VIN Decoder · Jeep
Jeep VIN Decoder: 1C4, 1J4, 1J8 and ZAC Codes
A Jeep VIN does not always say where the Jeep was built. A Grand Cherokee assembled by Magna Steyr in Graz starts 1J8, a US code, and only the Y in position 11 points to Austria. An Avenger from Tychy in Poland starts ZAC, the code of FCA Italy. And a European Renegade from 2015 to 2019 begins 1C4BU0000, although it left the line in Melfi.
- WMI set: 8 codes, 1J4 to 988
- Plant codes: 8 characters, two sources each
- Last verified: 8 October 2026
Decode a Jeep VIN
Scope: Jeep 1J4 · 1J8 · 1C4 · 1C6 · 3C4 · ZAC · VYE · 9880 / 17
A Jeep VIN never contains I, O or Q. The run of zeros in a European Renegade's 1C4BU0000 is five zeros, not letters.
What a Jeep VIN tells you, and what it hides
Up to the 2011 model year the second character named the brand: J for Jeep. 1J4 and 1J8 are Jeep SUVs from the United States, whether a Cherokee from Toledo or a Grand Cherokee from Detroit. From 2012 Chrysler Group switched to codes shared by all its brands, so a Grand Cherokee starts 1C4 just like a Dodge Durango. The make then sits in position 5. J means Jeep: 1C4RJF is a Grand Cherokee, 1C4HJX a Wrangler.
Do Jeeps sold in Europe carry a real check digit? Most do. FCA's Part 565 submissions to NHTSA compute position 9 with the standard formula, and we tested European-market Jeeps from Czech used-car listings against it: 99 of 103 passed, from Graz-built Grand Cherokees to the 2026 Compass. The exception is the European Renegade of 2015 to 2019. Its VIN reads 1C4BU0000, and the 0 in position 9 is a filler that was never calculated. Eight of the nine we found failed the calculation.
Positions 10 and 11 behave on European Jeeps exactly as on American ones. The tenth character gives the model year, often a year ahead of the build: Avengers built in November 2025 already carry T for 2026. Position 11 is the plant: W for Toledo North, C for Jefferson North in Detroit, J for Tychy, Y for Graz.
Jeep WMI codes
| WMI | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1J4 | Jeep SUV from the US, 1989 to 2011: Cherokee XJ, Wrangler TJ, Liberty, Grand Cherokee |
| 1J8 | Jeep SUV from the US with side airbags, from 2002; also the Graz-built Grand Cherokee and Commander |
| 1C4 | Chrysler Group / FCA US SUV code since 2012, shared with Dodge and Chrysler; J in position 5 marks a Jeep |
| 1C6 | Chrysler Group / FCA US truck code, shared with Ram; on a Jeep it is the Gladiator pickup |
| 3C4 | FCA Mexico SUV code since 2012, shared with Dodge; the Compass built in Toluca from 2017 |
| ZAC | FCA Italy: Renegade and Compass from Melfi, Avenger from Tychy; also the Dodge Hornet |
| VYE | Jeep Compass, third generation, European market from 2026, built in Melfi |
| 988 | Stellantis Brazil, Goiana plant: Renegade, Compass and Commander built in Brazil; shared with Fiat |
Two checks stand behind each Jeep code: NHTSA's vPIC data or an FCA filing on one side, a Wikipedia or Wikibooks WMI list on the other. VYE is not in the US register; we confirmed it from the Wikibooks list and from two real 2026 Compass VINs.
Toledo, Detroit, Melfi, Tychy, Graz: one brand, five VIN routes
A Jeep advertised in Europe may have left a plant in Ohio, Michigan, Mexico, southern Italy, Poland or, if it is older, Austria. Which route it took changes how the VIN reads. Looking at a 2018 Compass in Germany? It probably starts 3C4 and ends in Toluca, Mexico, not Italy.
Built in North America: 1J4, 1J8, 1C4, 1C6, 3C4
- The check digit is mandatory and computes on European-spec cars too: a 3.0 CRD Grand Cherokee passes like a US one.
