Skip to content

Country of Origin Guide

Country of Origin – What It Means and Why It Matters

Every vehicle has a unique Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) that provides important details about its make, model, and manufacturing origin. One of the easiest ways to identify the country where your vehicle was made is by looking at the first character of the VIN.

What is the Country of Origin?
The country of origin is where the vehicle was manufactured or assembled. The first character of the VIN is a letter or number that corresponds to a specific country or region. For example, “1” means the USA, “J” means Japan, “W” means Germany, and “3” means Mexico.

Example:

  • VIN starting with "1": Built in the United States.

  • VIN starting with "J": Built in Japan.

  • VIN starting with "W": Built in Germany.

  • VIN starting with "3": Built in Mexico.

ADD VEHICLE