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BMW VIN Decoder

Paste a 17-character BMW VIN to decode the year, model, trim, engine, and where it was built — instantly, from NHTSA data. Free, no sign-up.

How to read a BMW VIN

BMW cars are largely German-built (VINs starting with WBA/WBS), but its X-series SUVs are built in Spartanburg, South Carolina and start with 5UX — a common surprise on U.S. units. The first three characters — the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) — are the fastest tell. These are the BMWprefixes you'll see most often:

WBA
BMW passenger cars built in Germany
WBS
BMW M performance cars built in Germany
5UX
BMW SUVs built in the U.S. (Spartanburg, South Carolina) — X3, X5
4US
BMW built in the U.S.

These are the common prefixes, not an exhaustive list — manufacturers add and retire WMIs over time. The decoder above always reads the authoritative record from NHTSA. For the full breakdown of all 17 VIN positions and the model-year chart, see the main VIN decoder guide.

Common BMW models this decoder covers

BMW 3 SeriesBMW 5 SeriesBMW X3BMW X5BMW X7

BMW VIN decoder FAQ

How do I decode a BMW VIN?▾
Paste the full 17-character BMW VIN into the decoder above and it returns the year, model, trim, engine, transmission and body style from NHTSA's database. Every BMW built since 1981 has a 17-character VIN you can decode this way.
What does a BMW VIN start with?▾
BMW VINs commonly begin with WBA, WBS, 5UX, 4US. The first three characters are the World Manufacturer Identifier: the first tells you the country of assembly and the next two identify BMW and the vehicle class.
Where are BMW vehicles built?▾
BMW cars are largely German-built (VINs starting with WBA/WBS), but its X-series SUVs are built in Spartanburg, South Carolina and start with 5UX — a common surprise on U.S. units. You can read the exact plant country from the first VIN character and confirm the specifics in the decoded result above.
Is this BMW VIN decoder free?▾
Yes — decoding a BMW VIN here is free, needs no sign-up, and pulls directly from the U.S. government's NHTSA vPIC database.

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Decode every BMW you take in — automatically

DealerVLO is a dealer management system for independent used-car lots. Paste a VIN when you add a vehicle and the year, make, model, trim, engine and GVWR fill themselves — no re-typing onto the title application or the listing.

  • Inventory with photo management and a public dealer website
  • Deal jacket — Bill of Sale, FTC Buyers Guide, Federal Odometer Disclosure
  • Customer CRM with encrypted PII and a website lead inbox
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