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Ram VIN decoder

Enter a Ram truck or van VIN and the free decoder reads it the moment the 17th character is typed. Here is what Ram’s codes mean, including the one that tells a Cummins diesel from a gas V8.

By Tayron Bram

Updated October 2026 · 4 min read

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

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On this page
  1. What you get for a Ram VIN
  2. Ram manufacturer codes (WMI)
  3. How Ram uses positions 4 to 8 and 11
  4. Ram or Dodge?
  5. Before you buy a used Ram

What you get for a Ram VIN

Our decoder looks the VIN up in NHTSA’s vPIC database and shows the model year, model, series, cab and body, drive type, engine size and cylinders, fuel, the plant, airbags and the GVWR class the maker reported. It also lists recalls NHTSA has for that year, make and model. A VIN decode doesn’t carry a truck’s history: no salvage or flood brands, no accidents, no odometer records. For those you need a report (pricing). Other makes go through the main VIN decoder.

Ram manufacturer codes (WMI)

Source: NHTSA vPIC. Ram has no WMI of its own; these are Stellantis codes shared with other brands, and the list isn’t exhaustive.
WMIManufacturer as registeredVehicle type
1C6FCA US LLCTruck
3C6Chrysler de Mexico TolucaTruck
3C7Chrysler de Mexico TolucaIncomplete vehicle
1D7FCA US LLCTruck (listed under the Dodge make)
3D7Chrysler de Mexico TolucaTruck (listed under the Dodge make)

Position 1 is where the truck was built: 1 for the United States and 3 for Mexico in these codes. vPIC lists 1C6 for several makes at once (Ram, Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler and others), so the first three characters alone don’t prove a truck is a Ram. Position 5 does, as the next section shows.

How Ram uses positions 4 to 8 and 11

In the 2027 code guide that FCA US filed with NHTSA, every Ram line follows the same plan:

  • Position 4: restraint devices and GVWR band, for example 6,001 to 7,000 lb on a 1500 and above 10,000 lb on many 3500s.
  • Positions 5 to 7: brand, model name, 2WD or 4WD, brakes, cab type and trim series, read as one group. On every Ram line in the guide position 5 is R, where Dodge models use D and Jeep models J.
  • Position 8, engine: on the 2500 and 3500, L is the 6.7-litre Cummins turbo-diesel inline-six and J the 6.4-litre gasoline V8. On the 2027 ProMaster, G is the 3.6-litre V6 and Z the battery-electric drive.
  • Position 11, plant: N is Sterling Heights, Michigan and 4 is the Saltillo Truck Extension Plant (Ram 1500); G is Saltillo Truck Assembly (2500, 3500 and chassis cabs); E is the Saltillo van and truck plant (ProMaster), all in Coahuila, Mexico.

Ram or Dodge?

Older pickups can decode under the Dodge make: vPIC’s Dodge model list for years such as 2011 includes Ram and Ram Chassis Cab, and codes 1D7 and 3D7 are listed as Dodge trucks. Read the make and model fields together. Because the decoder matches recalls on year, make and model, the make NHTSA returns decides which recall list you see.

Position 10 is the year (V for 2027; full table at VIN year codes). To check one truck’s open recalls, enter its VIN at NHTSA or in the Mopar recall search that ramtrucks.com links to.

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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 Ram

  • Read the VIN through the windshield and on the door label, and match both to the title.
  • If the ad says Cummins, position 8 should be L on a recent 2500 or 3500.
  • Compare the odometer with every reading in a history report (odometer rollback check).
  • Look for salvage, flood or rebuilt brands before you pay (salvage title check).

An AutoCheck report on a Ram VIN is $7.99 with us.

Questions

How do I tell a diesel Ram from its VIN?

Look at position 8. In FCA US’s 2027 guide for the Ram 2500 and 3500, L is the 6.7-litre Cummins turbo-diesel and J the 6.4-litre gasoline V8. Codes can change between model years, so the decoder’s engine field is the safer read.

Was my Ram built in Mexico?

If the VIN starts with 3, yes. Position 11 narrows it down: in the 2027 guide, G and 4 are Saltillo truck plants and E is the Saltillo van plant, while N is Sterling Heights, Michigan.

Why does my Ram decode as a Dodge?

NHTSA’s data lists some older pickups under the Dodge make with Ram as the model. The make shown is the one NHTSA has on file for that model year, so read the model field too.

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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.

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