Mazda VIN Decoder
Enter any 17-character Mazda VIN. Free US-market Mazda 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 Mazda VIN
A Mazda 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 Mazda VIN broken down position by position.
1J2M334K5F6B7C8M9710L110122133144155166177
| Position | Chars | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | J | Country of origin J = Japan. Most Mazdas are built in Hiroshima or Hofu, Japan. The Mazda3 and CX-30 are built in Mexico (VIN starts with 3), and the CX-50 is built in Huntsville, Alabama (VIN starts with 7). |
| 2-3 | M3 | Manufacturer (WMI) M3 = Mazda's Japan-built SUV/MPV WMI (JM3 — CX-5, CX-9, CX-30). Other Mazda WMIs include JM1 (Japan-built cars — Mazda3, Mazda6, MX-5), 3MZ / 3MV (Mexico-built Mazda3 / CX-30), and 7MM (US-built CX-50). |
| 4-8 | KFBCM | Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) Encodes the model line, body style, restraint system, and engine. Mazda does not publish a public VDS-to-trim table, so CheckMyVIN reports what NHTSA VPIC returns directly (Model, Trim, Body Class, Engine, Drive Type) rather than guessing what individual characters mean. |
| 9 | 7 | Check digit A mod-11 checksum computed from the other 16 positions. NHTSA uses it to reject typos before returning a decode — if the check digit is wrong, VPIC returns an error and CheckMyVIN treats the VIN as unreadable. |
| 10 | L | Model year L = 2020. 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 | 0 | Assembly plant For this VIN, position 11 maps to a Mazda plant in Hiroshima, Japan. CheckMyVIN reads Plant City and Plant Country directly from the VPIC record rather than inferring the plant from this character — position 11 is brand-internal. |
| 12-17 | 234567 | 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 |
Mazda WMI codes (positions 1–3)
The first three characters of the VIN identify the manufacturer and country of assembly. Mazda uses several WMI codes depending on plant and model line.
| WMI | Meaning |
|---|---|
| JM1 | Mazda passenger car (Mazda3, Mazda6, MX-5 Miata) — Japan |
| JM3 | Mazda SUV/MPV (CX-5, CX-9, CX-30) — Japan |
| 3MZ | Mazda passenger car (Mazda3) — Mexico (Guanajuato) |
| 3MV | Mazda SUV (CX-30) — Mexico (Salamanca) |
| 7MM | Mazda SUV (CX-50) — USA (Huntsville, AL) |
Mazda build sheet & options
A full Mazda build sheet — the original factory options, paint code, package contents, and dealer-installed accessories — is not part of the federal NHTSA VPIC dataset. CheckMyVIN can confirm engine family (Skyactiv-G / -D, the 2.5L turbo, the older MZR), assembly plant, model year, body class, and recall history pulled live from NHTSA, but it cannot return the original option list. For that, the parts/service record at a Mazda dealer (which can be pulled from the VIN) and the owner portal are the authoritative sources. CheckMyVIN never claims options data it cannot verify against the NHTSA record.
Mazda VIN decoder FAQ
Is the Mazda VIN decoder free?
Yes — every Mazda VIN lookup on CheckMyVIN is free, with no signup, no email gate, and 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. Whether you search "Mazda VIN decoder", "Mazda VIN lookup", or "decode VIN Mazda", this is the same free tool.
How do I read a Mazda VIN (Mazda3, CX-5, CX-30, MX-5)?
A Mazda VIN is 17 characters: position 1 is the country (J = Japan, 3 = Mexico, 7 = USA), positions 2-3 are the Mazda WMI (JM1 Japan car, JM3 Japan SUV, 3MZ/3MV Mexico, 7MM USA), position 10 is the model year (L = 2020, see the year table on this page), and position 11 is the assembly plant. Enter the VIN above and CheckMyVIN reads every field via the official NHTSA database — it covers the Mazda lineup including Mazda3, Mazda6, CX-30, CX-5, CX-50, CX-9, CX-90, and the MX-5 Miata.
Where is the VIN located on a Mazda?
Three places on every modern Mazda: 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. On a classic rotary Mazda the VIN location and format differ — see the old-VIN question below.
How do I find my Mazda engine (Skyactiv-G, Skyactiv-D, MZR) from the VIN?
The engine appears in the VPIC fields CheckMyVIN reads — displacement, cylinder count, and configuration. Most modern Mazdas use Skyactiv-G gasoline engines (2.0L, 2.5L, and the 2.5L turbo found in the CX-5/CX-9/Mazda3 Turbo), with Skyactiv-D diesel on some CX-5s and the older MZR on pre-Skyactiv cars. Enter the VIN above and read the Vehicle Specifications block. The VIN identifies the engine family; the build sheet holds the rest of the option detail.
Is my Mazda built in Japan, Mexico, or the US?
The first VIN character tells you, and CheckMyVIN also shows the exact plant. J = Japan (most Mazdas — Hiroshima and Hofu), 3 = Mexico (the Mazda3 and CX-30 from Salamanca/Guanajuato), and 7 = USA (the CX-50 from the Mazda Toyota plant in Huntsville, Alabama). Enter the VIN above and the Vehicle Specifications block lists the Plant City and Plant Country directly from the NHTSA record.
Can I check Mazda recalls with the VIN?
Yes. CheckMyVIN automatically queries the NHTSA recall API alongside the decode and shows every open campaign for the year/model/make combination. Worked examples — including a 2018-2019 CX-5 / Mazda6 engine-stall campaign and a 2019-2020 Mazda3 automatic-emergency-braking campaign — appear on the /mazda/recall page with the official NHTSA campaign numbers and links to the NHTSA recall portal so you can verify. Older Mazdas are also part of the industry-wide Takata airbag recalls.
Can I get the Mazda window sticker or build sheet by VIN?
The original window sticker (Monroney label) and full build sheet are not in the NHTSA VPIC data, so CheckMyVIN does not reproduce them. What the VIN does give you — engine, plant, model year, body class, drive type, and open recalls — appears free in the report above. For the original Monroney or option list, a Mazda dealer can pull the build record from the VIN.
Can you decode an old or rotary Mazda VIN (pre-1981 RX-7, RX-3)?
Only partially. Federal law standardized VINs at 17 characters in 1981; earlier Mazdas — including the first-gen RX-7 and the rotary RX-2 / RX-3 — used shorter chassis/serial numbers with a different structure (no standardized check digit, no global WMI registry), and NHTSA's VPIC database has limited coverage of them. CheckMyVIN will not invent fields it cannot verify. For a classic or rotary Mazda, the chassis-number plate and marque / rotary-club registries are the authoritative decode sources. Be skeptical of any tool that claims to fully "decode" a pre-1981 Mazda VIN.