VIN Decoder · BMW
BMW VIN Decoder: WBA, WBS and 5UX Check Digit
A BMW VIN that starts with WBA can belong to an X5 built in South Carolina, a 320d from San Luis Potosí or a Z4 from Graz. BMW keeps its German WMI on many cars it builds abroad. The country is settled by position 11, not by the first three characters. The decoder reads both, tells you when they disagree, and checks position 9, which BMW computes on European VINs as well as American ones.
- BMW WMI set: WBA · WBS · WBX · WBY · WB5 · 5UX · 5YM · 3MW · 3MF · 4US · 5UM
- Plant codes: 20 codes, 9 plants
- Last verified: 8 October 2026
Decode a BMW VIN
Scope: BMW WBA / WBS / WBX / WBY / WB5 / 5UX / 5YM / 3MW / 3MF / 4US / 5UM0 / 17
A BMW VIN never contains I, O or Q. The 0 at position 10 of a European BMW is the digit zero — it is how BMW leaves the year out.
What a BMW VIN tells you
Positions 1 to 3 name the BMW company that issued the number: WBA for BMW AG passenger cars, WBS for BMW M GmbH, WBX and WB5 for SAVs, 5UX and 5YM for the Spartanburg plant, 3MW and 3MF for San Luis Potosí. Positions 4 to 8 encode series, body, engine and restraint system. Position 9 is a computed check digit on every BMW we tested, from a 1988 E30 sold new in France to a 2024 320d registered in the UK.
Then the two markets part ways. A US-market BMW states its model year at position 10 — R means 2024. A European BMW puts a 0 there. Buying a used 5 Series in Germany? The year comes from field B of the Zulassungsbescheinigung, not from the VIN.
Position 11 is the plant and positions 12 to 17 the serial. BMW dealers and parts catalogues such as RealOEM identify a car by the last seven characters alone, plant code included, so the short number on a service invoice should match the end of the full VIN.
BMW WMI codes
| WMI | Meaning |
|---|---|
| WBA | BMW AG passenger cars: 1 to 8 Series, Z4, also European X5s from Spartanburg and 3 Series from Mexico |
| WBS | BMW M GmbH: M2 (older), M3, M4, M5, M8 |
| WBX | BMW SAVs issued in Germany, mainly X1 and X2 |
| WBY | BMW i passenger cars: i3, i8, i4, i5, i7 |
| WB5 | BMW i SAV: iX |
| 5UX | SAVs from Spartanburg, South Carolina: X3, X4, X5, X6, X7 |
| 5YM | BMW M SAVs from Spartanburg: X3 M, X4 M, X5 M, X6 M, XM |
| 4US | BMW Manufacturing Co., Spartanburg: earlier US-built passenger cars |
| 5UM | BMW M passenger cars with a US-issued WMI, built at Spartanburg |
| 3MW | BMW SLP, Mexico: US-market 230i, M240i, 330i, 330e, M340i |
| 3MF | BMW M cars from Mexico: the current M2 |
Each code appears in NHTSA's vPIC list for BMW and in BMW's own Part 565 VIN filings or an independent WMI register. Plant codes were checked against those filings and against 39 UK-registered BMWs whose plant is on record.
European-spec vs North-American BMW VINs
BMW builds in Germany, the US, Mexico, Austria, the Netherlands and South Africa, and the WMI does not follow the factory. What the WMI does tell you is the market: a European BMW and a US BMW of the same model encode the year differently.
WBA, WBS, WBX, WBY, WB5 — year left out
- Position 10 is 0 on European and UK BMWs, so the VIN gives no model year. Use the date of first registration instead.
- Position 9 still computes. A 2021 UK X5 xDrive45e carries X there, and X is exactly what the formula gives.
- Position 11 may point abroad: 9 or L for Spartanburg, 8 for San Luis Potosí, W for Graz, 3 for Born.
5UX, 5YM, 3MW, 3MF — and WBA from Germany
- Position 10 is the model year letter: R for a 2024 X5 xDrive40i or 330i.
