Mexico. Build quality standards are common across plants; the WMI simply records origin.

The CX-50 is built at Mazda Toyota Manufacturing in Huntsville, Alabama, a joint plant with Toyota, and its VIN starts with a U.S. prefix (7MM). It's the only current Mazda assembled in the United States.

Yes. TitlePull decodes specs free from NHTSA vPIC data. The decode won't show whether the car was salvaged, flooded, stolen or rolled back, that requires the full vehicle history report, $9.99 flat with no subscription.

Possibly, Mazda's Takata recalls span roughly 2003–2015 models including Mazda6, RX-8, CX-7 and CX-9, and some carry a federal do-not-drive warning. Check the VIN at NHTSA or in a TitlePull report, which lists open recalls with the title history.

Position 10: P = 2023, R = 2024, S = 2025, T = 2026. Earlier cycle: A = 2010 through N = 2022 (skipping I, O, Q, U, Z). Cross-check against the WMI era, 1YV Mazda6 sedans, for example, are 2012 or older.

Mazda scored 161 problems per 100 vehicles in J.D. Power's 2025 Vehicle Dependability Study, second among mass-market brands and well better than the 202 industry average. That strong resale value is also why verifying odometer history matters before you buy.

No. Free decodes return build specs only. Accident-related records appear through salvage/insurance total-loss records and title brands, the core of a vehicle history report. TitlePull includes those plus odometer, theft, recalls and a Black Book value for $9.99.

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).