Ford VIN check
Ford VINs start with WF0, SFA, 1FA, 1FM, 1FT or MAJ. Here is what each code tells you, where to find the VIN on the car and how to confirm it matches the registration before you buy.
Already found one? Check its recorded identity, finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Ford manufacturer codes
The first three characters of the VIN, the World Manufacturer Identifier, and what each one means.
A UK Ford usually starts WF0 rather than SFA, because most European Fords have been built in Germany, Spain or Romania rather than Britain since the Dagenham and Southampton assembly lines closed.
The American codes are the useful ones for a buyer. A Mustang, an F-150 or an Explorer carrying 1FA, 1FM or 1FT is a US-built car, and if it is on UK plates it has been imported. That changes the parts supply, the insurance and the point where its UK record begins.
| Code | What it means |
|---|---|
| WF0 | Ford Germany, the code on most Fords sold in Europe. |
| SFA | Ford UK. |
| 1FA | Ford car built in the United States. |
| 1FM | Ford MPV or SUV built in the United States. |
| 1FT | Ford truck built in the United States. |
| MAJ | Ford India. |
Models covered include the Ford Fiesta, Focus, Kuga, Puma, Mondeo, Ranger, Transit, Mustang. Codes are allocated per manufacturer and plant, so one marque can hold several.
How to read a Ford VIN
Every vehicle built to the international standard since 1981 carries a 17 character VIN in three parts.
| Characters | Part | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | World Manufacturer Identifier | Who built it and where. On a Ford this is WF0 or one of the codes above. |
| 4 to 9 | Vehicle descriptor section | Model, body style, engine and restraint system, in a format each manufacturer sets for itself. Character 9 is a check digit in some markets. |
| 10 to 17 | Vehicle identifier section | The individual vehicle, including the model year code and the plant, ending in a unique serial number. |
The letters I, O and Q never appear in a VIN, because they are too easily mistaken for 1 and 0. If you think you can see one, look again.
Where to find the VIN on a Ford
Find every location, not just one, and confirm they all agree.
1
Through the windscreen
A small plate at the base of the glass on the driver's side, readable from outside the car.
2
In the driver's door aperture
A sticker or riveted plate on the door shut or the B-pillar, usually alongside the tyre pressures and weights.
3
Stamped into the bodyshell
Under the bonnet on the slam panel or inner wing, or under the boot floor near the spare wheel well.
4
On the V5C
The logbook records the VIN, and it must match the car.
Exact positions vary by model and year, so check the car rather than assuming. Signs of tampering matter as much as the number: a sticker that has been peeled and replaced, rivets that do not match, uneven spacing in a stamped number, or a plate that looks newer than the panel around it.
Why the VIN matters when you buy
A registration can change. The VIN is meant to be permanent, which makes it the hardest part of a car's identity to fake everywhere it appears.
Cloning
A stolen car given the identity of a legitimate one of the same make, model and colour. The plates and paperwork look right; the VIN is where it comes apart.
Plate transfers
A registration that has moved between vehicles. Legal and common, but it breaks the link between the plate and the car's age.
Imports
The manufacturer code says which market a vehicle was built for. An imported car's UK record only starts at UK registration. See the import check.
Rebuilt vehicles
Cars assembled from more than one donor, where the identity on the paperwork does not describe what is actually in front of you.
See the VIN check page for what a check against the VIN and registration covers.
Confirm the identity before you pay
Check its recorded VIN, finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
More on used Ford cars
VIN codes for other makes
- BMWWBA
- MINIWMW
- AudiWAU
- VolkswagenWVW
- Mercedes-BenzWDB
- VauxhallSKA
- ToyotaSB1
- LexusJTH
- NissanSJN
- HondaSHH
- Land RoverSAL
- JaguarSAJ
Ford VIN FAQs
What does a Ford VIN start with?
A Ford VIN normally begins with one of these World Manufacturer Identifiers: WF0, SFA, 1FA, 1FM, 1FT, MAJ. Those first three characters name the manufacturer and, in most cases, the plant or vehicle type. The remaining fourteen characters describe the specific vehicle.
Where is the VIN on a Ford?
On almost every modern car there are at least three places to look: a plate visible through the base of the windscreen on the driver's side, a sticker or plate in the driver's door aperture, and a number stamped into the bodyshell under the bonnet or under the boot floor. The exact position varies by model and year, so check all of them and confirm they match each other and the V5C.
Is a Ford VIN check the same as a registration check?
They answer overlapping questions from different directions. The registration is what the DVLA record is keyed on, and it is what a Carpeep report is run against. The VIN is the vehicle's own permanent identity, and cross-referencing the two is how a cloned or re-plated car gives itself away.
What if the VIN on the car does not match the paperwork?
Stop and do not pay anything. A mismatch between the VIN on the car, the VIN on the V5C and the VIN held against the registration is the clearest sign of a cloned, ringed or rebuilt vehicle. It is not a clerical error to shrug off.
How many characters is a Ford VIN?
Seventeen, like every vehicle built to the international standard since 1981. The letters I, O and Q are never used, because they are too easily confused with 1 and 0. A shorter number on a much older vehicle is a chassis number rather than a modern VIN.
World Manufacturer Identifier allocations are published international reference data assigned under ISO 3780. VIN structure follows ISO 3779.