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Mercedes-Benz VIN decoder

Decode any Mercedes-Benz VIN for manufacturer specifications and NHTSA safety recall campaigns, and see which World Manufacturer Identifiers NHTSA has on record for Mercedes-Benz.

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Enter all 17 characters. The decoder reads the make, model and year from the whole VIN, not just the first three characters.

Mercedes-Benz WMI codes

The first three characters of a VIN are the World Manufacturer Identifier. NHTSA lists 37 of them for Mercedes-Benz. They were issued across 4 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Germany and United States (USA). A few carry no stated country. They span 5 vehicle types, listed separately below.

The country shown is where the identifier was issued, which usually but not always matches where a given vehicle was assembled. The eleventh character identifies the specific plant. A single WMI can cover more than one vehicle type, so some codes appear in more than one table.

Passenger Car 8 codes

Mercedes-Benz WMI codes — passenger car
WMI	Registered entity	Country
55S	MERCEDES-BENZ CARS	United States (USA)
W1A	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	—
W1K	MERCEDES-BENZ CARS	Germany
W1L	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	—
W1M	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	—
WDB	MERCEDES-BENZ CARS	Germany
WDD	MERCEDES-BENZ CARS	Germany
WME	MERCEDES-BENZ CARS	Germany

Truck 9 codes

Mercedes-Benz WMI codes — truck
WMI	Registered entity	Country
1MB	MERCEDES-BENZ TRUCK COMPANY INC	United States (USA)
8BU	MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC (SPRINTER)	Argentina
9DB	MERCEDES-BENZ TRUCK COMPANY INC	Brazil
W1H	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	Germany
W1Y	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	Germany
W2Y	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	Germany
WD0	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	United States (USA)
WD3	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	Germany
WYB	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	Germany

Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) 10 codes

Mercedes-Benz WMI codes — multipurpose passenger vehicle (mpv)
WMI	Registered entity	Country
4JG	MERCEDES-BENZ OF NORTH AMERICA, INC.	United States (USA)
8BT	MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC (SPRINTER)	Argentina
W1N	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	Germany
W1P	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	—
W1R	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	—
W1W	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	Germany
W2W	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	Germany
WD4	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	Germany
WD8	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	United States (USA)
WDC	MERCEDES-BENZ CARS	Germany

Bus 5 codes

Mercedes-Benz WMI codes — bus
WMI	Registered entity	Country
8BR	MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC (SPRINTER)	Argentina
W1Z	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	Germany
W2Z	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	Germany
WDW	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	United States (USA)
WDZ	MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC (SPRINTER)	Germany

Incomplete Vehicle 5 codes

Mercedes-Benz WMI codes — incomplete vehicle
WMI	Registered entity	Country
8BN	MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC (SPRINTER)	Argentina
W1X	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	Germany
W2X	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	Germany
WDA	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	Germany
WDX	MERCEDES-BENZ, AG	United States (USA)

Source: NHTSA vPIC, GetWMIsForManufacturer. Retrieved 2026-10-21.

Common Mercedes-Benz models

Some of the Mercedes-Benz models you are most likely to be decoding, as NHTSA spells them. Recall searches by year, make and model need that exact spelling.

C-Class — NHTSA recall records list specific models such as C300 rather than C-Class.
GLC-Class
GLE-Class
E-Class
GLA-Class
S-Class
GLS-Class
Sprinter — Sprinter recalls are filed by Daimler Vans USA and often also cover the Freightliner Sprinter.

Model names checked against NHTSA vPIC.

Notable Mercedes-Benz recalls since 2018

A few of the largest or most serious recent safety recalls covering Mercedes-Benz vehicles. They are examples, not a complete list: a single model year can have a dozen campaigns. A recall on the model does not mean it is still open on a particular car, so check the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup, or see every campaign for a year and model with our recall lookup.

Electrical system: emergency call (eCall) software

Vehicles: Certain 2016-2021 Mercedes-Benz A-Class, B-Class, C-Class, CLA-Class, CLS-Class, E-Class, G-Class, GLA-Class, GLB-Class, GLC-Class, GLE-Class, GLS-Class, GT-Class, S-Class, SL-Class and SLC-Class vehicles.

The communication module software may send the wrong vehicle location when the emergency call system contacts responders after a crash. Responders sent to the wrong place can be delayed, raising the risk of injury.

The communication module software is updated at no charge, either by a dealer or over the air.

NHTSA campaign 21V058000, reported 5 February 2021, about 1,292,258 vehicles across every brand in the campaign.

Brakes: vacuum brake booster

Vehicles: Certain 2006-2012 Mercedes-Benz ML-Class, GL-Class and R-Class vehicles.

Moisture can collect at the brake booster and corrode its housing, which can reduce braking or cause the brakes to fail. Owners are advised not to drive these vehicles until the repair is done.

Dealers inspect the brake booster and replace it as needed at no charge; recall 24V298000 later added more vehicles.

NHTSA campaign 22V315000, reported 9 May 2022, about 350,294 vehicles across every brand in the campaign.

Electrical system: emergency call (eCall) software

Vehicles: Certain 2017-2022 Mercedes-Benz A-Class, AMG GT-Class, C-Class, CLA-Class, CLS-Class, E-Class, G-Class, GLA-Class, GLB-Class, GLC-Class, GLE-Class, GLS-Class, S-Class, SL-Class and SLC-Class vehicles.

An error in the SIM card software of the communication module can cause a mobile network failure that disables the emergency call system. Occupants then cannot reach emergency help through the system after a crash, which can delay responders.

The communication module software is updated at no charge, either by a dealer or over the air.

NHTSA campaign 22V365000, reported 20 May 2022, about 242,722 vehicles across every brand in the campaign.

Power train: transmission park pawl

Vehicles: Certain 2019-2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 1500, 2500, 3500 and 4500 vehicles with a manual parking brake and seven-speed automatic transmission; the campaign, filed by Daimler Vans USA, also covers Freightliner Sprinter vehicles.

A guide bushing on the transmission parking pawl can wear out from fatigue, so the pawl may not engage when the van is put in park. The van can then roll away, raising the risk of a crash.

Dealers update the software in several control units, including the transmission and stability control units, at no charge.

NHTSA campaign 22V796000, reported 21 October 2022, about 124,305 vehicles across every brand in the campaign.

Steering: steering rack

Vehicles: Certain 2015-2019 rear-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz C-Class, E-Class and CLS-Class vehicles, including C300, C63 AMG, E300, E400, E450 and CLS450 models (years vary by model).

A locknut inside the steering rack can break under high load, which may leave the steering stuck in one position. A car that cannot be steered properly is at greater risk of a crash.

Dealers replace the steering rack at no charge.

NHTSA campaign 18V850000, reported 29 November 2018, about 6,373 vehicles across every brand in the campaign.

Recall details from the NHTSA recalls API, checked 26 October 2026.

Reading the rest of a Mercedes-Benz VIN

Characters 4 to 8 describe the vehicle — model, body style, engine, restraint system. Mercedes-Benz assigns that scheme itself and files it with NHTSA, which is why decoding requires a lookup rather than arithmetic. Character 9 is the check digit, character 10 is the model year, and character 11 is the assembly plant.

See how to read a VIN for the full breakdown, or model year codes for the position 10 table.

Where the VIN is on a Mercedes-Benz

On the driver's side dashboard, readable through the windshield, and on a sticker in the driver's door jamb. The door jamb sticker usually carries a scannable barcode, which is more reliable than transcribing 17 characters by eye — the decoder can read it with your camera.

More detail in where to find the VIN.