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VIN decoder

Toyota VIN decoder

Enter a Toyota VIN to see how the car was built. The notes below explain the codes Toyota files with NHTSA, so you can check the decode against the car in front of you.

By Tayron Bram

Updated October 2026 · 5 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 the decoder shows for a Toyota
  2. Toyota manufacturer codes (WMI)
  3. How Toyota uses positions 4 to 8 and 11
  4. Toyota-specific checks
  5. Before you buy a used Toyota

What the decoder shows for a Toyota

The decoder starts as soon as all 17 characters are in. It asks NHTSA’s free vPIC database what Toyota reported for that VIN: model year, model, grade, body, engine or hybrid system, drive type, assembly plant, and the airbags and belts fitted. It also lists the recalls NHTSA has on file for that year and model. What it can’t show is the car’s life after the factory: title brands, insurance total losses, accidents and odometer readings come from a history report. The general VIN decoder works for any make, and pricing lists the reports we sell.

Toyota manufacturer codes (WMI)

Source: NHTSA vPIC, WMIs registered to Toyota, checked October 25, 2026. Main car, SUV and truck codes only; the full list is longer.
WMIManufacturer as registeredVehicle type
JTDTOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATIONPassenger car
JTNTOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATIONPassenger car
JTETOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATIONMultipurpose passenger vehicle
JTMTOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATIONMultipurpose passenger vehicle
4T1TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, KENTUCKY, INC.Passenger car
5YFTOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, MISSISSIPPI, INC.Passenger car
2T3TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING CANADAMultipurpose passenger vehicle
5TDTOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, INDIANA, INC.Multipurpose passenger vehicle
7SVTOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, TEXAS, INC.Multipurpose passenger vehicle
5TFTOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, TEXAS, INC.Truck
3TMTOYOTA MOTOR MFG DE BAJA CALIFORNIA S DE RL DE CVTruck

The first character is the country where the vehicle was built, and Toyota’s registrations follow it closely: J codes are registered in Japan, 2T in Canada, 3T in Mexico, and 4T, 5T, 5YF and 7SV in the United States. Toyota’s 2027 filings also put JTH on the Lexus ES and JTJ on the Lexus GX, so a VIN starting with JT isn’t always a Toyota-badged car.

How Toyota uses positions 4 to 8 and 11

Toyota sends NHTSA a VIN coding sheet for each model and year. In those sheets, positions 4 to 8 work as one five-character code, and each code is listed against a body type, grade, engine or hybrid system, restraint system, series and drive type. On the 2027 Corolla built in Japan, for example, the 2.0-liter gasoline sedans and the 1.8-liter hybrids carry different codes, and the front-drive and all-wheel-drive hybrids differ again. Position 9 is the check digit, position 10 the model year and positions 12 to 17 the production number.

Position 11 is the plant. Toyota defines the letters model by model, so read them with the WMI. Examples from the 2027 sheets:

  • U: Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, in Georgetown, on the Camry (WMI 4T1).
  • P: Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi, in Blue Springs, on the Corolla (WMI 5YF).
  • 3: the Tsutsumi plant in Toyota City, Japan, on the Corolla (WMI JTD).
  • 5: the Tahara plant in Aichi, Japan, on the Lexus GX.
  • Y: Subaru’s Yajima plant in Ota, Japan, on the Toyota bZ Woodland.

That last one is correct: Toyota’s own filing lists the bZ Woodland as assembled at a Subaru plant. It works the other way too. The 2027 Subaru Solterra is filed by Toyota under JTM and built at Toyota’s Motomachi and Takaoka plants, and the Toyota GR86 appears in Subaru’s filing under Subaru’s JF1 code. If the decoder shows a manufacturer you didn’t expect, check this before assuming the VIN is wrong.

Toyota-specific checks

  • Toyota’s recall lookup accepts the 17-character VIN or a license plate and state, and covers safety recalls and service campaigns for that exact vehicle. Toyota points to the top of the dash, the driver-side door jamb, the registration and the insurance card as places to find the VIN.
  • Our decoder lists recalls for the model. Only a VIN search shows whether this car’s repair was done. NHTSA’s search covers recalls up to 15 years old unless the maker offers more.
  • Position 10 is the model year, not the build date: Toyota’s 2027 sheets use V. The full list is in VIN year codes.
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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 Toyota

  • Match the VIN on the dash, the driver-door label and the title. One mismatch is a reason to stop.
  • Check that the start of the VIN fits the story: a 2027 Camry from Kentucky starts 4T1 and has U in position 11.
  • Run a history report for title brands, total losses and mileage. See salvage title check and odometer rollback check.
  • Search open recalls by VIN with Toyota or NHTSA and ask the seller for proof the work was done.

A CARFAX report on the Toyota you’re looking at is $8.99 with us.

Questions

Why does one Toyota VIN start with J and another with 4 or 5?

The first character shows the country of manufacture. Toyota’s WMIs starting with J are registered in Japan, 2T in Canada, 3T in Mexico, and 4T, 5T, 5YF and 7SV in the United States.

Is a Toyota VIN with a Subaru plant code genuine?

It can be. Toyota’s 2027 filing for the bZ Woodland lists Y in position 11 for Subaru’s Yajima plant in Japan. Check the rest of the VIN, the labels on the car and a history report as usual.

What do positions 4 to 8 mean on a Toyota?

Toyota treats them as one five-character code. Its filings list each code against body type, grade, engine or hybrid system, restraints, series and drive type.

Does the decoder tell me if my Toyota still needs a recall repair?

It lists recalls NHTSA has for that model year and model. To see whether a specific car still needs a repair, search its VIN or plate on Toyota’s recall page or at NHTSA.

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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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