VIN Decoder · Ford
Ford VIN Decoder: WF0, NM0 and 1FA to 3FT Codes
A Puma from Craiova, a Kuga from Valencia and a Transit Custom from Kocaeli all start with WF0, the code of Ford-Werke in Cologne. The country is written further in: ER in positions 7 and 8 means Romania, WP means Spain, TT or TA means Ford Otosan in Turkey. European Fords use their own layout, with the year in position 11 and no check digit, while an F-150 or a Mustang Mach-E from North America follows the US rules to the letter.
- WMI set: 10 codes, WF0 to 3FT
- Plant codes: Europe: positions 7–8 · North America: position 11
- Last verified: 8 October 2026
Decode a Ford VIN
Scope: Ford WF0 · NM0 · 1FA · 1FM · 1FT · 1FD · 2FM · 3FA · 3FM · 3FT0 / 17
No Ford VIN uses I, O or Q. The third character of WF0 and NM0 is the digit zero, and XX in positions 5–6 is a real part of a European Ford VIN, not a typo.
How to read a Ford VIN
Ford runs two VIN systems side by side. Cars built for Europe carry WF0, registered to Ford-Werke in Germany, whether they come from Cologne, Saarlouis, Valencia, Craiova or the Ford Otosan plants near Kocaeli. Position 4 is the body style. Positions 5 and 6 are always XX. Positions 7 and 8 name the source and plant, position 9 the model line: K on a Puma, M on a Kuga.
Position 10 on a European Ford repeats a body code, very often the same letter as position 4. The year of manufacture follows in position 11. So WF02XXERK2PT… is a Puma body, built in Craiova, in 2023 (P). We ran 51 European Ford VINs through the ISO 3779 formula and 50 failed; the single pass was a coincidence that one VIN in eleven will produce by chance. On these cars position 9 is a model letter, not a check digit.
North American Fords are different in every respect that matters. 1FA, 1FM, 1FT and 1FD come from US plants, 2FM from Oakville in Canada, 3FA, 3FM and 3FT from Mexico. US law makes position 9 a working check digit; 10 carries the model year and 11 the plant: U for Louisville Assembly, where the Escape is built.
Ford WMI codes
| WMI | Meaning |
|---|---|
| WF0 | Ford-Werke GmbH, Germany: every European-layout Ford, whether built in Cologne, Saarlouis, Valencia, Craiova or Kocaeli; also the US-spec Focus RS from Saarlouis |
| NM0 | Ford Otosan, Turkey: Transit Connect vans for the US market, including those built in Valencia, Spain |
| 1FA | Ford Motor Company, USA: passenger cars such as the Mustang from Flat Rock |
| 1FM | Ford Motor Company, USA: SUVs and MPVs such as the Explorer and Escape |
| 1FT | Ford Motor Company, USA: trucks such as the F-150 |
| 1FD | Ford Motor Company, USA: incomplete vehicles such as chassis cabs |
| 2FM | Ford Motor Company of Canada: SUVs and MPVs such as the Edge |
| 3FA | Ford Motor Company, Mexico: passenger cars |
| 3FM | Ford Motor Company, Mexico: SUVs and MPVs such as the Mustang Mach-E |
| 3FT | Ford Motor Company, Mexico: trucks such as the Maverick |
All ten codes are listed in NHTSA's vPIC manufacturer register and in at least one independent WMI list; the European plant pairs were checked against real VINs of cars registered in the UK. Lincoln and Mercury codes (1LN, 5LM, 2ME and others) are left out: they are not shared with Ford.
European Ford or North American Ford: two different VINs
Which group does your Ford belong to? Look at positions 5 and 6. XX means a European-layout VIN, and the rest of the number then has to be read the European way. Buying a Kuga from a German dealer and then an imported Escape in Sweden? They are close relatives, yet their VINs share almost nothing.
Built for Europe: WF0 … XX
- Plant in positions 7–8: GA Cologne, GC Saarlouis, WP Valencia, ER Craiova, TT or TA Ford Otosan in Kocaeli.
- Position 11 is the year of manufacture: L 2020, P 2023, S 2025.
- Position 9 is a model letter, so the check digit fails and shows amber.
Turkey and Romania inside the WF0 code
- A Transit Custom from Kocaeli carries WF0, not Turkey's NM0. TT or TA in positions 7–8 gives it away.
- A Puma from Craiova reads WF0 with ER in positions 7–8, the code pair for Craiova.
- NM0 itself turns up on US-market Transit Connects, some built in Valencia, Spain.
North America: 1F, 2F, 3F
- Position 9 must compute here; a wrong one turns red.
- Read the model year from character 10 and the factory from 11; U stands for Louisville Assembly.
- A Mustang Mach-E built in Cuautitlán starts 3FM, an F-150 from Dearborn 1FT.
Position 11 on a European Ford is a year, not a plant
Most decoders read position 11 as the factory. On a WF0 Ford with XX in positions 5–6 that letter is the year of manufacture, so a 2021 Puma shows M, which a US table would turn into Cuautitlán, Mexico. Read the plant from positions 7–8 instead. Position 10 is no year either: on a Puma it is usually 2, which some tools report as 2002.
Green means position 9 computes. On a 1F, 2F or 3F Ford, or on a WF0 or NM0 built to US specification, a failure is red: there the check digit is a legal requirement. On a European-layout Ford it is amber, because position 9 there was never a check digit.
Model year: position 10 or position 11?
A North American Ford states its model year in position 10. On cars and light trucks the seventh character decides which 30-year cycle applies: M on a 1FT F-150 means 2021. A European Ford keeps the year in position 11 instead, using the same letter table, so S means 2025 there and not 1995; the age of the car decides. That letter is the year of manufacture, which can differ from the first registration. Buying in Germany? The registration date is entry B on the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I. For a European-layout VIN the decoder therefore reads position 11 and labels it as the production year.
| 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 Ford WMI codes WF0, NM0, 1FM and 3FM mean?
WF0 is Ford-Werke in Germany and appears on every European-layout Ford, including those built in Spain, Romania and Turkey. NM0 belongs to Ford Otosan in Turkey. 1FA, 1FM, 1FT and 1FD are Ford's US codes for cars, SUVs, trucks and incomplete vehicles, 2FM is Ford Canada and 3FA, 3FM and 3FT are Ford Mexico.
My Puma's VIN starts with WF0. Was it built in Germany?
No. The Puma has been built in Craiova, Romania since October 2019, and its VIN still opens with WF0. Look at positions 7 and 8: ER marks Craiova. In the same way, GC stands for Saarlouis, GA for Cologne, WP for Valencia and TT or TA for Ford Otosan near Kocaeli.
Why does my European Ford fail the check digit?
Because Ford of Europe never put one there. Position 9 holds the model line, such as K for Puma or M for Kuga. Of 51 European Ford VINs we tested, 50 failed the ISO 3779 calculation. A Ford built for the US is another matter: a WF0 Focus RS sold in America or an NM0 Transit Connect carries a valid check digit, and so must every 1F, 2F or 3F VIN.
Where is the VIN on a Ford?
On the registration document first: a British V5C prints it with the other vehicle data, and on a German Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I it is entry E. EU rules require the VIN to be struck into the bodyshell on the car's right side and printed on the manufacturer's plate. On a Ford built for North America it must also be readable through the windscreen from the left pillar. If the numbers differ, stop there.
What can't a Ford VIN tell you?
Colour, trim, factory options and the service record are outside its 17 characters. A European Ford VIN does not even give a model year, only the year of manufacture in position 11. For equipment, ask for the build data from a Ford dealer or check the original order.