Lexus VIN Decoder
Enter any 17-character Lexus VIN. Free US-market Lexus VIN decoder backed by the official NHTSA VPIC database — engine code, assembly plant, model year, body class, and every open recall, in about 30 seconds.
How to read a Lexus VIN
A Lexus VIN, like any modern road-vehicle VIN, is 17 characters split into three blocks: the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) in positions 1–3, the Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) in positions 4–9, and the Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS) in positions 10–17. Here's a real Lexus VIN broken down position by position.
122T324B5Z6M7C8A9910K11C121130140150160171
| Position | Chars | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Country of origin 2 = Canada. Lexus VINs starting with J are Japanese-built (Tahara plant — LS / LC / ES, Kyushu plant — RX / NX / UX, Motomachi — LFA / GR Yaris), 2 = Canada (Cambridge ON — RX only, built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada alongside Toyota RAV4), 5 = USA (Georgetown KY — ES sedan since 2015, on the same line as the Toyota Camry). |
| 2-3 | T2 | Manufacturer (WMI) T2 = Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada — used for Lexus RX builds at the Cambridge ON plant. Other major Lexus WMIs include JTH (Japan passenger — IS / GS / LS / ES), JTJ (Japan SUV — RX / GX / LX / NX / UX), JTN (Japan-built ES / LC), and 58A (Georgetown KY — Lexus ES on the same plant as Toyota Camry). |
| 4-8 | BZMCA | Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) Encodes the model line (RX 350 4th-generation for this VIN), body style, restraint type, and engine. Lexus and Toyota share both VPIC entries and platforms — for the RX in particular, the chassis is shared with the Toyota Highlander. CheckMyVIN reports the Model, Series (e.g. GYL25L / GGL25L), Trim, Body Class and Engine Model that NHTSA VPIC returns directly rather than decoding the chars in isolation. |
| 9 | 9 | Check digit A mod-11 checksum computed from the other 16 positions. NHTSA uses this to reject typos before returning a decode — if the check digit is wrong, VPIC returns ErrorCode 1 and CheckMyVIN treats that as an unreadable VIN. |
| 10 | K | Model year K = 2019. The full year code table is below. The 30-year cycle skips I, O, Q, U, Z and 0 to avoid being confused with similar-looking digits. |
| 11 | C | Assembly plant For this VIN, C maps to Cambridge — Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada in Cambridge ON, where the RX is built for the North American market on the same site as the Toyota RAV4. CheckMyVIN reads Plant City and Plant Country directly from the VPIC record rather than inferring from this character; ES sedan production moved to Georgetown KY in 2015 (same plant as Toyota Camry), LS / LC / NX / UX / GX / LX are all Japan-built at various Toyota Group plants. Position-11 character changes meaning per WMI. |
| 12-17 | 100001 | Production sequence A 6-digit serial number that increments through the model year at that plant. Not useful on its own, but combined with year and plant it confirms the VIN is internally consistent. |
VIN year codes (position 10)
The 10th character of every modern VIN encodes the model year. The cycle skips the letters I, O, Q, U and Z, and the digit 0, to avoid being confused with similar digits. This table covers every model year currently on US roads.
| Code | Year | Code | Year | Code | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2010 | H | 2017 | R | 2024 |
| B | 2011 | J | 2018 | S | 2025 |
| C | 2012 | K | 2019 | T | 2026 |
| D | 2013 | L | 2020 | V | 2027 |
| E | 2014 | M | 2021 | W | 2028 |
| F | 2015 | N | 2022 | X | 2029 |
| G | 2016 | P | 2023 | Y | 2030 |
Full year code chart for all years (1980–2030) →
Lexus WMI codes (positions 1–3)
The first three characters of the VIN identify the manufacturer and country of assembly. Lexus uses several WMI codes depending on plant and model line.
| WMI | Meaning |
|---|---|
| JTH | Lexus passenger car (ES, IS, LS) — Japan |
| 2T2 | Lexus SUV (RX) — Cambridge, ON Canada |
| JTJ | Lexus SUV — Japan |
| 58A | Lexus passenger (ES) — Georgetown, KY USA |
Lexus build sheet & options
A full Lexus build sheet — original Monroney sticker, F SPORT or Luxury package contents, Mark Levinson sound system, semi-aniline leather, dealer-installed accessories — is not part of the federal NHTSA VPIC dataset. CheckMyVIN can confirm the model, series, trim level, engine family (shared with Toyota — 2GR-FKS, A25A, V35A, 2UR-GSE, etc.), assembly plant, model year, body class, and recall history pulled live from NHTSA, but it cannot return the original window-sticker options. For the full Monroney your authoritative source is a Lexus dealer, who can pull the build sheet from the VIN through Lexus' service system . Lexus also publishes the official Lexus owner site at lexus.com. CheckMyVIN never claims options data it cannot verify against the NHTSA record.
