BMW VIN Decoder
Specifications, engine and plant for any BMW VIN, with the manufacturer codes and the recall campaigns behind each model line, for model years 2019 to 2026.
Examples:
BMW Manufacturer Codes. 12 codes for road vehicles.
The first three characters of a VIN, the manufacturer code, show who built the vehicle and where. A vehicle belongs to BMW when its VIN begins with one of these.
| Code | Vehicle Type | Registered In | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3MF | Passenger Car | Germany | BMW AG |
| 3MW | Passenger Car | Germany | BMW AG |
| 4US | Passenger Car | United States | BMW Manufacturer Corporation / BMW North America |
| 5UM | Passenger Car | Germany | BMW AG |
| 5UX | SUV or Multipurpose Vehicle | United States | BMW Manufacturer Corporation / BMW North America |
| 5YM | SUV or Multipurpose Vehicle | United States | BMW Manufacturer Corporation / BMW North America |
| WAP | Passenger Car | Germany | BMW Of North America, LLC |
| WB5 | SUV or Multipurpose Vehicle | Germany | BMW AG |
| WBA | Passenger Car | Germany | BMW AG |
| WBS | Passenger Car | Germany | BMW M GMBH |
| WBX | SUV or Multipurpose Vehicle | Germany | BMW AG |
| WBY | Passenger Car | Germany | BMW AG |
BMW Recall Campaigns by Model Line. Model years 2019 to 2026.
158 distinct recall campaigns are listed for these 24 BMW model lines. Each cell counts the campaigns listed for that line and model year, and a dash marks a year in which the line was not sold.
| Model Line | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | All Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Series228, 230i | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14 |
| 3 Series330i | 9 | 13 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 25 |
| 4 Series430i | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 15 |
| 5 Series530i, 540i, 550e | 3 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 24 |
| 7 Series740i, 750e, 760i | 4 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 30 |
| 8 Series840i | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| ALPINA B8 | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Not sold | 1 |
| B7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | 1 |
| i3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | 1 |
| i4 | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | 8 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| i5 | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | 10 | 5 | 1 | 10 |
| i7 | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | 13 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 15 |
| i8 | 2 | 1 | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | 3 |
| iX | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | 11 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 |
| MM2, M3, M4, M5, M235, M240i, … | 9 | 17 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 36 |
| X1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 15 |
| X2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| X3 | 10 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 37 |
| X4 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Not sold | 23 |
| X5 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 39 |
| X6 | 4 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 27 |
| X7 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 33 |
| XM | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | Not sold | 6 | 0 | Not sold | 6 |
| Z4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
A campaign that names several model years is counted in each. The last column counts each campaign once for the line.
BMW VIN Questions. Codes, engines and recalls.
- Which codes begin a BMW VIN?
- The first three characters of a VIN are the manufacturer code. BMW road vehicles are registered under 12 of them, for example 3MF (passenger car, registered in Germany), 3MW (passenger car, registered in Germany), 5UX (SUV, registered in the United States) and 5YM (SUV, registered in the United States).
- In which countries are BMW manufacturer codes registered?
- The manufacturer register places BMW codes in 2 countries: Germany and the United States. The country of a code is that of its registered operator, which can differ from the plant where a given vehicle was assembled.
- Which BMW model lines have had the most recall campaigns?
- For model years 2019 to 2026, the lines with the most distinct recall campaigns are X5 (39), X3 (37) and M (36). A campaign is counted once per line, even when it covers several model years.
- Which part of a BMW VIN identifies the individual car?
- The last seven characters, positions 11 to 17, identify the individual car and are the part BMW option look-ups work from. The first ten characters give the manufacturer, the model and engine details and the model year, and the eleventh the plant.
- Can a BMW VIN decoder list the factory options?
- Not from the VIN alone. The seventeen characters encode the model, body, engine, plant and model year. The options a car left the factory with are held by the manufacturer, so this decoder reports what the VIN states and does not return an option list.
- Does a recall campaign listed here apply to every BMW of that model year?
- No. A campaign applies only to vehicles within its affected range, and the open status of an individual VIN is not published. The figures count the campaigns listed for a model line and model year. The definitive status of a specific vehicle is confirmed with the manufacturer or an authorised dealer.
Other Makes. Codes, models and recall campaigns.
Recall figures as of 8 October 2026. Manufacturer codes and model lists as of September 2026.
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