VIN Decoder · Peugeot
Peugeot VIN Decoder: VF3 and VR3 Codes Explained
A Peugeot VIN reads differently depending on its age. A 2006 307 ends in one eight-digit serial, with no year and no plant. A 2020 308 (VF3LCYHZJLS…) has L for 2020 and S for Sochaux. From model year 2025, position 9 finally holds a real check digit. Which of the three eras is your car from?
- WMI set: 2 codes, VF3 and VR3
- Plant codes: 14 plants in 9 countries
- Last verified: 8 October 2026
Decode a Peugeot VIN
Scope: Peugeot VF3 · VR30 / 17
No Peugeot VIN contains I, O or Q. A character that looks like an O on the label is a zero.
What a Peugeot VIN actually tells you
Both prefixes mean Peugeot, France: VF3 on every plant and in every era, VR3 on newer generations from model year 2019 (first the Rifter and the second-generation 508, then the 208 II, 2008 II, 308 III, 408 and 3008/5008 III). The Expert and Traveller vans were still on VF3 in 2026. Positions 4 to 8 name model, body and engine family, so a 3008 III reads VR3KAHPY and a 408 VR3FPHPY.
Position 9 changed meaning. Until model year 2023 it is a free letter or digit with no formula behind it: only 10 of 239 real VINs from MY2009 to 2023 passed the ISO 3779 formula, which is what chance gives, and 137 of them had a letter there. In MY2024 it was mixed, with 8 of 13 passing. From MY2025 it is a real check digit: 69 of 75 VINs with year code S or T computed, across VF3 and VR3 and seven plants. The six misses had siblings with the same descriptor that passed, so typos are likely, though unproven. A mismatch therefore stays amber here.
Positions 10 and 11 depend on age. On a VIN from the 2009 format, position 10 is a year code and position 11 a plant letter, such as S for Sochaux, Y for Mulhouse, J for Vigo or T for Trnava. Before 2009 both are simply digits of the serial. The 107 kept that old serial until 2011, and the Boxer until 2022.
Peugeot WMI codes
| WMI | Meaning |
|---|---|
| VF3 | Automobiles Peugeot, France: every plant and every era. Also on Peugeots built by other companies, such as the 108 (Toyota, Kolín) and the 4007 and 4008 (Mitsubishi, Japan) |
| VR3 | Peugeot under Stellantis, France: newer generations, seen from model year 2019 (Rifter, 508 II, 208 II, 2008 II, 308 III, 408, 3008 and 5008 III) |
Each code is confirmed twice: by the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt manufacturer list or NHTSA's vPIC register, and by real VINs from independent listings. VS8, the code of Peugeot's Spanish company, is left out because we found no real current Peugeot with it; Madrid and Vigo cars carry VF3 or VR3.
Where your Peugeot was built, and what the VIN says about it
The WMI always says France, the plant letter does not. Cars from Spain, Portugal, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland and Morocco all carry the French prefix. Looking at a used 208 II in a UK forecourt? It may have come from Trnava, Kenitra or Zaragoza, and position 11 tells you which.
Built in France: S, Y, W, L
- S is Sochaux: the 3008 and 5008 III, e.g. VR3KAHPY1TS…, a 2026 car where position 9 passes.
- Y is Mulhouse (308 III, 408, 508 II), W is Poissy (208 I and 207), L is Rennes (508 I, 5008 II).
- A French plant letter does not make the car French-market: the VIN states where it was built, not where it was sold.
Built elsewhere in Europe and Morocco: E, J, N, T, P, G, 4, 5, 7
- Spain: E Madrid (207), J Vigo (2008 II, Rifter), 4 Zaragoza (208 II). Portugal: N Mangualde (Partner, Rifter).
- Slovakia: T Trnava (208). Austria: P Graz (RCZ, built by Magna Steyr). Poland: G Gliwice (Boxer, 2024).
- A 208 II can also come from Kenitra, Morocco (5), and an Expert van from Luton (7). Digit plant codes count only on 2009-format VINs.
Peugeots built by Toyota and Mitsubishi: 108, 4007, 4008, iOn
- The 108 was built by Toyota at Kolín in the Czech Republic: VF3PSCFBDJR…, plant letter R.
- The 4007 and 4008 came from Mitsubishi in Japan and still start VF3 (VF3VV4HNH8U…, VF3BU6HZBCZ…).
- The prefix says Peugeot, France. It does not say where the car left the factory.
An old Peugeot VIN has no year, and position 10 is not one
A 2006 407 reads VF36ERHRH21…. Take the 2 in position 10 for a year code and you get 2002. It is not a year at all: on every 407 we checked, positions 10 and 11 were 21, and on every 207 33 or 34. The 307 reads …C84795114 at the end. Use the date of first registration for the year: field B of the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I in Germany, the first-registered date on the V5C in the UK.
Green: the check digit works out. Amber: it does not. On a Peugeot up to MY2023 that is the normal result, and in MY2024 it is common. From MY2025 a mismatch calls for rereading every character against the label, but we never show red: a few real VINs failed without any sign of a problem.
Model year: position 10 on a Peugeot
On a VIN from the 2009 format, position 10 is a year code: L means 2020, S 2025, T 2026. In our sample it matched the listing year within one year on 227 of 229 dated VINs. It is a year code, not a production date, so for an exact date read the registration document. Buying a pre-2009 car such as a 207? Its VIN states no year at all, and the V5C date of first registration is the first thing to check.
| 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 Peugeot WMI codes VF3 and VR3 mean?
Both are Peugeot, France. VF3 is the long-standing code, used on every plant and on the Expert and Traveller vans even in 2026. VR3 marks newer generations, seen from model year 2019: Rifter, 508 II, 208 II, 2008 II, 308 III, 408, 3008 and 5008 III.
Why does my Peugeot fail the check digit?
Because up to model year 2023 Peugeot did not compute one: only 10 of 239 real VINs passed, as chance would give. From MY2025 it does, with 69 of 75 passing. So a 2018 308 failing is normal, while a 2026 3008 failing means you should compare the characters with the label.
My 2005 Peugeot's VIN shows no year. Is that wrong?
No. Before the 2009 format, positions 10 to 17 are one eight-digit serial, so there is no year and no plant letter. The 107 kept that format until 2011 and the Boxer until 2022. The year is in the registration papers.
Where is the VIN on a Peugeot?
On an adhesive label on the dashboard, readable through the windscreen, and stamped into the body under the bonnet. The manufacturer's label in a door opening also carries it, next to the type-approval number and weights. The V5C in the UK lists it too; a German Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I shows it under E. If the places disagree, do not buy.
My 108 starts with VF3. Was it built in France?
No. The 108 was built by Toyota in Kolín, Czech Republic, with plant letter R in position 11, and the 4007 and 4008 were built by Mitsubishi in Japan. All keep the French VF3. The WMI names the brand, not the country of build.
What can't a Peugeot VIN tell you?
Trim level, options, paint and service history are not in it. Positions 4 to 8 give only model, body and engine family. Those live in the registration papers, the logbook of servicing and the first owner's order.