Ford Truck VIN Decoder
Free instant safety reports for any Ford. Recalls, complaints, and complete specs.
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How to Read a Ford VIN
Every Ford truck VIN is 17 characters long. US-built pickups and other complete trucks begin with 1FT, while chassis cabs begin with 1FD. A first character of 2 means Canada and 3 means Mexico. Here is what each part means, using a real truck.
EXAMPLE: 2021 FORD F-150
1FTEW1E84MFC15974
Positions 1–3 · Manufacturer
Registered to Ford Motor Company (United States).
Positions 4–8 · Vehicle attributes
Model, body, weight class and engine. NHTSA decodes this truck as: F-150, Pickup, Class 2E, Ford GTDI.
Position 9 · Check digit
Calculated from the other 16 characters, so a mistyped VIN is caught before you search.
Position 10 · Model year
2021.
Position 11 · Assembly plant
Dearborn, Michigan.
Positions 12–17 · Serial number
The production sequence number for this individual truck.
Ford VIN Prefixes
The first three characters of a VIN identify who built the vehicle. These are the main prefixes NHTSA has registered for Ford trucks. "Truck" means it left the factory complete; "incomplete vehicle" means it was sold as a chassis for a body builder to finish.
| Prefix | Registered to | Type | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1FT | Ford Motor Company | Truck | United States |
| 1FD | Ford Motor Company | Incomplete vehicle | United States |
| 2FT | Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd. | Truck | Canada |
| 2FD | Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd. | Incomplete vehicle | Canada |
| 3FT | Ford Motor Company, Mexico | Truck | Mexico |
| 3FD | Ford Motor Company, Mexico | Incomplete vehicle | Mexico |
| 3FR | Blue Diamond Truck | Incomplete vehicle | Mexico |
The 3FR prefix is registered to Blue Diamond Truck, which built Ford-badged chassis in Mexico.
Where to Find the VIN
Look through the windshield at the driver-side corner of the dash, or open the driver's door and read the certification label on the door frame. The VIN is also printed on the title, registration and insurance card.
On a phone, tap Scan VIN and point the camera at the label instead of typing.
Ford Models Covered
The decoder works with any Ford VIN NHTSA has on file, including the F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, F-650, F-750, Ranger, and Maverick.
What You'll Get
Safety Alerts
Recall campaigns plus crash and fire complaints from the federal database
Complete Specs
Engine, GVWR, dimensions — every spec NHTSA has on file for the VIN
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Direct links to marketplace and parts searches for this truck
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Enter or Scan VIN
Type the 17-character VIN or use your camera
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