Skip to content
Smart VIN Check

VIN decoder

Lexus VIN decoder

Enter a Lexus VIN and the free decoder reads it once all 17 characters are typed. Lexus has no manufacturer codes in its own name, so here is how to recognise one and read the rest.

By Tayron Bram

Updated October 2026 · 3 min read

Share
0 of 17

Letters and numbers, no I, O or Q. It decodes as soon as all 17 are in.

Try it with

On this page
  1. What the decoder shows for a Lexus
  2. Lexus manufacturer codes (WMI)
  3. Positions 4 to 8 and 11 in Lexus filings
  4. Lexus checks: year code and recalls
  5. Before you buy a used Lexus

What the decoder shows for a Lexus

The VIN is checked against NHTSA’s vPIC database. For a Lexus you usually get the model year, model, trim, body, drive type, engine displacement and cylinders, fuel and whether it is a hybrid or plug-in hybrid, the plant, airbag positions and weight class. Recalls NHTSA lists for that year and model follow. The decode tells you how the car was built, not what has happened to it since: title brands, accidents and odometer history need a history report (pricing). The VIN decoder handles other makes.

Lexus manufacturer codes (WMI)

Source: NHTSA vPIC, codes it decodes to the Lexus make. Some Toyota codes, such as JTE and 5TD, are listed for Toyota and Lexus together. Not an exhaustive list.
WMIManufacturer as registeredVehicle type
JTHToyota Motor CorporationPassenger car
JT8Toyota Motor CorporationPassenger car
JTJToyota Motor CorporationMultipurpose passenger vehicle (MPV)
JT6Toyota Motor CorporationMultipurpose passenger vehicle (MPV)
2T2Toyota Motor Manufacturing CanadaMultipurpose passenger vehicle (MPV)
58AToyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc.Passenger car

Searching vPIC for Lexus as a manufacturer returns nothing, because Lexus vehicles are registered by Toyota Motor Corporation and its plants. Position 1 still gives the country: J for Japan, 2 for Canada and 5 for the United States. The Lexus filings match: the ES built in Kentucky uses 58A, the NX from Canada uses 2T2 and the NX from Japan JTJ.

Positions 4 to 8 and 11 in Lexus filings

Toyota’s coding sheets for Lexus describe positions 4 to 8 as one vehicle descriptor, listing for each code the body type, trim level, engine, restraint system, series, drive and GVWR class. Reading the 2026 NX sheet row by row shows a pattern:

  • Position 4 follows the trim: A Base, C F Sport, G Premium, H Luxury and K F Sport Handling.
  • Position 5 follows the powertrain: C for the 2.5-litre hybrid with two-wheel drive, K for the hybrid with four-wheel drive, G for the 2.4-litre turbo.
  • Position 7 separates the plug-in: the NX plug-in hybrid rows carry F, while hybrid all-wheel-drive rows carry E.
  • Position 11, plant: the NX sheet lists 2 for Toyota Motor Kyushu, 5 for the Tahara plant and C for Cambridge, Ontario. The 2025 ES sheet uses U for Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, and the 2025 LX sheet 4 for Toyota Auto Body’s Yoshiwara plant.

These meanings are set per model and per year, so treat the pattern as a guide and let the decoder read the specific VIN.

Lexus checks: year code and recalls

Position 10 is S for 2025 and T for 2026 in these sheets; VIN year codes covers the rest. Lexus recalls are looked up on Toyota’s recall and campaign tool, which covers Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles sold in the U.S., its territories and Mexico, for campaigns released since 1999. NHTSA also searches by VIN. The decoder’s recall list applies to the model.

0 of 17

Letters and numbers, no I, O or Q. It’s on the dashboard by the windshield, on the driver’s door frame, and on the title.

Before you buy a used Lexus

  • Compare the VIN on the dash, the door label and the title.
  • If a car is sold as a plug-in hybrid, check that the decoder’s electrification field says so.
  • Check the title for salvage, rebuilt or flood brands (salvage title check).
  • Compare the odometer with earlier readings (odometer rollback check).

A CARFAX report on a Lexus VIN costs $8.99 with us.

Questions

Why isn’t there a Lexus WMI?

Lexus vehicles are registered with NHTSA by Toyota companies, so their codes, such as JTH, JTJ, 2T2 and 58A, are in Toyota’s name. vPIC still decodes them to the Lexus make.

Is my Lexus built in Japan?

A VIN starting with J was built in Japan. Lexus models from Canada start with 2 (for example the NX on 2T2) and the Kentucky-built ES starts with 58A.

Where do I check recalls on a Lexus?

Enter the VIN in Toyota’s recall lookup, which covers Lexus, or at NHTSA. Our decoder shows the recalls NHTSA lists for the model, not the status of one car.

Was this helpful?

About the author

Tayron Bram

Data Validation Officer

Tayron Bram is the Data Validation Officer at Smart VIN Check, with 41 years of experience in used-car sales, auto auctions and vehicle data. Tayron has checked thousands of vehicle history reports and worked with dealers importing cars from the US. At Smart VIN Check, Tayron checks that every fact in our guides matches its source, from state title rules to NMVTIS and NHTSA records, and goes back to those sources when they change. Before a guide is published, Tayron reads it the way a buyer would, looking for anything unclear, out of date or not backed by a source. Tayron also keeps the prices we quote from other sellers current, so the comparisons on our pages stay accurate.

More from Tayron Bram

Related

Sources