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Ford VIN Decoder

Decode any 17-character Ford VIN (1981 and newer): year, model, trim, engine, plant and safety equipment from NHTSA's official decoder, plus recall campaigns and owner complaints for that model year.

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Brushed metal VIN plate on a dark dashboard with a streak of blue light across it

Popular Ford models

All Ford models →
F-15038,744 complaints · 183 recallsExplorer34,550 complaints · 142 recallsEscape27,413 complaints · 95 recallsFusion22,399 complaints · 46 recallsFocus22,094 complaints · 36 recallsTaurus18,282 complaints · 71 recallsWindstar14,158 complaints · 33 recallsEdge14,053 complaints · 43 recallsMustang10,051 complaints · 82 recallsExpedition9,356 complaints · 77 recallsRanger8,469 complaints · 102 recallsF-250 SD6,524 complaints · 68 recalls

Ford VIN prefixes (WMI codes)

The first three characters of a VIN are the World Manufacturer Identifier. These are the codes NHTSA has on file for manufacturers matching “Ford”, including related companies and plants abroad.

World Manufacturer Identifiers registered with NHTSA for Ford
WMIManufacturerVehicle typeCountry
1F1Ford Motor CompanyMultipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV)United States (USA)
1F7Ford Motor CompanyPassenger CarUnited States (USA)
1FAFord Motor CompanyPassenger CarUnited States (USA)
1FBFord Motor CompanyBusUnited States (USA)
1FLFord Motor CompanyPassenger CarNorway
1FMFord Motor CompanyMultipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV)United States (USA)
1FTFord Motor CompanyTruckUnited States (USA)
1L1Ford Motor CompanyPassenger CarUnited States (USA)
1LNFord Motor CompanyPassenger CarUnited States (USA)
1MEFord Motor CompanyPassenger CarUnited States (USA)
1MRFord Motor CompanyPassenger CarUnited States (USA)
2FAFord Motor Company Of Canada, Ltd.Passenger CarCanada
2FBFord Motor Company Of Canada, Ltd.BusUnited States (USA)
2FMFord Motor Company Of Canada, Ltd.Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV)Canada
2FTFord Motor Company Of Canada, Ltd.TruckCanada
2LMFord Motor Company Of Canada, Ltd.Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV)Canada
2LNFord Motor Company Of Canada, Ltd.Passenger CarCanada
2MEFord Motor Company Of Canada, Ltd.Passenger CarCanada
2MRFord Motor Company Of Canada, Ltd.Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV)Canada
3FAFord Motor Company, MexicoPassenger CarMexico
3FBFord Motor Company, MexicoBusMexico
3FMFord Motor Company, MexicoMultipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV)Mexico
3FTFord Motor Company, MexicoTruckMexico
3LNFord Motor Company, MexicoPassenger CarMexico
3MAFord Motor Company, MexicoPassenger CarMexico
3MEFord Motor Company, MexicoPassenger CarMexico
4F2Ford Motor CompanyMultipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV)United States (USA)
4F3Ford Motor CompanyTruckUnited States (USA)
4F4Ford Motor CompanyTruckUnited States (USA)
4M2Ford Motor CompanyMultipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV)United States (USA)
4M4Ford Motor CompanyTruckUnited States (USA)
4N2Ford Motor CompanyMultipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV)United States (USA)
4N4Ford Motor CompanyTruckUnited States (USA)
5L1Ford Motor CompanyMultipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV)United States (USA)
5LMFord Motor CompanyMultipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV)United States (USA)
5LTFord Motor CompanyTruckUnited States (USA)
6MPFord Motor Co Of Australia Ltd.Passenger CarAustralia
7A5Ford Motor Company Of New Zealand LtdTrailerNew Zealand
9BFFord Motor Company Brasil Ltda.TruckBrazil
KNJKia Motors (Ford Imports)Passenger CarSouth Korea

Source: NHTSA vPIC GetWMIsForManufacturer (first 40 of 45).

Ford in NHTSA’s records

68Ford models in our data
289,549owner complaints filed with NHTSA
1,340recall campaigns covering these models
12countries with Ford-related WMI codes

Where the codes point: NHTSA lists Ford-related WMI codes for United States (21), Canada (7), Mexico (7), Germany (2), Norway (1), Australia (1), New Zealand (1), Brazil (1), South Korea (1), India (1), Turkey (1) and Ireland (1). The first character of a VIN usually reflects the country where the vehicle was built, so two cars of the same Ford model can start with different characters if they were built in different plants.

Most-recalled Ford models

F-150: 183 recallsExplorer: 142 recallsRanger: 102 recallsEscape: 95 recallsF-250: 87 recallsF-350: 83 recallsMustang: 82 recallsF-350 SD: 78 recalls

Latest Ford recall campaigns

All Ford recalls →
  1. Recall26V606000Sep 22, 2026 Exterior Lighting May Fail/FMVSS 108Ford Expedition, F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-550 SD and more 41,748 vehicles
  2. Recall26V605000Sep 22, 2026 Rearview Camera Image May Not Display/FMVSS 111Ford Ranger 11,405 vehicles
  3. Recall26V582000Sep 9, 2026 Loss of Power or Fire Risk from Incorrect BECM SoftwareFord Mustang Mach-E 86 vehicles

Reading a Ford VIN

A Ford VIN follows the same federal 17-character format as every vehicle sold in the US since the 1981 model year. The first three characters are the World Manufacturer Identifier (1F1, 1F7, 1FA, 1FB, 1FL, 1FM and others for Ford), positions 4–8 are Ford's own codes for the model line, body, engine and restraints, position 9 is the check digit, position 10 is the model year and position 11 is the assembly plant.

Because positions 4–8 are maker-specific, the decoder above asks NHTSA's vPIC catalog to translate them, then matches the year, make and model to Ford's recall campaigns and owner complaints. For a position-by-position walkthrough see how to read a VIN; for the year letter, use the model-year code chart.

Ford VIN decoder FAQ

Where is the VIN on a Ford?

On a Ford car, SUV or light truck, look through the windshield at the driver's-side corner of the dashboard, or read the label on the driver's door jamb. It is also on the title, registration and insurance card. Our guide shows where to find the VIN on each body type.

How do I find the model year from a Ford VIN?

Look at the 10th character. For cars, SUVs and light trucks, a letter in position 7 means the 2010–2039 cycle and a number means 1980–2009, so the same letter can point to two years 30 years apart.

Does a Ford VIN decoder show recalls?

It shows the recall campaigns NHTSA lists for that Ford model year (1340 campaigns across the Ford models in our data). Whether your specific vehicle still needs a repair is only shown by NHTSA's VIN lookup or a Ford dealer.

What do the first three characters of a Ford VIN mean?

They are the World Manufacturer Identifier. NHTSA has 45 WMI codes on file for manufacturers matching Ford, including 1F1, 1F7, 1FA, 1FB. The full list is in the table above.

Which Ford models have the most complaints filed with NHTSA?

In our data: F-150 (38,744), Explorer (34,550), Escape (27,413). Counts are owner reports across all model years, not failure rates; popular models draw more reports.

How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes

Data sources

Processing

  • We send your VIN to NHTSA vPIC and show the fields it returns; empty fields are hidden by default.
  • Recalls and complaints are matched by the decoded year, make and model, not by your VIN.

Limitations

  • Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
  • Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
  • Recent model years are still collecting reports.

Review

Reference text reviewed by the Vehicle Data Desk.

Changelog

  • 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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