VIN Decoder · SEAT
SEAT VIN Decoder: VSS Code and Seven Plants
Every SEAT and every Cupra starts VSS, which says Spain. Yet an Ateca can roll out of Škoda's Kvasiny plant in Czechia, a Tarraco out of Wolfsburg, a Cupra Born out of Zwickau and a Terramar out of Audi's Győr works. One Spanish code, seven factories in six countries: position 11 tells you where your car was really built.
- WMI set: 1 code: VSS (SEAT and Cupra)
- Plant codes: 7 plants in 6 countries
- Last verified: 8 October 2026
Decode a SEAT VIN
Scope: SEAT and Cupra cars built by SEAT S.A. (VSS)0 / 17
No SEAT VIN contains I, O or Q. The long run of Z in positions 4 to 6 is the letter Z, never a 2.
What a SEAT VIN actually tells you
VSS stands for SEAT S.A., Martorell. It is the only prefix on this page, and Cupra has none of its own: a Formentor starts VSSZZZKM, a Born VSSZZZK1, a Tavascan VSSZZZKR. Cupra has been a standalone brand since 2018, but its VINs still read SEAT. Positions 4 to 6 are always ZZZ, a filler. Next come two characters of model code, and they are shared: 5F is both the León III and the Ateca, KJ both the Ibiza and the Arona.
Position 9 changes with the model year. In the 55 real VINs we checked, every car up to model year 2022 has a Z there, and none of them computes as a check digit. Every car from model year 2023 carries a genuine one, X included. We found no car that mixes the two. A Z on a 2019 Leon is normal; a Z on a 2024 Ateca would be a reason to look harder.
Position 10 is the model year, A for 2010 up to T for 2026, and position 11 is the plant. The model year can run ahead of registration: a Tarraco VSSZZZKN6PW… has P, 2023, but was listed as a 2022 car. A Terramar reads VSSZZZKP8T1…, with a valid 8, T for 2026 and 1 for Győr.
SEAT WMI code
| WMI | Meaning |
|---|---|
| VSS | SEAT S.A., Martorell, Spain: SEAT and Cupra passenger cars, wherever they were assembled |
VSS is confirmed twice, in an official manufacturer list and in a separate VIN database. SEAT and Cupra hold no North American WMI, so NHTSA's vPIC does not know the code.
Where your SEAT was built, and what the VIN says about it
SEAT is a European brand. It never sold cars in the United States or Canada, so there is no North American VIN to worry about. The question is different: did the car come from Martorell, or from a plant that belongs to another group brand?
Built in Spain: Martorell, plant R
- Ibiza, Arona, León and the Cupra Formentor come from Martorell, plant letter R.
- An Ibiza IV from 2011 reads VSSZZZ6JZBR…: Z in position 9, B for 2011, R for Martorell.
- Earlier Altea models also carry R.
Built elsewhere in Europe: 6, W, P, D, V, 1
- 6 is Kvasiny in Czechia, a Škoda plant: all 8 Ateca VINs we checked, model years 2022 to 2025, show it.
- W is Wolfsburg (Tarraco), P is Zwickau (Cupra Born), 1 is Győr in Hungary (Cupra Terramar).
- D is Bratislava (Mii) and V is Palmela in Portugal (Alhambra II).
Built in China: the Cupra Tavascan
- The Tavascan comes from Volkswagen Anhui and still starts VSS.
- Its position 11 is the letter A. We found no source for what A stands for, so the page shows no plant for it.
- Position 9 follows the same rule as other 2023+ cars: a computed digit.
VSS does not mean built in Spain
Reading VSS as made in Spain is wrong for a large part of the range. The Ateca we checked came from Czechia, the Tarraco from Germany. Do not tell the seller the car must be Spanish-built: read position 11 first. And do not rely on positions 7 and 8 alone to tell a hatchback from an SUV, since 5F and KJ each cover two models.
Green means position 9 computes. Amber means it does not, and on a SEAT up to model year 2022 that is the normal Z, not a sign of a fake. On a 2023 or later car, a failed check deserves a closer look: in the VINs we checked, every one computed.
Model year: position 10 on a SEAT
European SEATs use a real model year code in position 10: 7 is 2007, B is 2011, N is 2022, P is 2023, T is 2026. The digits and letters repeat every 30 years, and the page shows both candidates. Buying in the UK? Compare position 10 with the first-registration date printed on the V5C, because the model year can sit a year ahead of what the advert says.
| 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 does the SEAT WMI VSS mean?
VSS is SEAT S.A., Martorell, Spain. It is the only prefix on a SEAT, and Cupra cars use it as well: Formentor, Born, Tavascan and Terramar all start VSS. Cupra has been a separate brand since 2018, but not a separate manufacturer code.
Why does my SEAT VIN fail the check digit?
If the car is model year 2022 or older, position 9 is a Z, and a Z does not compute. All 25 real VINs we checked from model years 2005 to 2022 (Leon, Ibiza, Altea, Alhambra, Mii, Ateca, Tarraco, Formentor, Born) had it. From model year 2023, all 30 we checked computed correctly. A Z on a 2023 or later car is the one to question.
My Ateca has a Spanish code but was built in Czechia. Is that right?
Yes. VSS only names SEAT S.A. as the company. Position 11 is 6 on every Ateca VIN we checked, and 6 is Kvasiny, a Škoda plant in Czechia. Looking at a Tarraco? W in position 11 means Wolfsburg.
Where is the VIN on a SEAT?
SEAT's manuals name several places: below the windscreen at the front, in the engine compartment on the right-hand side, and on the type plate on the right-hand door pillar (driver's side only on a right-hand-drive UK car). The infotainment system shows it under SETTINGS, Service, Vehicle ID. In the UK it is on the V5C, in other European countries in field E of the registration document.
Can the VIN tell an Ibiza from an Arona?
Not from positions 7 and 8. Both use KJ, and the León III and the Ateca both use 5F. Use the registration document or the plate to tell them apart.
What can't a SEAT VIN tell you?
The 17 characters carry no trim level, paint colour or options list. A dealer can read the equipment codes from the vehicle data label or look them up by VIN. Service history lives in the service book.