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Acura: VIN Decoder

Your Acura's VIN can tell you almost everything you need to know about your car. Read on to learn how to decode your VIN.

By Bassem Girgis - April 25, 2016

This article applies to the Acura TL, RDX, MDX, and TSX.

The VIN in your Acura, which stands for Vehicle Identification Number, can tell you a lot about your Acura, from where it was manufactured to the trim level it comes with. You can say the VIN is like a car's fingerprints, and each car has a different one. Aside from the long series of letters and numbers, breaking down the VIN can unlock a code. If you're curious about your Acura and you want to get to know it better, decoding the VIN can answer all your questions. Read on to learn how to decide your Acura's VIN.

Locating the VIN

The VIN can be found in two locations: the first place is in front of the driver, under the windshield, and the second place is inside the driver's side door jamb. If you're in the market for a used Acura and you can't find the VIN in either of these locations, it's very wise that you walk away from that car. It's illegal to remove the VIN from any vehicle.

  • Figure 1. VIN in driver's door jamb.
  • Figure 2. VIN under windshield.

VIN Decoding

The VIN consists of 17 characters, and as we've mentioned above, breaking the characters into groups can answer some questions.

  • The first three characters can identify the country of assembly.
  • The second four characters can identify the body type, the model of the car, and the size of the engine.
  • The ninth digit is used to validate the entire series of characters, known as the VIN.
  • The tenth digit can identify the year of your car.
  • The 11th digit validates the plant where your car was manufactured.
  • Finally, the last series of numbers, which are the six digits left on the VIN, can identify a specific car, within the broader year, make, model, and engine type.

Figure 3. VIN decoding.

Plug Your VIN in the Decoder

There are tons of websites that allow you to enter your VIN, and the results will automatically come up for you. If you want to decode your Acura's VIN, click HERE, then type your VIN and press decode.

Figure 4. Decode your VIN.

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