Home How To Find your Toyota VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)

Find your Toyota VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)

By Toyota Blog
Vehicle Identification Number

The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is your Toyota’s legal identifier, and is applied to your car during production.

Each VIN is unique, and is usually a 17-character code made up of letters and numbers, and reveals important details about your vehicle. As well as containing information on the time and place of your car’s creation, it also contains information about its specification and design.

First introduced in 1954, Vehicle Identification Numbers are an important component in determining the history and identity of a vehicle, particularly when combined with the car’s DVLA licence plate and V5 or V5C documents.

While licence plates can be altered, the car’s VIN remains unchanged, and therefore is the primary identification number for your Toyota.

How to locate your Vehicle Identification Number

In most modern Toyota cars, you’ll find a visible Vehicle Identification Number through a special cut-out at the bottom of the windscreen. Additional VINs are printed on tamper-proof stickers located just inside the shut line of the front nearside door. Earlier models may have a metal plate instead of a sticker.

The VIN is repeated on the vehicle’s chassis, stamped into the metal floor of the car under the right-hand (driver’s side) front seat. It’s usually visible through a small flap, deliberately cut into the vehicle’s carpet.

Read more How to connect your phone to your car

Of course, there are some important exceptions to the rule…

These include the four-door Hilux pick-up – in which the tamper-proof sticker is mounted just inside the nearside rear door, and the five-door Aygo – in which it is applied to the body just inside the offside rear door shut.

Decoding your Vehicle Identification Number

Although there are exceptions to the rule, the first three digits of the Vehicle Identification Number usually refer to the country of manufacture, the vehicle maker and the vehicle type.

For example, if you check the first letter of the code, ‘J’ references Japan, ‘S’ references England, while ‘V’ identifies France. Turkey gets an ‘N’, while Thailand and South Africa (where some of our Hilux vehicles are produced) get an ‘M’ and ‘A’ respectively.

The second letter is usually ‘T’, which describes Toyota, the third describes which group of cars (or sometimes which chassis type) the vehicle sits on.

The next six numbers reference the car’s body style, engine and gearbox, while the remaining eight is a combination unique to the car, listing the year the car was made, the factory it was produced in and where it came in the production process.

For more on your VIN, please contact your nearest dealer, or visit toyota.co.uk/mytoyota

420 comments

      2. Hi Tunde,
        Unfortunately we cannot find this vehicle on our system.
        Do you have a UK registration we can check?
        Thanks.

    2. Usually, the 10th digit of the VIN corespondents the year vehicle manufactured.
      It should be a letter. Some figures supposed not to be used the modele year position, such as “0,U, Z”.
      In Toyota Aygo VIN the 10th digit is the “0” number. Why it is?

      Reply

    1. Hi Esi, thanks for your comment.

      We are not able to find this vehicle on our system. Please get in touch with your local Toyota Centre for further information.

      Thanks.

      Reply

      1. The same reply I received when I checked Aygo VIN number.
        I would appreciate if somebody explain to me why,

      2. Hi Lena,
        Our system only allows us to check UK vehicle registration plates or full VIN numbers.
        Thanks.

  3. I brought a car from coparts toyota prius LY63WFM
    But no number plates no vin number how can I get vin number

    Reply

    1. Hello Mohammad, thanks for your comment.

      There should be a plate in the windshield which displays the VIN of your new Prius. You may also find it just inside the doorsill or on the engine.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  4. Hi Team,
    I saw this information on a metal on the chaisis of a Toyota prado KZJ95 series.
    Frame No KZJ95-0139417. Could you use this to get VIN of the car for me.

    Reply

      1. Hi, I would like to ask you about the VINs info as following:
        Why some of VINs used 12 digits? and some is 17 digits?
        May I know the info related the history of VINs ?

      2. Hi Sunleng,
        Thanks for your comment.
        We do not have any blog articles on this.
        We would recommend having a look on the internet for more information.
        Thanks.

    1. Hi Enkhee, thanks for your comment.

      We are not able to provide past information on a vehicle without proof of ownership. We’d recommend discussing the vehicle history with your local Toyota Centre.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  6. Hi, I cant find the Vin Number on my Land Cruiser. Is it possible for you to check.
    Frame number LJ71-0006799
    Reg H304CDM

    Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi there,
      Thanks for your comment.
      Your Toyota Centre would need to assist you with this so they can validate proof of ownership.
      Thanks.

      Reply

  7. Hi, the VIN on my 2005 land cruiser is rusted and cannot be seen properly. Can this be restamped by toyota and if so what is the process ?

    Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi Kevin,
      Thanks for your comment.
      We would recommend taking your vehicle to your nearest Toyota Centre.
      Thanks.

      Reply

  9. Hello,
    Is it possible to decode information out of engines serial number ? Or if there’s any chance to find a VIN code out of it?

    Reply

    1. Hi Kalinga,
      Please contact your Toyota Centre for further assistance with finding your VIN.
      Thanks.

      Reply

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