BMW VIN decoder
NHTSA has 12 world manufacturer identifiers on file for BMW cars, SUVs and trucks, registered in 2 countries. Enter a BMW VIN to decode it, or check the table to see what the first three characters mean.
What a BMW VIN starts with.
The first three characters of a VIN are the world manufacturer identifier (WMI). These are the ones NHTSA lists for BMW passenger cars, SUVs, trucks and incomplete vehicles.
12 BMW WMIs
| WMI | Registered to | Country | Vehicle type | Makes on this WMI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3MF | BMW AG Germany · Passenger car | Germany | Passenger car | BMW |
| 3MW | BMW AG Germany · Passenger car | Germany | Passenger car | BMW |
| 4US | BMW Manufacturer Corporation / BMW North America United States · Passenger car | United States | Passenger car | BMW |
| 5UM | BMW AG Germany · Passenger car | Germany | Passenger car | BMW |
| 5UX | BMW Manufacturer Corporation / BMW North America United States · SUV / MPV | United States | SUV / MPV | BMW |
| 5YM | BMW Manufacturer Corporation / BMW North America United States · SUV / MPV | United States | SUV / MPV | BMW |
| WAP | BMW of North America, LLC Germany · Passenger car | Germany | Passenger car | BMW |
| WB5 | BMW AG Germany · SUV / MPV | Germany | SUV / MPV | BMW |
| WBA | BMW AG Germany · Passenger car | Germany | Passenger car | BMW |
| WBS | BMW M GmbH Germany · Passenger car | Germany | Passenger car | BMW |
| WBX | BMW AG Germany · SUV / MPV | Germany | SUV / MPV | BMW |
| WBY | BMW AG Germany · Passenger car | Germany | Passenger car | BMW |
Reading a BMW VIN.
After the WMI, positions 4–8 hold BMW’s own coding for model, body, engine and restraints; position 9 is the check digit, 10 the model year and 11 the plant. The last six are the serial number.
BMW VIN questions.
What does a BMW VIN start with?
NHTSA lists 12 world manufacturer identifiers (WMIs) for BMW road vehicles. The ones registered for passenger cars and SUVs are 3MF, 3MW, 4US, 5UM, 5UX, 5YM, WAP, WB5, WBA, WBS, WBX and WBY. The first three characters of the VIN are the WMI.
Where are BMW vehicles built, according to their VINs?
BMW WMIs are registered to manufacturers in Germany and United States. The WMI shows the registering company and country; position 11 identifies the exact assembly plant, which the decoder shows for each VIN.
How do I decode a BMW VIN?
Enter the 17-character VIN above. We decode it with NHTSA’s vPIC database, which uses the coding BMW files with NHTSA for positions 4–8, then show the model year, trim, engine, transmission, plant and reported safety equipment.
Does a BMW VIN show recalls?
After decoding, we list every NHTSA recall for that BMW model and model year. Whether one specific vehicle has been repaired can only be confirmed with its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or by a BMW dealer.