Tesla VIN decoder: what each character means
Updated October 12, 2026
Every Tesla has a 17-character vehicle identification number, and most of it can be read without asking anyone. Paste a VIN below to decode it: the model, model year, factory, motors and build number. It's worked out in your browser, and nothing is sent anywhere.
Type or paste a 17-character VIN.
Position by position
A VIN never contains the letters I, O or Q, so they can't be mistaken for 1 and 0. Read from the left:
| Position | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | Maker code: which Tesla company and factory group built the car |
| 4 | Model: S, X, 3, Y, Cybertruck or Roadster |
| 5–7 | Body, restraint system and battery type. Their meanings vary by model and year |
| 8 | On Model S and X from the 2015 model year: the motors. Other models use it differently |
| 9 | Check digit: catches typos on VINs from US factories |
| 10 | Model year |
| 11 | Factory |
| 12–17 | Build number, issued in order |
Maker codes
The first three characters. Only VINs from US factories carry a check digit in position 9.
| Code | Built by | Check digit |
|---|---|---|
| 5YJ | Fremont, older US production | Yes |
| 7SA | US production, 2021 on | Yes |
| 7G2 | Cybertruck and Semi | Yes |
| LRW | Shanghai | No |
| XP7 | Berlin | No |
| SFZ | Roadster (built in the UK) | No |
Model and factory
| Position 4 | Model |
|---|---|
| 3 | Model 3 |
| S | Model S |
| X | Model X |
| Y | Model Y |
| C | Cybertruck |
| R | Roadster |
| Position 11 | Factory |
|---|---|
| F | Fremont, CA |
| A | Austin, TX |
| C | Shanghai, China |
| B | Berlin, Germany |
| N | Reno, NV |
Model year codes
Position 10. Letters and numbers take turns in a fixed order shared by every carmaker, skipping I, O, Q, U, Z and 0.
| Code | Model year |
|---|---|
| 8 | 2008 |
| 9 | 2009 |
| A | 2010 |
| B | 2011 |
| C | 2012 |
| D | 2013 |
| E | 2014 |
| F | 2015 |
| G | 2016 |
| H | 2017 |
| J | 2018 |
| K | 2019 |
| L | 2020 |
| M | 2021 |
| N | 2022 |
| P | 2023 |
| R | 2024 |
| S | 2025 |
| T | 2026 |
| V | 2027 |
Motors on a Model S or X
From the 2015 model year, position 8 on a Model S or X says how many motors the car has: 1 is one motor, 2 is dual motor, 3 is a single-motor Performance car and 4 a dual-motor Performance car. The refreshed cars use 5 for dual motor and 6 for tri-motor. Every Model S up to the 2014 model year has one motor, whatever position 8 says: the first dual-motor cars were 2015 models.
What a VIN can't tell you
The things that make the biggest difference to a used Tesla's value aren't in the VIN. They're on its factory build sheet:
- Free Supercharging. The Supercharging code (SC01, SC05, SC04 or SC00) says whether the car charges free and whether that transfers to you. SC01 explained
- Autopilot hardware. AP1, AP2, AP2.5 or HW3 decides whether Full Self-Driving can ever be added. Autopilot hardware
- Battery and options. The battery it was sold with, paint, wheels, interior and everything else Tesla fitted. Option codes
Enter the VIN on TrueSpec and it reads the build sheet from Tesla's own record.
Questions buyers ask
How do I decode a Tesla VIN?
Read it in groups. Characters 1 to 3 are the maker code, 4 is the model, 10 is the model year, 11 is the factory and 12 to 17 are the build number. On a Model S or X from the 2015 model year, character 8 says how many motors it has.
Can a VIN tell me whether a Tesla has free Supercharging?
No. Free Supercharging is a code on the car's factory build sheet, not part of the VIN. Only Model S and X built before April 15, 2017 can have SC01, the free Supercharging that transfers to the next owner, and the model year alone can't tell you the build date. Enter the VIN on TrueSpec to read the code from Tesla's record.
Where is the VIN on a Tesla?
At the base of the windshield on the driver's side, on the driver's door pillar, in the Tesla app, and on the registration.
Does the VIN say when a Tesla was built?
Not exactly. Character 10 is the model year, which isn't the build date. The build number in characters 12 to 17 is issued in order, so cars with close numbers were built at about the same time. The factory build sheet records the date.
See what Tesla's own record says about a car before you buy it.
Check a VIN →