VIN Decoder · Toyota
Toyota VIN Decoder: JTD, SB1, NMT and VNK Codes
J in position 1 means a Toyota from Japan, S a Corolla from Burnaston, N a C-HR from Sakarya, V a Yaris from Valenciennes. Then comes the exception: an Aygo from Kolín starts JTD like a Japanese car, and only position 11 gives it away. Toyota also computes a genuine check digit on its modern European VINs, which most European makers do not.
- WMI set: 15 codes, JTD to 2T3
- Plant codes: 10 letters, two sources each
- Last verified: 8 October 2026
Decode a Toyota VIN
Scope: Toyota JTD · JTM · JTE · JTN · JT1 · SB1 · NMT · VNK · AHT · 4T1 · 5TD · 5TF · 5YF · 2T1 · 2T30 / 17
No Toyota VIN contains I, O or Q. If the code on a Burnaston Corolla seems to show an O, read it as a zero.
What a Toyota VIN actually tells you
The opening three characters identify the Toyota company behind the number. JTD, JTM, JTE and JTN belong to Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan; SB1 to Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK at Burnaston; NMT to the Turkish plant at Sakarya; VNK to Toyota Motor Manufacturing France. Positions 4 to 8 describe the model and body. A 2021 Corolla Hybrid from Burnaston reads SB1K93BE, a 2019 C-HR from Sakarya NMTKZ3BX.
Position 9 is where Toyota parts ways with most European brands. ISO 3779 makes the check digit compulsory only in North America and China, yet Toyota calculates it on its European, Japanese and South African VINs as well. We ran 66 real VINs of SB1, NMT, VNK, JTD, JTM, JTE and AHT cars sold in Europe through the formula. All 66 passed. The exception is the older JT1 export format. On a 2006 Celica with a JT1 number, position 9 is not a check digit at all.
Positions 10 to 17 hold year, plant and serial number, at least in North America. A Toyota built for Europe normally has 0 in position 10, so its VIN does not state a model year at all. Position 11 is the plant letter: E for Burnaston, N for Kolín, J for Takaoka, D for the Nagakusa plant of Toyota Industries.
Toyota WMI codes
| WMI | Meaning |
|---|---|
| JTD | Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan: passenger cars. Also found on the Aygo built in Kolín, Czech Republic |
| JTM | Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan: SUVs such as the RAV4 |
| JTE | Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan: SUVs and MPVs, e.g. Land Cruiser and early RAV4 |
| JTN | Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan: passenger cars |
| JT1 | Toyota, Japan: older export format, e.g. Celica; position 9 is not a check digit |
| SB1 | Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK, Burnaston: Corolla, Auris, Avensis |
| NMT | Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey, Sakarya: C-HR |
| VNK | Toyota Motor Manufacturing France, Valenciennes: Yaris |
| AHT | Toyota South Africa Motors: Hilux pickups found in European listings |
| 4T1 | Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, Georgetown: cars such as the Camry |
| 5TD | Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, Princeton: SUVs and MPVs such as the Highlander |
| 5TF | Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas, San Antonio: trucks such as the Tundra |
| 5YF | Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi, Blue Springs: Corolla |
| 2T1 | Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada: cars such as the Corolla from Cambridge |
| 2T3 | Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada: SUVs such as the RAV4 from Woodstock |
Each code is confirmed twice: by NHTSA's vPIC manufacturer register or the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt list, and by an independent VIN reference. Lexus prefixes such as JTH and JTJ are left out on purpose; they belong on a Lexus page.
Where your Toyota was built, and what the VIN says about it
There is no single European Toyota VIN. The cars in British, German or Polish classifieds come from Japan, England, Turkey, France, the Czech Republic and South Africa, and each route writes the number slightly differently. Looking at a Corolla estate? The ones we checked all begin SB1, which means Derbyshire, not Japan.
Built in Japan: JTD, JTM, JTE, JTN
- Position 9 computes on modern cars. A RAV4 or Land Cruiser for Europe passes just like a US one.
- Position 10 is 0 on European-spec cars; only North American ones state the model year.
- Older JT1 export VINs, such as a 2006 Celica, carry no check digit, so amber is expected there.
Built in Europe: SB1, NMT, VNK and the Kolín exception
- SB1 is Burnaston in Derbyshire (Corolla, Auris, Avensis), plant letter E.
- NMT is Sakarya (C-HR), VNK is Valenciennes (Yaris). Both carry a valid check digit.
- An Aygo from Kolín starts JTD like a Japanese car. N in position 11 shows where it was really built.
North America: 4T1, 5TD, 5TF, 5YF, 2T1, 2T3
- The check digit is mandatory, so a mismatch shows red.
- The model year is in position 10, and position 7 settles which 30-year cycle applies.
- France built the Yaris hatchback for the US from 2014 to 2018: VNK with a real year letter.
Imported straight from Japan? Look for a frame number
A Toyota sold new in Japan usually has no 17-character VIN. It carries a frame number instead: the model code, a dash and a serial, such as JZA80 followed by digits on a Supra. This decoder cannot read that format. Some countries issue a VIN on import; Australia, for example, pads the frame number into a 17-character code that starts 6U9 or 6ZZ.
Green means position 9 computes. Red appears only on a North American VIN that fails, because there the check digit is the law. Outside North America a failure shows amber. On a JT1 Celica that is normal. On an SB1 Corolla it almost always means a mistyped character, since every modern European Toyota VIN we tested passed.
Model year: position 10 on a Toyota
On a 4T1 Camry or a 5TD Highlander, position 10 is the model year. K means 2019, and position 7 decides between 1989 and 2019. On a Toyota built for Europe you will usually find 0 there instead: the Auris, C-HR, Yaris and Aygo VINs we checked all carry it. Buying from a dealer in Germany? Take the year from the date of first registration in field B of the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I. In the UK, the V5C shows the same date.
| 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 Toyota WMI codes JTD, SB1, NMT and VNK mean?
JTD is Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan, used on passenger cars; JTM and JTE are its SUV codes. SB1 is Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK at Burnaston, NMT the plant in Sakarya, Turkey, and VNK Toyota Motor Manufacturing France in Valenciennes. 4T1, 5TD, 5TF and 5YF are US plants, 2T1 and 2T3 Canadian ones.
My Aygo's VIN starts with JTD. Was it built in Japan?
No. The Aygo was built in Kolín in the Czech Republic, yet its VIN uses Toyota's Japanese code JTD. Check position 11: an N marks Kolín. The decoder flags the mismatch between WMI country and plant for exactly this reason. The Aygo X, built from 2022, shows 0 in position 11 instead, so its plant cannot be read from the VIN.
Should a European Toyota VIN pass the check digit?
A modern one should. All 66 European-market VINs we tested from SB1, NMT, VNK, JTD, JTM, JTE and AHT cars computed correctly. So if a Corolla from Burnaston fails, compare the VIN character by character with the windscreen plate before anything else. Older JT1 export VINs are different: they carry no check digit, and a mismatch means nothing.
Where is the VIN on a Toyota?
Look through the windscreen at its lower edge on the driver's side; Toyota describes a cut-out at the bottom of the screen. The same number appears on the manufacturer's plate on the driver's door pillar and on the registration document: a UK V5C lists it under vehicle details, the German Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I in field E. If the three disagree, walk away.
What can't a Toyota VIN tell you?
None of these is in the 17 characters: trim level, paint, optional equipment, service history. A European Toyota even leaves out the model year, because position 10 is 0. For those details, use the registration document, the service book or the original order.