BMW VIN Decoder
Enter a BMW VIN to see its model year, model, trim, engine and assembly plant, decoded from NHTSA's official vehicle database. Below: how BMW VINs are built and which codes identify BMW.
BMW manufacturer codes (first 3 characters)
A VIN starting with one of these world manufacturer identifiers (WMI) was registered to BMW's manufacturer with NHTSA.
| WMI | Registered to | Vehicle type | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| WB1 | BMW AG MOTORCYCLES | Motorcycle | GERMANY |
| WB3 | BMW AG MOTORCYCLES | Motorcycle | GERMANY |
| WB4 | BMW AG MOTORCYCLES | Motorcycle | GERMANY |
| WBA | BMW AG | Passenger Car | GERMANY |
| WBS | BMW M GMBH | Passenger Car | GERMANY |
| 4US | BMW MANUFACTURER CORPORATION / BMW NORTH AMERICA | Passenger Car | UNITED STATES (USA) |
| WMW | BMW AG | Passenger Car | GERMANY |
| 5UM | BMW AG | Passenger Car | GERMANY |
| WBY | BMW AG | Passenger Car | GERMANY |
| WAP | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | Passenger Car | GERMANY |
| 3MW | BMW AG | Passenger Car | GERMANY |
| WZ1 | BMW AG | Passenger Car | GERMANY |
| 3MF | BMW AG | Passenger Car | GERMANY |
| WBX | BMW AG | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | GERMANY |
| 5UX | BMW MANUFACTURER CORPORATION / BMW NORTH AMERICA | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | UNITED STATES (USA) |
| 5YM | BMW MANUFACTURER CORPORATION / BMW NORTH AMERICA | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | UNITED STATES (USA) |
| WMZ | BMW AG | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | GERMANY |
| WB5 | BMW AG | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | GERMANY |
What each character of a BMW VIN means
| Position | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | World manufacturer identifier (WMI): country, manufacturer and vehicle type |
| 4–8 | Vehicle descriptor: model, body, engine and restraint system, as defined by the manufacturer |
| 9 | Check digit, calculated from the other 16 characters to catch typos |
| 10 | Model year code |
| 11 | Assembly plant |
| 12–17 | Production sequence (serial) number |
BMW models: problems and recalls
- BMW X5 (3,156 complaints, 103 recalls)
- BMW 328I (2,580 complaints, 27 recalls)
- BMW X3 (2,010 complaints, 60 recalls)
- BMW Z4 (1,282 complaints, 28 recalls)
- BMW 325I (1,281 complaints, 20 recalls)
- BMW 3 Series (841 complaints, 8 recalls)
- BMW 528I (832 complaints, 14 recalls)
- BMW 330I (815 complaints, 38 recalls)
- BMW 335I (810 complaints, 13 recalls)
- BMW X1 (673 complaints, 20 recalls)
- BMW 323I (563 complaints, 12 recalls)
- BMW 530I (559 complaints, 31 recalls)
WMI data from NHTSA vPIC. Not affiliated with BMW.