Tesla VIN Decoder: Free VIN Lookup

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

Enter a 17-character Tesla VIN

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

A Tesla VIN is a 17-character identifier whose first three characters show the factory region: 5YJ for Fremont-era builds, 7SA for Austin/Fremont from 2022, LRW for Shanghai, XP7 for Berlin. Decoding a Tesla VIN is free, but a decode cannot show salvage brands, theft records, or whether Tesla has restricted Supercharging.

Example: decoding a Tesla VIN

Sample pattern: 7SAYGDEE•PA••••••

Positions	Characters	Meaning
1–3	7SA	Tesla USA (Austin/Fremont era)
4	Y	Model line (Y)
5–8	GDEE	Body, restraint, battery/motor codes
9	•	Check digit
10	P	Model year (P = 2023)
11	A	Austin plant
12–17	••••••	Production sequence

Structure per NHTSA 49 CFR Part 565.

Tesla WMI codes: where your Tesla was built

WMI	Country	Detail
5YJ	USA	Fremont, CA, Model S, X, 3, Y through roughly model year 2021
7SA	USA	Fremont and Giga Texas (Austin) from model year 2022, Model Y, Cybertruck era
LRW	China	Giga Shanghai, Model 3/Y (mostly non-US markets)
XP7	Germany	Giga Berlin, Model Y (European market)
SFZ	UK	Original 2008–2012 Roadster, built on a Lotus line in Hethel

Source: NHTSA vPIC WMI registry.

How to read each position of a Tesla 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.

Tesla assembly plant codes (position 11)

Code	Plant	Models
F	Fremont, California	Model S, X, 3, Y
A	Austin, Texas (Giga Texas)	Model Y, Cybertruck
B	Berlin, Germany (Giga Berlin)	Model Y (Europe)
C	Shanghai, China (Giga Shanghai)	Model 3/Y (export)

Where to find the VIN on a Tesla

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.

Tesla 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.

Salvage title = Supercharging disabled and warranty voided

Tesla automatically scans VINs and disables Supercharging on salvage-titled cars, citing battery safety; owners report a paid battery-health inspection is required to attempt reinstatement, and warranty coverage is gone. A pre-purchase title check is the only way to see the brand before Tesla's systems act on it.

High total-loss rates

Structural battery packs and costly repairs push insurers to total Teslas with moderate damage, feeding a large stream of salvage and rebuilt-title cars into auctions and export markets.

Flood-damaged EVs

Saltwater-flooded EV packs pose fire risk and lead to flood brands; a flood-branded Tesla can look and drive normally after cleanup. NMVTIS flood/salvage records follow the VIN.

"Recall completed" confusion with OTA fixes

Tesla's December 2023 Autopilot recall covered 2,031,220 vehicles (nearly every Model S/X/3/Y since 2012) and was remedied by an over-the-air update; whether a specific used car received and retained the update isn't visible from a window sticker. NHTSA recall records by VIN clarify status.

Odometer and configuration disputes

Software-managed features (Autopilot/FSD entitlements) don't transfer like hardware and have been removed on resold cars; pair a title/odometer check with a Tesla account verification of the car's software status.

Tesla recalls: check before you buy

Autopilot/Autosteer driver-monitoring recall, December 2023, 2,031,220 Model S/X/3/Y (2012–2023), fixed via over-the-air software update. Window pinch-protection reversal, 2022, ~1.1M vehicles, OTA software fix. Cybertruck accelerator-pedal pad, April 2024, ~3,878 trucks; one of several early Cybertruck campaigns, this one requiring a physical fix, not OTA.

Run a free Tesla 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 Tesla?

Tesla diligence is title diligence. First, salvage economics: the battery pack is the single most expensive component, so insurers total Teslas readily, and a rebuilt-title Tesla may carry a pack of unknown integrity. Second, Tesla actively enforces against branded VINs, Supercharging is disabled and the warranty voided on salvage cars unless the owner pays for Tesla's high-voltage safety inspection, meaning a "great deal" rebuilt Tesla can lose its fast-charging network overnight. Third, recalls work differently: most Tesla recalls (including the 2.03M-vehicle Autopilot campaign) are delivered over the air, so NHTSA recall records, included in a TitlePull report, are the authoritative way to see what applies to a VIN, since there's no dealer service stamp trail. Finally, because Tesla has no traditional dealer network, there is no franchise dealer to run history for you; an independent NMVTIS title check fills that gap for $9.99.

What to check on a used Tesla

Used Tesla pricing moves quickly, and the biggest questions are battery condition, repair history, and whether the car was ever declared a total loss. Structural repair on these vehicles is specialized, so a poorly repaired car is a real risk rather than a theoretical one.

Ask about range at full charge relative to the original rating, any battery or drive unit replacement, and whether the car has been supercharged heavily throughout its life. Check panel alignment and paint consistency, inspect the underbody for impact damage, and confirm every camera, sensor, and driver assistance feature functions during the test drive.

Insurers total these cars at relatively low damage thresholds because of battery and structural repair costs, which produces a steady flow of salvage and rebuilt examples. Flood exposure is especially serious given the high-voltage system and extensive electronics, and problems often surface well after the sale.

Verify the title brand history, odometer readings over time, salvage and total-loss records, theft records, open liens, and VIN-specific recall completion before you commit.

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

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

Lower driver-side windshield corner, driver-door jamb label, and in the touchscreen (Controls → Software). It also appears on the title and insurance card. Confirm the on-screen VIN matches the physical plates.

7SA appears on US-built Teslas from model year 2022 onward, covering both Fremont and Giga Texas production. Check position 11 for the exact factory: A = Austin, F = Fremont.

5YJ was Tesla's original US WMI, used on Fremont-built Model S, X, 3 and Y through about model year 2021. Most used Teslas on the market today carry either 5YJ or the newer 7SA prefix.

Usually not. Tesla disables Supercharging on vehicles it identifies as salvage, citing battery-safety risk, and voids the warranty. Owners report a paid battery-health inspection is required to request reinstatement. Check the title for brands before buying any used Tesla.

Most are over-the-air software updates, the 2023 Autopilot recall covered 2,031,220 vehicles and was fixed remotely. Physical recalls (like the Cybertruck accelerator pedal) go through Tesla service centers. NHTSA recall records by VIN show what applies to a specific car.

Yes, factory, model line, year and drivetrain era decode free at TitlePull. What no free decode shows is title history: salvage/flood brands, theft records and odometer data come from TitlePull's $9.99 NMVTIS-backed report, no subscription.

Read the WMI plus position 11: 5YJ + F = Fremont; 7SA + A = Austin; XP7 + B = Berlin; LRW + C = Shanghai. US-market cars are overwhelmingly Fremont or Austin builds.

Deep discounts on used Teslas often trace to branded titles, salvage, rebuilt or flood, which trigger Supercharging loss and warranty voidance. A $9.99 title check before purchase reveals brands, theft records and total-loss history tied to the VIN.

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).