VIN Decoder · Dodge
Dodge VIN Decoder: 1B3, 2B3, 2C3 and the D at Position 5
Until the 2011 model year a Dodge VIN said Dodge in its second character: 1B3 for a car, 1D7 for a truck. From 2012 the opening code is shared with Jeep, Chrysler and Ram, and the brand moved to position 5, where D means Dodge. A Challenger or Charger built since then starts 2C3, the Canadian code, because it comes from Brampton, Ontario.
- WMI set: 14 codes, 1B3 to ZAC
- Plant codes: 8 characters, two sources each
- Last verified: 8 October 2026
Decode a Dodge VIN
Scope: Dodge 1B3 · 2B3 · 1D4 · 1D8 · 3D4 · 1D3 · 1D7 · 3D7 · 2C3 · 1C4 · 3C4 · 1C6 · 3C6 · ZAC0 / 17
No Dodge VIN uses I, O or Q. On a Challenger that seems to show an O after 2C3CDZ, read a zero.
How a Dodge VIN is built
Two VIN formats cover most Dodges on the road. The older one, used through the 2011 model year, put the brand in position 2: 1B3 is a Dodge car from the US, 2B3 one from Canada, 1D4 and 1D8 Dodge SUVs such as the Nitro and the Durango, 1D7 and 3D7 Dodge trucks, the Ram pickup included. The newer one, used since 2012, starts with codes Chrysler Group shares across all its brands: 1C4 for an SUV from the US, 2C3 for a car from Canada, 3C4 for an SUV from Mexico.
Where is the brand in the new format? Position 5. In the decoding charts Chrysler files with NHTSA, D stands for Dodge, J for Jeep, C for Chrysler and, from the 2013 model year, R for Ram. A 2023 Durango opens 1C4SDJ, a Grand Cherokee 1C4RJF. Same first three characters, different brand. The Hornet takes this further: built by FCA Italy in Pomigliano d'Arco, it opens ZAC like a Jeep Renegade, and the D in position 5 is what makes it a Dodge.
Position 9 is a genuine check digit on Dodges. The Hornet's VIN filing describes a car built to US requirements, and of the 45 Challenger and Charger VINs we took from European listings, 44 computed; the 45th had a mistyped character. The tenth character holds the model year and the eleventh the plant: H for Brampton, C for Jefferson North in Detroit, T for Toluca in Mexico, 3 for Pomigliano.
Dodge WMI codes
| WMI | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1B3 | Dodge passenger car from the US, 1981 to 2011: Caliber, Avenger, Neon, Viper |
| 2B3 | Dodge passenger car from Canada, 1981 to 2011: Charger and Magnum from Brampton |
| 1D4 | Dodge SUV or MPV from the US, 2003 to 2011: Durango, Nitro |
| 1D8 | Dodge SUV or MPV from the US with side airbags, from 2003: Durango, Nitro |
| 3D4 | Dodge SUV from Mexico, 2009 to 2011: Journey from Toluca |
| 1D3 | Dodge truck from the US with side airbags, 2002 to 2009, Ram pickups included; shared with the Ram page |
| 1D7 | Dodge truck from the US, 2002 to 2011: Ram pickup and Dakota; shared with the Ram page |
| 3D7 | Dodge truck from Mexico, 2002 to 2011: Ram pickups from Saltillo; shared with the Ram page |
| 2C3 | Chrysler Group / FCA Canada car code since 2012: Challenger and Charger; shared with Chrysler |
| 1C4 | Chrysler Group / FCA US SUV code since 2012: Durango; shared with Jeep and Chrysler |
| 3C4 | FCA Mexico SUV code since 2012: Journey from Toluca; shared with Jeep |
| 1C6 | Chrysler Group / FCA US truck code: a 2012 Ram 1500 with D in position 5 is still a Dodge |
| 3C6 | FCA Mexico truck code: 2012 Ram trucks from Saltillo with D in position 5 |
| ZAC | FCA Italy: the Dodge Hornet from Pomigliano d'Arco; shared with Jeep |
For every Dodge code we hold two confirmations, one from NHTSA (vPIC or Chrysler's own Part 565 filing) and one from the Wikipedia or Wikibooks WMI list. Where a code is shared with Jeep, Chrysler or Ram, read position 5 to know the brand.