Lexus VIN decoder FAQ
Is the Lexus VIN decoder free?
Yes — every Lexus VIN lookup on CheckMyVIN is free, no signup, no email gate, no usage cap on individual users. Data comes from the public NHTSA VPIC API. The optional "full vehicle history report" link at the bottom of each report is an affiliate to a paid third-party history service; you can ignore it.
How do I read a Lexus VIN (RX, ES, IS, LS, NX, GX, LX, LC)?
A Lexus VIN is 17 characters: position 1 is the country (J = Japan, 2 = Canada — RX only, 5 = USA — ES at Georgetown KY), positions 2-3 are the WMI (T2 = Canada RX, JTH = Japan passenger including IS / GS / LS / ES, JTJ = Japan SUV including RX / GX / LX / NX / UX, 58A = Georgetown KY ES), position 10 is the model year (K = 2019, see the year table on this page), and position 11 is the plant. Enter any 17-character Lexus VIN above and CheckMyVIN reads every field via the official NHTSA database.
Where is the Lexus VIN located?
Three places on every modern Lexus: the dash plate at the base of the windshield (visible from outside, driver side), the driver-door jamb certification sticker, and on the title / registration. The Lexus Enform / Lexus Drivers app (linked to the VIN) also displays it under Vehicle Information.
Does CheckMyVIN show the Lexus F SPORT, Luxury package, or Mark Levinson option?
Partially. The decoder shows what NHTSA VPIC stores: model, series (e.g. GYL25L / GGL25L for RX 350 hybrid vs gas), trim level when Lexus registers it (Base / Standard / F SPORT / Luxury), engine, body class, plant, year. It does NOT show the original Monroney window sticker — the priced options list with Mark Levinson, head-up display, panoramic roof, navigation. For that, your authoritative source is your Lexus dealer (they can print the original Monroney from the VIN through Lexus' service system) or your Lexus Drivers account at lexus.com/drivers. CheckMyVIN never invents options data we cannot verify against NHTSA.
What does the 10th character of a Lexus VIN mean?
The 10th character is the model year code, following the ISO 3779 cycle every manufacturer uses: A = 2010, B = 2011, … K = 2019 (the worked example above), … Y = 2030. The cycle skips the letters I, O, Q, U, Z and the digit 0 to avoid being confused with similar-looking characters.
How do I tell a Lexus engine code (2GR-FKS, V35A, 2UR-GSE) from the VIN?
The engine code is in the Engine Model field NHTSA VPIC returns — decode the VIN above and look at the Vehicle Specifications block. Lexus uses Toyota engines: 2GR-FKS = 3.5L V6 (RX 350, ES 350, current GS), V35A-FTS = 3.5L twin-turbo V6 (LS 500, LX 600), 2UR-GSE = 5.0L V8 (LC 500, RC F, GS F, IS F historically), A25A-FXS = 2.5L hybrid 4-cyl (ES 300h, NX 300h), 1UR-FSE = 4.6L V8 (older LS 460 / GS 460). Engine code dictates oil grade, service interval, and the engine's known weak points.
Does CheckMyVIN cover the Lexus hybrids, Lexus EVs, and the LFA?
Yes — every Lexus in the NHTSA VPIC database is supported. Hybrid Lexus models (RX 450h, ES 300h, NX 300h, LS 500h, LC 500h) decode with the hybrid engine code and Fuel Type = Gasoline + Electric. The RZ 450e (Lexus first BEV) and the Lexus RX 450h+ plug-in hybrid decode with Electrification Level = BEV or PHEV and the report adjusts. The 2010-2012 LFA supercar (only 500 built, V10 1LR-GUE engine) is in NHTSA VPIC and decodes normally — every modern Lexus is covered.