Mercedes-Benz VIN Breakdown
The Mercedes-Benz VIN breakdown hasn’t changed since 1983, so if your vehicle is newer than that, you can use this list to identify your car. All VINs consists of 17 characters and each one hides an important piece of information that might be needed by a mechanic or the DMV. The VIN number changes between models sold in the US, so for the purpose of this blog, we’ll talk about the US models only.
Have you ever wondered what your vehicle identification number (VIN) says about your car? As it turns out, you can learn almost everything about a car with the VIN alone. Whether you are just curious or need to know where your car was made, take a look at this Mercedes-Benz VIN breakdown to learn exactly what each character signifies.
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VIN Character 1: World Origin
W Germany
VIN Character 2: Manufacturer Code
D Mercedes-Benz (Daimler)
VIN Character 3: Division
B – Benz
C – Chrysler
D – Daimler AG
VIN Character 4: Series Indicator
Each class and generation gets its own letter in the Mercedes-Benz VIN breakdown. This is the most specific number because it tells you what class, model, and generation the vehicle is.
- A W123
- B W102
- C W126
- D W201
- E W124 E-Class
- F R129 SL-Class
- G W140 S-Class
- H W202 C-Class
- J W210 E-Class
- K R170 SLK-Class
- L W208 CLK-Class
- N W220 S-Class
- P W215 CL-Class
- R W203 C-Class
- S R230 SL-Class
- U W211 E-Class
- W R171 SLK-Class
VIN Character 5: Body Style
- A Roadster
- B Long Body
- F Sedan
- G Sedan Long WB
- H Wagon
- J Coupe
- K Cabriolet
- M AMG
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VIN Characters 6-7: Model
VIN Character 8: Safety Restraint System
Modern cars, such as the 2015 Mercedes Benz E-Class, have many more safety features than this, but this is the minimum required by the National Highway Traffic Safety Asoociation.
C Seat belt + Emergency pretensioners
D Driver front air bag
E Passenger front air bag
F Side air bags
VIN Character 9: Check Digit
A check digit is a verification number calculated by a third party to verify accuracy.
VIN Character 10: Model Year
Model years alternate between 1-9 and A-Y
VIN Character 11: Production Plant
A-E Sindelfingen
F-H Bremen
J Rastatt
X Graz
T Karmann
V Valmet Automotive, Finland
M Woking, England
VIN Character 12-17: Chassis Number
This last set of numbers is the order in which your car came off the production line. For car collectors, the lower this number, the better.
Now you have a little knowledge about what your VIN number means. Go check it out! Use it to your advantage when purchasing a new or used car. Stop in at Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale to see our inventory and test our salesmen!