- The check digit is mandatory under US rules (49 CFR Part 565), so a mismatch is a hard fault.
- US-market cars from European plants, such as a 530i or an M3, keep WBA or WBS. X5, X6 and X7 for the US use 5UX.
Letters on older cars, digits on newer ones
- Munich used A, F and K; Dingolfing B, C, D and G; Regensburg E, J, P and 5.
- Leipzig moved from V to 7. Spartanburg shows up as L, 0 or 9, with 9 on current cars.
- San Luis Potosí is 8, Graz W, Born 3 and Rosslyn N.
BMW pitfall: WBA is not a made-in-Germany stamp
Most decoders stop at the WMI and report Germany. For a European X5, that is wrong every time: the car comes from Spartanburg and still starts with WBA. A UK 320d from 2024 can carry WBA and plant code 8, which is San Luis Potosí. A Z4 with WBA and W was built in Graz. If origin matters to you — for import duty, a warranty claim or a straight answer to a seller — read position 11.
On this page a failed check digit turns red for every BMW, European or American. BMW computes position 9 on all its VINs, so a mismatch points to a typo or an altered number. An origin note is separate: it only says the plant country differs from the WMI country.
BMW model year — position 10
Position 10 follows the 30-year code cycle on North-American BMWs: S is 2025, T 2026. European and UK BMWs carry a 0 there, which is not a year code. For those cars, take the year from the registration document — field B on an EU certificate, the date of first registration on a UK V5C — and treat the decoder's year field as empty.
| Code | Model year | Code | Model year |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2010 | M | 2021 |
| B | 2011 | N | 2022 |
| C | 2012 | P | 2023 |
| D | 2013 | R | 2024 |
| E | 2014 | S | 2025 |
| F | 2015 | T | 2026 |
| G | 2016 | V | 2027 |
| H | 2017 | W | 2028 |
| J | 2018 | X | 2029 |
| K | 2019 | Y | 2030 |
| L | 2020 |
Frequently asked questions
Does a WBA VIN mean my BMW was built in Germany?
No. WBA is BMW AG's passenger-car code and BMW uses it for cars from several countries. European X5s from Spartanburg, UK-market 320d saloons from San Luis Potosí and the Z4 from Graz all start with WBA. Position 11 names the plant: 9, 0 or L is Spartanburg, 8 is San Luis Potosí, W is Graz.
What do the BMW WMI codes WBA, WBS, WBX and 5UX mean?
WBA is BMW AG passenger cars, WBS BMW M GmbH (M3, M4, M5, M8), WBX German-issued SAVs such as the X1 and X2, WBY BMW i cars and WB5 the iX. 5UX covers SAVs from Spartanburg and 5YM the M versions. 3MW and 3MF are the Mexican plant's codes for the US-market 2 Series, 3 Series and M2.
Where is the VIN on a BMW?
On a plate visible through a lower corner of the windscreen, on the label in the driver's door pillar, and stamped into the body in the engine bay near a suspension strut tower. On paper it is field E of an EU registration certificate (in Germany, the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I) and in the vehicle details of a UK V5C. Do all of them match? If one differs, stop the deal and ask why.
Why must a European BMW VIN pass the check digit?
Because BMW computes it everywhere. Every European BMW VIN we checked — 39 UK-registered cars from 1999 to 2024, EU auction cars and 1988 E30s — passes the ISO 3779 formula. European rules do not require a check digit, so BMW is under no obligation here, yet it fills the slot correctly anyway. A BMW VIN that fails is most likely mistyped or altered.
Why does my European BMW show no model year?
Position 10 of a European BMW VIN is 0. BMW leaves the year out for these markets, so no decoder can read one. Take it from the date of first registration. If you are importing a US-market BMW into Europe, the year letter at position 10 is genuine and should agree with the US title.
What can't a BMW VIN tell you?
Options, paint, upholstery and the build date are not in the 17 characters. The VIN only fixes series, body, engine, restraint system, plant and serial. BMW's order data sits behind the last seven characters, which is why dealers and parts catalogues ask for just those: a short VIN like 9H18127 is enough to open the right parts diagrams.