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Jeep VIN Decoder

Jeep grew out of the Second World War utility vehicle and passed through Willys, Kaiser, AMC and Chrysler before becoming part of Stellantis.

Built before 1981?

Can I decode a Jeep VIN from before 1981?

Yes. Jeep VINs from before 1981 are shorter than 17 characters and follow Jeep’s own layout, so a standard decoder cannot read them. Our classic decoder reads them from as early as 1968, character by character, against the factory chart for each year.

Decode a classic Jeep
Classic Jeep VINs From 1968 Read character by character against the factory chart for each year.
Reading a Jeep VIN

What do the first three characters of a Jeep VIN mean?

Older Jeeps used J as the second character, as in 1J4. Later models moved to the shared Chrysler C, as in 1C4, so the prefix helps date a Jeep to its ownership era.

What each of the 17 positions means

The 17 positions1J4 …
  • 1–3Manufacturer
  • 4–8Vehicle details
  • 9Check digit
  • 10Model year
  • 11Plant
  • 12–17Serial number
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