Official-data lookup and VIN guide
Decode a Tesla VIN for model year, vehicle type, factory, and other public NHTSA fields. Then see what each character means, what the VIN cannot prove, and the next checks to make before buying or servicing the vehicle.
Local format and check-digit validation happen first. NHTSA provides vehicle identity and manufacturing fields after you submit.
17 characters, 7 jobs
Read the VIN from left to right. The same position can use different codes across model years, factories, and Tesla filings, so the filing year matters.
Swipe horizontally to see all 17 positions.
Positions 1-3
5YJManufacturer
Tesla, Inc. and the vehicle's manufacturing region.
Positions 4
3Model line
The Tesla model family for this filing and model year.
Positions 5-8
E1EAVehicle attributes
Body, restraint, fuel or battery type, and motor or drive-unit codes. Meanings vary by filing year.
Positions 9
7Check digit
A calculated character used to catch many transcription errors.
Positions 10
PModel year
P represents model year 2023 in this VIN cycle.
Positions 11
FAssembly plant
F identifies Fremont for this Tesla filing.
Positions 12-17
484587Production sequence
The vehicle's production sequence. It is not a build date or an odometer reading.
Real-world use cases
A decoded VIN is not the final answer. Its job is to establish a trustworthy vehicle identity, expose inconsistencies, and tell you which verification step comes next.
Does the car match the listing and seller documents?
Compare model year, model family, body type, factory, and the physical VIN before paying a deposit.
Do the vehicle, registration, insurance, and Tesla account agree?
Use one confirmed identity before contacting service, insurance, roadside assistance, or a registration agency.
Which claims can be published without guessing?
Build a cleaner listing from official identity fields, then verify trim, battery, options, and condition separately.
Which vehicle family and filing apply?
Use model year, plant, restraint, motor, and body codes as a starting point, then confirm exact parts against Tesla service data.
Is this a valid vehicle identity and market-origin clue?
Catch many mistyped VINs, identify the WMI and plant, and flag incomplete records for manual review.
How did codes change across years and factories?
Trace the position-by-position meaning back to Tesla's manufacturer filings instead of relying on an unexplained decoder table.
The useful distinction is not simply “known” versus “unknown.” It is whether a fact comes directly from the VIN structure, from the official NHTSA response, or from a separate vehicle record.
Before you decode
For a purchase or identity check, do not rely on a VIN copied from a listing. Match at least one physical location on the vehicle with a digital or document source.
Look through the lower windshield at the top of the dashboard. On left-hand-drive vehicles it is normally easiest to see from the driver's side.
Open the front door and find the certification or statutory label on the door pillar. Exact side and label name can vary by model and market.
In the vehicle, open Controls > Software. Tesla's owner's manuals list the VIN on this screen.
Open the vehicle details in the Tesla app. Tesla documents the VIN as one of the vehicle details available to owners.
The VIN appears on the vehicle registration and commonly on the insurance card. Match it character for character with the vehicle.
After the decode
The decoder narrows uncertainty, but a confident purchase or ownership decision needs records the VIN itself does not contain.
01
Compare the windshield VIN, door label, title, registration, insurance, seller listing, and decoder result. Investigate any mismatch before payment.
02
Run the full VIN through NHTSA's official recall lookup for supported unrepaired recalls.
03
Confirm trim, battery details, hardware, software purchases, warranty, and ownership transfer inside the vehicle, Tesla app, and supporting documents.
04
Obtain an independent history and inspection, test AC and DC charging, then estimate the vehicle's charging cost and remaining warranty.
NHTSA vPIC is built from manufacturer-submitted data. Coverage and terminology can change by model year, vehicle type, plant, and market. A blank field means the source did not return that detail; it does not prove the feature is absent.
A Tesla VIN can identify the manufacturer, model line, model year, vehicle type, assembly plant, check digit, and production sequence. Depending on the model year and manufacturer filing, NHTSA may also return body, restraint, fuel or battery type, and motor or drive-unit descriptions.
The tool validates the 17-character format and North American check digit locally, then requests official public fields from NHTSA vPIC. Accuracy depends on Tesla's manufacturer-submitted Part 565 records and the fields NHTSA returns for that VIN. Missing data stays unavailable instead of being guessed.
Position 10 is the model-year code. For example, N means 2022, P means 2023, R means 2024, S means 2025, and T means 2026. Year codes repeat on a 30-year cycle, so vehicle context still matters for older vehicles.
Position 11 identifies the assembly plant within the relevant Tesla filing. Plant codes are not universal across every manufacturer or year, so this decoder checks the applicable Tesla filing and the official NHTSA response.
Standard 17-character VINs exclude I, O, and Q because they can be confused with the numbers 1 and 0. The input removes spaces and rejects those letters before sending a request.
Not reliably by itself. Some Tesla filings encode a fuel or battery category, but a VIN does not confirm usable pack capacity, current battery health, degradation, or charging history. Verify those details in the vehicle and through an independent inspection.
No. A VIN alone does not reliably confirm the installed Autopilot computer, cameras, paid software, FSD transfer eligibility, or exact retail trim. Build-date estimates and community production ranges are useful clues, not confirmed VIN facts.
No. Those records come from separate title, insurance, repair, and vehicle-history systems. For a used Tesla, compare the physical VIN with the title and seller documents, check open recalls, obtain an independent history report, and inspect the vehicle.
Yes, but recall status is a separate lookup. Use NHTSA's official recall search after decoding. It can report unrepaired safety recalls for supported vehicles using the full VIN.
Common locations are the plate visible through the lower windshield, the certification label on a door pillar, Controls > Software on the vehicle touchscreen, the Tesla app's vehicle details, and registration or insurance documents. Locations can vary by model, factory, and market.
The input accepts a valid 17-character VIN and NHTSA may return available records for Tesla models and factories in its database. Coverage is strongest where Tesla supplied compatible Part 565 data. Very early vehicles, regional formats, and specialized models may return partial results.
The VIN is validated in your browser, then sent by POST to this site's short-lived NHTSA proxy. It is not put in the page URL, titles, analytics events, or application logs.
After decoding, use the Tesla Warranty Checker or Tesla Charging Cost Calculator. The VIN itself is never added to those links.
Market: United States. Independent from Tesla, Inc.