Mercedes-Benz VIN Decoder
Decode any 17-character Mercedes-Benz 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.
Popular Mercedes-Benz models
All Mercedes-Benz models →Mercedes-Benz 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 “Mercedes-Benz”, including related companies and plants abroad.
| WMI | Manufacturer | Vehicle type | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1MB | Mercedes-Benz Truck Company Inc | Truck | United States (USA) |
| 4JG | Mercedes-Benz Of North America, Inc. | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | United States (USA) |
| 55S | Mercedes-Benz Cars | Passenger Car | United States (USA) |
| 8BR | Mercedes-Benz Usa, Llc (Sprinter) | Bus | Argentina |
| 8BT | Mercedes-Benz Usa, Llc (Sprinter) | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Argentina |
| 8BU | Mercedes-Benz Usa, Llc (Sprinter) | Truck | Argentina |
| 9DB | Mercedes-Benz Truck Company Inc | Truck | Brazil |
| W1A | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Passenger Car | |
| W1H | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Truck | Germany |
| W1K | Mercedes-Benz Cars | Passenger Car | Germany |
| W1L | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Passenger Car | |
| W1M | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Passenger Car | |
| W1N | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Germany |
| W1P | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | |
| W1R | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | |
| W1W | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Germany |
| W1Y | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Truck | Germany |
| W1Z | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Bus | Germany |
| W2W | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Germany |
| W2Y | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Truck | Germany |
| W2Z | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Bus | Germany |
| WD0 | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Truck | United States (USA) |
| WD3 | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Truck | Germany |
| WD4 | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Germany |
| WD8 | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | United States (USA) |
| WDB | Mercedes-Benz Cars | Passenger Car | Germany |
| WDC | Mercedes-Benz Cars | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Germany |
| WDD | Mercedes-Benz Cars | Passenger Car | Germany |
| WDW | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Bus | United States (USA) |
| WDZ | Mercedes-Benz Usa, Llc (Sprinter) | Bus | Germany |
| WME | Mercedes-Benz Cars | Passenger Car | Germany |
| WYB | Mercedes-Benz, Ag | Truck | Germany |
Source: NHTSA vPIC GetWMIsForManufacturer.
Mercedes-Benz in NHTSA’s records
Where the codes point: NHTSA lists Mercedes-Benz-related WMI codes for Germany (17), United States (6), (5), Argentina (3) and Brazil (1). The first character of a VIN usually reflects the country where the vehicle was built, so two cars of the same Mercedes-Benz model can start with different characters if they were built in different plants.
Most-recalled Mercedes-Benz models
Latest Mercedes-Benz recall campaigns
All Mercedes-Benz recalls →- Recall26V481000Jul 24, 2026 Rollaway Risk from Door Switch FailureMercedes-Benz C300, GLC 300, CLA250, GLA 250 and more 310,667 vehicles
- Recall26V353000May 29, 2026 Rear Seat Belt Bolts Not Tightened ProperlyMercedes-Benz GLE 350 203 vehicles
- Recall26V281000May 1, 2026 Blank Instrument Panel DisplayMercedes-Benz C300, E350, GLC 300 144,049 vehicles
Reading a Mercedes-Benz VIN
A Mercedes-Benz 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 (1MB, 4JG, 55S, 8BR, 8BT, 8BU and others for Mercedes-Benz), positions 4–8 are Mercedes-Benz'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 Mercedes-Benz'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.
Mercedes-Benz VIN decoder FAQ
Where is the VIN on a Mercedes-Benz?
On a Mercedes-Benz 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 Mercedes-Benz 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 Mercedes-Benz VIN decoder show recalls?
It shows the recall campaigns NHTSA lists for that Mercedes-Benz model year (460 campaigns across the Mercedes-Benz models in our data). Whether your specific vehicle still needs a repair is only shown by NHTSA's VIN lookup or a Mercedes-Benz dealer.
What do the first three characters of a Mercedes-Benz VIN mean?
They are the World Manufacturer Identifier. NHTSA has 32 WMI codes on file for manufacturers matching Mercedes-Benz, including 1MB, 4JG, 55S, 8BR. The full list is in the table above.
Which Mercedes-Benz models have the most complaints filed with NHTSA?
In our data: C300 (3,963), E350 (2,212), E320 (1,164). 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
- NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder (DecodeVinValues)
Queried live when you decode · public domain - NHTSA recalls by vehicle
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - US DOT recall completion rates (data.transportation.gov)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA ODI owner complaints
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026
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.