MG VIN check
MG VINs start with LSJ, SDP, LNP or SAR. 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.
MG manufacturer codes
The first three characters of the VIN, the World Manufacturer Identifier, and what each one means.
MG has had three distinct lives and the VIN tells you which one a car belongs to. SAR marks the Rover and MG Rover era at Longbridge, which ended in 2005.
The modern MG is Chinese-owned and Chinese-built, carrying LSJ. Those are completely different cars from the classic and MG Rover eras, sharing only the badge, and the used markets for them have nothing in common either.
| Code | What it means |
|---|---|
| LSJ | SAIC MG, also used for Roewe, IM Motors and Rising Auto. |
| SDP | NAC MG UK and MG Motor UK. |
| LNP | NAC MG UK Limited and Nanjing Fiat. |
| SAR | Rover and the MG Rover Group. |
Models covered include the MG3, MG ZS, MG HS, MG4, MG5, MGF, MG TF. Codes are allocated per manufacturer and plant, so one marque can hold several.
How to read an MG 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 an MG this is LSJ 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 an MG
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 MG cars
VIN codes for other makes
- BMWWBA
- MINIWMW
- AudiWAU
- VolkswagenWVW
- Mercedes-BenzWDB
- FordWF0
- VauxhallSKA
- ToyotaSB1
- LexusJTH
- NissanSJN
- HondaSHH
- Land RoverSAL
MG VIN FAQs
What does an MG VIN start with?
An MG VIN normally begins with one of these World Manufacturer Identifiers: LSJ, SDP, LNP, SAR. 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 an MG?
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 an MG 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 an MG 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.