- Plant letters: C Jefferson North, 8 Mack Assembly (Grand Cherokee from 2021), W Toledo North, L Toledo, D Belvidere, T Toluca.
- The Wrangler JL for Europe starts 1C4HJX and ends with W, Toledo North.
Built in Europe: ZAC, VYE and the 1C4BU0000 Renegade
- Avenger from Tychy: ZAC, then J as the plant letter. Compass from Melfi, 2020 to 2025: ZACNJ with P.
- The 2026 Compass switched to VYE. Both 2026 VINs we found compute correctly.
- The 2015 to 2019 Renegade sold in Europe starts 1C4BU0000 with a filler 0 in position 9, so its check digit fails.
Graz: an Austrian Jeep with a US code
- Magna Steyr in Graz assembled Grand Cherokees of the WJ and WK generations, and the Commander, for Europe.
- The VIN keeps the US code 1J8 or 1J4, and position 11 is Y.
- The decoder flags the clash between WMI country and plant; on these cars it is expected.
P in position 11: Melfi or Toledo?
On a Renegade or a ZAC Compass, P is the SATA plant in Melfi, Italy. On a 1J4 Wrangler TJ from 1997 to 2006, the same P is Jeep's Stickney Avenue plant in Toledo, Ohio. Because one letter means two plants, this page does not name a plant for P. Check the WMI: ZAC, VYE or 1C4BU means Melfi, 1J4 means Toledo.
Green means position 9 computes. A VIN that starts with 1 to 5 shows red when it fails, because North American rules make the check digit compulsory, and that includes the European Renegade's 1C4BU0000 VIN, where the failure is expected. A ZAC, VYE or 988 VIN that fails shows amber. On a ZAC or VYE Jeep, a failure usually means a mistyped character: every one we tested computed.
Model year: position 10 on a Jeep
Every Jeep VIN we checked uses position 10 for the model year, including European cars from Melfi and Tychy. E means 2014, T means 2026. Because the code repeats every 30 years, the decoder uses position 7: a letter there points to 2010 or later, a digit to the earlier cycle. On the 1C4BU0000 Renegade position 7 is a 0, so take the year from position 10 against the registration date. In Germany the first-registration date stands in box B of the registration certificate; British owners read it off the V5C logbook.
| 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 Jeep WMI codes 1J4, 1C4 and ZAC mean?
1J4 and 1J8 belong to American-built Jeep SUVs of the pre-2012 format. 1C4 is the SUV code Chrysler Group has used for all its brands since 2012; J in position 5 makes it a Jeep. 3C4 is the Mexican equivalent, used on the Compass from Toluca. ZAC is FCA Italy, used on the Renegade, the Melfi Compass and the Avenger. VYE is the 2026 Compass for Europe.
My Avenger's VIN starts with ZAC. Was it built in Italy?
No. Every Avenger is built in Tychy, Poland, but its VIN uses ZAC, the code of FCA Italy. Position 11 shows J for Tychy, and the decoder flags the gap between the Italian WMI and the Polish plant. The Grand Cherokee from Graz works the same way, with a US code and Y for Austria.
Why does my European Renegade fail the check digit?
If its VIN starts 1C4BU0000, it is the European Renegade built in Melfi from 2015 to about 2019. Positions 5 to 9 are filled with zeros, so the ninth character was never computed, and a mismatch is normal. Later Renegades for Europe start 1C4NJC and pass. Any other European Jeep that fails should be compared character by character with the plate.
Where is the VIN on a Jeep?
Look through the windscreen at the lower corner on the driver's side: US rules require the plate to be readable there, and European Jeeps have it too. You will find it again on the certification sticker by the driver's door latch and in your papers: the German Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I lists it as field E, a British V5C under vehicle details. If the plate and the paper disagree, stop.
What can't a Jeep VIN tell you?
Trim name, paint, options such as a tow bar or air suspension, and past servicing: none of it is coded. The VIN names model line, body, engine and plant. Are you buying a Wrangler advertised as a Rubicon? Ask for the build sheet or a dealer printout to confirm it.