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

Tesla VIN Decoder

Paste a 17-character Tesla 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 Tesla VIN

Tesla VINs start with 5YJ for Fremont, California production and 7SA for the newer Austin, Texas plant; China-built cars (mostly export) start with LRW. The first three characters — the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) — are the fastest tell. These are the Teslaprefixes you'll see most often:

5YJ
Tesla built in the U.S. (Fremont, California) — Model S, 3, X, Y
7SA
Tesla built in the U.S. (Austin, Texas) — Model Y, Cybertruck
LRW
Tesla built in China (Shanghai)

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 Tesla models this decoder covers

Tesla Model 3Tesla Model YTesla Model STesla Model X

Tesla VIN decoder FAQ

How do I decode a Tesla VIN?▾
Paste the full 17-character Tesla VIN into the decoder above and it returns the year, model, trim, engine, transmission and body style from NHTSA's database. Every Tesla built since 1981 has a 17-character VIN you can decode this way.
What does a Tesla VIN start with?▾
Tesla VINs commonly begin with 5YJ, 7SA, LRW. The first three characters are the World Manufacturer Identifier: the first tells you the country of assembly and the next two identify Tesla and the vehicle class.
Where are Tesla vehicles built?▾
Tesla VINs start with 5YJ for Fremont, California production and 7SA for the newer Austin, Texas plant; China-built cars (mostly export) start with LRW. You can read the exact plant country from the first VIN character and confirm the specifics in the decoded result above.
Is this Tesla VIN decoder free?▾
Yes — decoding a Tesla VIN here is free, needs no sign-up, and pulls directly from the U.S. government's NHTSA vPIC database.

Decode another make

HondaToyotaFordChevroletGMCNissanJeepDodgeRamHyundaiKiaSubaruMazdaVolkswagenBMWMercedes-BenzLexusAny VIN →

Decode every Tesla 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