US, Canada, Mexico, Italy: where the Dodge in front of you was built
Dodge returned to Europe in 2006 with the Caliber, Avenger, Viper, Nitro and Journey, all built in North America. The Challengers, Chargers and Durangos in today's listings came over later, mostly as imports from the US. Thinking of a Challenger from a German importer? Its VIN should start 2C3 and carry H in position 11, whatever the paperwork says about its US past.
Older format, to 2011: 1B3, 2B3, 1D4, 1D8, 3D4, 1D7
- Position 2 is the brand: B for Dodge cars, D for Dodge trucks and SUVs from 2003.
- A Caliber from Belvidere carries D in position 11, an Avenger from Sterling Heights N.
- A 2006 Charger from Brampton starts 2B3 and carries H in position 11.
Shared format, from 2012: 2C3, 1C4, 3C4, 1C6
- The first three characters only name country and vehicle type; D in position 5 confirms a Dodge.
- Durango from Jefferson North in Detroit: 1C4 with C in position 11.
- Challenger and Charger from Brampton: 2C3 with H. Journey from Toluca: 3C4 with T.
Italy: the ZAC Hornet
- Built by FCA Italy in Pomigliano d'Arco for North America.
- ZAC and D in position 5, plant 3. A Jeep Renegade shares the ZAC code with J instead.
- The check digit is mandatory here too, so a mismatch shows red.
A Ram that the VIN still calls a Dodge
Ram became a brand of its own in 2010, but the VIN took longer. Ram trucks kept the Dodge codes 1D7, 1D3 and 3D7 through 2011, and a 2012 Ram 1500 reads 1C6RD, with D for Dodge in position 5. Only from the 2013 model year does R appear. So a 2012 pickup decoding as a Dodge Ram is correct, not a fault.
Green means position 9 computes. Almost every Dodge VIN starts with 1, 2 or 3, which puts it under North American rules: a failure shows red. Only a ZAC VIN that is not a Hornet shows amber. A red result on a Charger usually means one wrong character, so read the dashboard plate behind the glass once more.
Model year: position 10 on a Dodge
On a Dodge the tenth character always carries the model year. L stands for 2020, P for 2023, 6 for 2006. Each code returns after 30 years; the decoder settles which cycle applies from position 7, a letter there meaning 2010 or later. A US-import Charger is often registered in Europe a year or more after it was built. Put the VIN year next to the first-registration date (field B on a German Zulassungsbescheinigung, or the V5C logbook in Britain) and you see how long it waited.
| 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
What do the Dodge WMI codes 1B3, 2C3 and 1C4 mean?
1B3 marks an American-built Dodge car in the pre-2012 format, 2B3 a Canadian one. 1D4 and 1D8 are Dodge SUVs, 1D7 and 3D7 Dodge trucks. Since 2012 Dodge shares the codes of its parent group: 2C3 for cars from Canada such as the Challenger, 1C4 for SUVs from the US such as the Durango, 3C4 for the Journey from Mexico. ZAC is the Italian-built Hornet.
My Durango and a Grand Cherokee both start 1C4. How do I tell them apart?
Read position 5. D marks a Dodge, J a Jeep. A 2023 Durango opens 1C4SDJ, a Grand Cherokee 1C4RJF. Position 11 will not help: the Durango and the 1C4RJF Grand Cherokee are both built at Jefferson North in Detroit and carry C there.
Does a Dodge sold in Europe have a valid check digit?
Yes. Dodges for Europe were built in North America to the same VIN rules, and the European-registered Nitro, Journey, Challenger and Charger VINs we tested computed. If yours fails, check for a mistyped character first. A genuine mismatch on the plate is a reason to look closer at the car's history.
Where is the VIN on a Dodge?
Stand outside by the left A-pillar and look down through the glass: US rules put a VIN plate there, readable without opening anything. A Dodge repeats the number on the sticker in the driver's door frame. German papers list it under the letter E (Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I), and a British V5C prints it among the vehicle details.
What can't a Dodge VIN tell you?
It names line, body, engine, plant and year, not the trim package, paint or options. A Challenger with a 6.4-litre engine shows the engine code, but a Widebody kit or a sunroof does not appear in the VIN. Ask for the original window sticker or a dealer build record for those.