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

411 comments

  1. hello i just purchased a Toyota Hiace with CHASIS No: JT121UK1200005543. The Brain box is bad and I need to replace it.
    i want you to assist me with the ECU NUMBER in order for me to place a replacement order.

    Reply

    1. Hi Olusegun,

      Thanks for getting in touch. We would advise for you to contact your local Toyota Centre, as they will be able to assist you further.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  2. Hi, Can I link body parts of a Toyota Hilux SR5 utility back to a Chassis/VIN, I have doors with windows, bonnet, tailgate, some dash components and want to match it back to its original Chassis/VIN

    Thanks
    Fletch

    Reply

    1. Hi Fletch,

      Thanks for getting in touch. The VIN is for the chassis of a vehicle, not the body parts. The body parts have individual part numbers and therefore cannot be traced back to a specific VIN or chassis.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  3. Vehicle tracking system is modern technology. It safe our vehicle, also we looking our vehicle. If you go unknown place, then GPS is best friend for find any location and safety.

    Reply

  4. Hi,
    i Buy a Toyota Hilux Revo model 2018 2.8LV 4*4 (full option) with all new specs in Pakistan, unfortunately i lose my car reported to police already is there any way i can trace my car from gprs of car stereo system or any other way becayse i dont have tracker on the car.
    Thanks,

    Reply

  5. Hi Hammad,

    Thanks for getting in touch and we are sorry to hear about your car. We would advise for you to contact Toyota in your region, as they will be able to assist you further.

    Reply

    1. Hi Mehmood,

      Thanks for getting in touch. The VIN number is usually referenced on a tamper-proof sticker located just inside the shut line of the front left hand (passenger side) door. We would recommend contacting Toyota in your local region who may be able to assist you further.

      Thanks,

      Katherine

      Reply

    1. Hi Roshinee,

      Thanks for getting in touch. Unfortunately, we are only able to comment on UK vehicles however we would recommend contacting Toyota in your local region who will be able to assist you in obtaining a second key.

      Thanks.

      Reply

  8. Hi, I have recently bought a 1992 MR2 mk2 Japanese import to the UK, and can’t find the VIN in any places I’ve checked so far (under front bonnet, passenger door). Any other tips on where it could be, or are you able to check it for me if I give you the UK number plate?

    Reply

    1. Hi Emily,

      Thanks for getting in touch. If you could please provide the registration, we can locate the VIN number.

      Thanks.

      Reply

      1. Hi, I bought a replacement Diesel engine for a 2007 Hilux D4D. It was supposed to have been a 1KD FTV but the crook sold me a 2KDFTV. Now it fits into the engine bay but does not work. The injectors and ECU and injector driver are required. How do I identify the VIN from the casting number or find the missing parts?

  9. Hi i need help with my chasisi number .how may i find it .am using my late husbands car and i recently lost the cheaped key .my mechanical needs a VIN or chassis number and said i can check on my car but where do i find it located on my car .my plate number is ALM 8491 .toyota avensis .thanks

    Reply

  10. Hi Esther,

    In most modern Toyota cars, you’ll find a visible VIN 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 driver’s side front seat. It’s usually visible through a small flap, deliberately cut into the vehicle’s carpet.

    Thanks.

    Reply

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