TeslaTracker

Tesla VIN Decoder

Paste a 17-character Tesla VIN to instantly decode the model, year, plant, motor variant, and Autopilot hardware (HW3 / HW4). Free, no signup required.

How a Tesla VIN is Structured

17 characters, 7 sections. Every Tesla VIN follows the ISO 3779 standard.

5YJ
Pos 1–3
WMI
Tesla, USA
3
Pos 4
Model
Model 3
E1EA
Pos 5–8
Vehicle attributes
Body, restraint, fuel, motor
7
Pos 9
Check digit
Validates the VIN
P
Pos 10
Model year
P = 2023
F
Pos 11
Plant
F = Fremont, CA
484587
Pos 12–17
Serial number
Unique build sequence
Example: 5YJ3E1EA7PF484587 — a 2023 Tesla Model 3 built in Fremont, California

What a Tesla VIN Reveals

Every Tesla VIN packs nine distinct pieces of information into 17 characters.

Manufacturer & plant

Identify the factory that built your Tesla — Fremont, Austin, Berlin, or Shanghai — from positions 1–3 and 11.

Model year

Position 10 encodes the model year. We map every letter back to its calendar year (A=2010, N=2022, R=2024).

Autopilot hardware (HW3/HW4)

We infer HW3 vs HW4 from model, year, and factory — important for FSD eligibility and resale value.

Motor & drivetrain

Position 8 hints at the motor variant — RWD, dual-motor AWD, Performance, Plaid, or Cyberbeast.

Check digit validation

Position 9 is a math-based check digit. We run the ISO 3779 algorithm to confirm the VIN is real.

Inventory match

If we've tracked this VIN in Tesla's inventory, you'll also see the latest listing price and history.

Where to Find Your Tesla VIN

Five quick ways to find the 17 characters on (or for) your car.

1

Driver-side dashboard

Look through the bottom of the windshield on the driver's side. The VIN is stamped on a small plate visible from outside the car.

2

Driver-side door jamb

Open the driver's door. The VIN appears on a sticker on the inside of the B-pillar or door jamb, along with manufacturing details.

3

Tesla mobile app

Open the Tesla app → tap the car icon (top-left) → scroll to the bottom of the vehicle profile. The full VIN is listed there.

4

Tesla account online

Sign in at tesla.com/teslaaccount and select your vehicle. The VIN is shown under vehicle details.

5

Insurance & registration

Your auto insurance card, vehicle registration, and title document all list the VIN.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a Tesla VIN tell me?
A 17-character Tesla VIN encodes the manufacturer, model, body type, restraint system, fuel type, motor variant, model year, manufacturing plant, and a unique serial number. With model, year, and plant, you can also infer the Autopilot hardware version (HW3 vs HW4) and approximate build date.
Can a VIN tell me if my Tesla has HW3 or HW4?
Not directly — Tesla doesn't expose hardware version as a VIN digit. But we can infer it with high confidence from your model, year, and factory. For example: all new Teslas built after mid-2023 ship with HW4, all Cybertrucks have HW4, and all 2018-and-earlier Model 3/S/X have HW2.5 or older. We show our inference with a confidence rating.
How does the model year letter work?
Position 10 is a letter (or digit) that follows the ISO 3779 30-year cycle. The letters I, O, Q, U, Z, and the digit 0 are skipped. Common Tesla codes: L=2020, M=2021, N=2022, P=2023, R=2024, S=2025, T=2026.
What are the Tesla plant codes (position 11)?
F = Fremont, California (most Model S, X, and pre-Austin Model Y/3). A = Austin, Texas (Model Y, Cybertruck). B = Berlin, Germany (Model Y for Europe). R = Shanghai, China (Model 3 and Y for China and exports). K = Lathrop, California (Tesla Semi).
Why are I, O, and Q never used in a VIN?
ISO 3779 (the global VIN standard) excludes the letters I, O, and Q because they look too similar to the digits 1 and 0. If you see one of those characters in a Tesla VIN, it's not real.
Is this decoder accurate?
The mechanical decoding (WMI, model, year, plant, check digit) follows Tesla's official NHTSA Part 565 filings and is exact. The motor variant code (position 8) and hardware version inference are based on community-verified data and Tesla's own option-code mappings — we always show a confidence rating so you know how much to trust each field.
Does this work for Roadster, Semi, or Cybertruck?
Yes — we decode all Tesla models including Model 3, Model Y, Model S, Model X, Cybertruck, Tesla Semi, and Roadster (both original and new).

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