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

380 comments

  1. Hi, I have a Toyota Land Cruiser Invincible on order for delivery March 2023 where is this model built? thank you in anticipation

    Reply

      1. Sorry i should have been more specific, i am aware it is built in Japan but was wanting to know at which plant?

  2. Hi I have a Toyota auris touring estate 17 plate my car keys is lost the car is locked is vin number or key number can I get details from the registration certificate

    Reply

      1. Hi, I have Toyota regius Haice 1999 and people are complaining when I give them the info from the car which is containing less digits and number?
        I got those info beside driver’s seat and below the windshield.

      2. Morning Mark,

        Is your vehicle a UK spec?

        If it originated from outside of the UK, it may contain a different number of digits in the VIN.

        We hope this helps, thank you.

  3. Hi, I purchased an Aqua (Japan import) and the VIN is only 12 digit. I’ve read that some Japan imports don’t have a VIN, but only this 12-digit code. I have these questions if someone can help me please:
    1) How can I check the mileage on the Jevic website – unfortunately the website is not accepting the 12-digit chassis code, it’s expecting a 17-digit code.
    2) Where can I download an English version user’s manual?
    Many thanks!

    Reply

  4. I can’t find the the vin no. on my Toyota Corolla. Engine no. is 1NZ-FE, 2000 model. I’ve checked the door side, silver plate, under driver seat and the windscreen, still can’t find it. The silver plate contains the model no. Engine no. Frame no. colour trim, trans and plant. Where can i find the 17-character vin no?

    Reply

    1. Hi Esther, thanks for your comment.

      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.

      If you still can’t find your VIN number, please provide your Vehicle Registration.

      Thanks.

      Reply

    1. Hi Kerry, thanks for your question.

      Please provide a Vehicle Registration and we will look into this for you.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  6. Hi! On my C-HR I can see the VIN in the corner of the windshield, next to a QR code. Under it I see a 3-digit number. What does this additional number mean?

    Reply

  7. Hi,

    I hope you are well.

    I cant find a 17 character chassis number for my Toyota reg BP56XDW.

    Your help would be much appreciated.

    Kind Regards
    Abid Hussain

    Reply

    1. Hi Abid, thanks for your question.

      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.

      Hope this helps.

      Thanks.

      Reply

      1. I just want to know where on vehicle the VIN metal plate is placed. I have checked on dashboard on below the passenger seat, on the foot matt of sliding door i didn’t find any vin metallic plate anywhr?

      2. Hi Snow,

        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.

        If you still can’t find it, we can assist you if you provide us with your Vehicle Registration.

        Thanks.

    1. Hi Les, thanks for your comment.

      This is the VIN number for a MY15 Hilux Invincible 3.0L Manual in Galaxy Black. The Vehicle Registration is LE58CAM.

      Would you like to know the specification details for this vehicle?

      Thanks.

      Reply

  10. How do I find my VIN Number 17 characters. I got only 16 characters on the passenger’s door yet. Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi Sandi, thanks for your question.

      Please provide your Vehicle Registration so that we can look into this.

      Thanks.

      Reply

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