DealerVLO
Sign inStart free trial
Free · No signup · Powered by NHTSA vPIC

Ford VIN Decoder

Paste a 17-character Ford 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 Ford VIN

Ford VINs almost always start with 1 (U.S.), 2 (Canada) or 3 (Mexico). The third character separates cars, trucks and SUVs — handy when you're confirming a body style against the title. The first three characters — the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) — are the fastest tell. These are the Fordprefixes you'll see most often:

1FA
Ford passenger cars built in the U.S.
1FT
Ford trucks built in the U.S. — F-Series
1FM
Ford SUVs built in the U.S. — Explorer, Expedition
2FM
Ford SUVs built in Canada
3FA
Ford passenger cars built in Mexico — Fusion

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 Ford models this decoder covers

Ford F-150Ford ExplorerFord EscapeFord MustangFord Fusion

Ford VIN decoder FAQ

How do I decode a Ford VIN?▾
Paste the full 17-character Ford VIN into the decoder above and it returns the year, model, trim, engine, transmission and body style from NHTSA's database. Every Ford built since 1981 has a 17-character VIN you can decode this way.
What does a Ford VIN start with?▾
Ford VINs commonly begin with 1FA, 1FT, 1FM, 2FM, 3FA. The first three characters are the World Manufacturer Identifier: the first tells you the country of assembly and the next two identify Ford and the vehicle class.
Where are Ford vehicles built?▾
Ford VINs almost always start with 1 (U.S.), 2 (Canada) or 3 (Mexico). The third character separates cars, trucks and SUVs — handy when you're confirming a body style against the title. You can read the exact plant country from the first VIN character and confirm the specifics in the decoded result above.
Is this Ford VIN decoder free?▾
Yes — decoding a Ford VIN here is free, needs no sign-up, and pulls directly from the U.S. government's NHTSA vPIC database.

Decode another make

HondaToyotaChevroletGMCNissanJeepDodgeRamHyundaiKiaSubaruMazdaVolkswagenBMWMercedes-BenzLexusTeslaAny VIN →

Decode every Ford 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
Start your 14-day free trial Learn about DealerVLO

$29/month · 14-day free trial · Cancel any time