Mercedes-Benz VIN Decoder: Free VIN Lookup

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

Enter a 17-character Mercedes-Benz VIN

For full vehicle history (title brands, salvage, recalls, market value), get the report for $9.99

A Mercedes-Benz VIN is a 17-character code that identifies the model, engine, restraint system, model year and assembly plant. German-built cars start with WDB, WDD, W1K or W1N; U.S.-built SUVs start with 4JG. Decoding is free, but it does not show title, accident or odometer history.

Example: decoding a Mercedes-Benz VIN

Sample pattern: W1KWF8DB•PF••••••

Positions	Characters	Meaning
1–3	W1K	Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Germany, passenger car
4–8	WF8DB	Vehicle descriptor, model series, body, engine, restraints (varies by model)
9	•	Check digit (0–9 or X)
10	P	Model year 2023 (R=2024, S=2025, T=2026)
11	F	Assembly plant code
12–17	••••••	Sequential serial number

Structure per NHTSA 49 CFR Part 565.

Mercedes-Benz WMI codes: where your Mercedes-Benz was built

WMI	Country	Detail
WDB	Germany	Daimler-Benz era passenger cars (older C/E/S-Class, 1980s–2000s), Sindelfingen/Bremen
WDD	Germany	DaimlerChrysler/Daimler AG passenger cars (2000s–2010s C, E, S, CLA)
WDC	Germany	Mercedes SUVs of the Daimler AG era (GLC, GLK)
W1K	Germany	Mercedes-Benz Group passenger cars, ~2019+ (C-Class, E-Class, AMG GT)
W1N	Germany	Mercedes-Benz Group SUVs, ~2019+ (GLA, GLB, GLC)
4JG	USA	Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Tuscaloosa AL (GLE, GLS, EQ SUVs)
W1Y / WD3-WD4	Germany	Sprinter vans (some U.S.-market Sprinters assembled in North Charleston, SC)
WMX	Germany	AMG-built specialty vehicles (e.g., SLS era)

Source: NHTSA vPIC WMI registry.

How to read each position of a Mercedes-Benz 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 Mercedes-Benz

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.

Mercedes-Benz 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.

Flood-titled luxury cars

NICB estimates 300,000+ flood vehicles from the 2024 hurricane season alone will be resold to unsuspecting buyers over 2–3 years; high-value cars are prime candidates for out-of-state "title washing" where the brand disappears.

Odometer fraud on imported/gray-market cars

European import-market studies have found that cross-border-traded used cars are up to 4.5x more likely to have manipulated mileage, and luxury German brands are repeatedly singled out among the worst-affected.

Rolled-back digital odometers generally

NHTSA estimates more than 450,000 vehicles are sold each year with false odometer readings, costing buyers over $1 billion annually.

Open safety recalls carried through resale

MY2006–2012 ML/GL/R-Class brake booster recall (NHTSA 22V-315) carried a voluntary "Do Not Drive" advisory until repaired, an unrepaired example may still be circulating.

Salvage-rebuilt AMG and S-Class cars

High repair costs make totaled luxury cars attractive rebuild candidates; a title check reveals salvage/rebuilt brands a free decode never shows.

Mercedes-Benz recalls: check before you buy

Takata airbag inflator campaign, multi-year Mercedes-Benz recall waves for defective inflators. Brake booster recall, NHTSA 22V-315, mY2006–2012 ML, GL, R-Class; booster housing corrosion could reduce braking. EQB high-voltage battery recall, NHTSA 26V-073, 11,895 MY2022–2024 EQB; battery replacement after two earlier software-only attempts (25V-050, 25V-894).

Run a free Mercedes-Benz 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 Mercedes-Benz?

Mercedes EQ models are recall-relevant: the EQB has been recalled three times for battery fire risk (latest 26V-073, 11,895 vehicles, park-outside advisory, full pack replacement). EQ buyers should verify recall completion by VIN, and check the title for prior insurance total-loss records on early EVs.

What to check on a used Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz models depreciate steeply and then sit in the used market at prices that tempt buyers who have not priced the maintenance. The car you are looking at may be excellent, but the difference between a good one and a costly one is almost entirely documentation.

Look for records covering suspension work, especially air suspension on larger sedans and SUVs, along with cooling system and oil leak repairs. Diesel models add emissions system components that are expensive to replace. Electronics faults are common on neglected cars, so test every window, seat motor, and screen function before you commit.

High repair costs mean insurers declare total losses sooner, so rebuilt and salvage examples are widespread. Flood history is especially serious on these vehicles because the wiring and control modules are extensive, and corrosion problems often appear long after the sale.

Before buying, confirm the title brand history, odometer readings across recorded points, salvage and total-loss records, theft records, open liens, and VIN-specific recall completion.

See the history on this exact Mercedes-Benz before you pay for it.

Get the full Mercedes-Benz history: $9.99

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Looking at safety campaigns? Read Mercedes-Benz 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.

Get Your Mercedes-Benz Report, $9.99

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Mercedes-Benz VIN decoder: frequently asked questions

They're the World Manufacturer Identifier. WDB, WDD, W1K and W1N indicate German-built Mercedes passenger cars or SUVs; 4JG means the vehicle was built at Mercedes-Benz U.S. International in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, typically a GLE or GLS. Newer vehicles use W1K (cars) and W1N (SUVs).

Yes. Decoding the specs (model, engine, year, plant) is free on TitlePull using federal vPIC data. What a free decode can't show is title history, odometer records, salvage brands or theft records; that's the $9.99 full report, with no subscription.

Check the driver-side dashboard at the windshield base, the driver's door jamb sticker, and the registration or insurance card. On many Mercedes models it also appears under the hood on the firewall area. All locations should match exactly, mismatches suggest VIN tampering.

Position 10 is the model-year code: P = 2023, R = 2024, S = 2025, T = 2026. Letters I, O, Q, U, Z and the digit 0 are never used, and the cycle repeats every 30 years, so pair it with the WMI era to be sure.

Both are German-built Mercedes passenger cars. WDD was used in the DaimlerChrysler/Daimler AG era; around 2019 Mercedes transitioned new passenger cars to W1K and SUVs to W1N. The change reflects corporate entity coding, not a different factory or quality level.

A free decode cannot. Flood damage shows up in title brands and insurance total-loss records, exactly what a vehicle history report covers. With 300,000+ flood cars from recent hurricane seasons re-entering the market per NICB, it's a critical check on any used luxury car.

Compare the seller's mileage against the odometer readings recorded at title transfers and inspections in a history report. NHTSA estimates more than 450,000 vehicles are sold each year with false odometer readings, costing buyers over $1 billion annually, and clocking inflates a Mercedes' value more than almost any other brand.

The VIN identifies whether your car is in a recall population, and NHTSA's recall lookup shows open (unrepaired) recalls. TitlePull reports include NHTSA recall data alongside title and odometer history, so you see open safety recalls and ownership records in one place.

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).