BMW VIN Decoder
Enter any 17-character BMW VIN. We pull the NHTSA VPIC record (engine, drive, plant, trim) and check for open recalls — about 30 seconds, free.
How the BMW decoder works
CheckMyVIN sends your VIN to the NHTSA VPIC (Vehicle Product Information Catalog) API. VPIC returns detailed manufacturer data per VIN; we extract the 18 most relevant fields — make, model, year, body class, engine displacement, engine model code, drive type, fuel type, transmission, assembly plant, and electrification details. For BMW specifically, the engine model code is the most useful field: it lets us look up the right oil grade, spark plug part number, and known weak points.
Common BMW WMI codes
| WMI | Meaning |
|---|---|
| WBA | BMW passenger car — Germany |
| WBS | BMW M GmbH — Germany |
| WBX | BMW SAV (X-series) — built in Spartanburg, SC |
| 5UX | BMW SAV — Spartanburg, SC USA |
| 4US | BMW passenger car — Spartanburg, SC USA |
| WBY | BMW i / electric — Germany |
| WB1 | BMW Motorrad (motorcycles) — Germany |