How to Decode Dodge Truck VIN Numbers
A VIN, or vehicle identification number, is a unique series of characters assigned to a vehicle upon production that provide information about the vehicle as well as tracking for title purposes. The VIN consists of 17 letters or numbers and aligns with the standards set in place by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Understanding a Dodge Truck VIN requires understanding what each character represents and can provide a great deal of critical information about the truck.
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Instructions
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1
Locate the VIN plate, which can be seen just under the windshield on the driver's side of the vehicle. If this is not readily visible, check the Certification Label attached to the door pillar of the driver's side of the truck or the Vehicle Certificate of Title.
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2
Find the first three digits. These represent the World Manufacturer Identification number. Dodge trucks will always begin with either 1D3 (manufactured in the United States), 2D3 (manufactured in Canada) or 3D3 (manufactured in Mexico).
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3
Identify the fourth digit of the Dodge truck VIN, which represents the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). The letter D is for vehicles with a GVWR of 0 to 3,000 pounds, and the letters continue for each increase by 1,000 pounds from that point up until the letter M, which represents vehicles with a GVWR of 10,001 to 14,000 pounds.
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4
Locate the fifth and sixth digits of the VIN. These numbers provide information about the line and series, respectively. For example, a Dodge Ram 4x4 is designated by the letter F for the line. The series, or sixth digit, would give an indication of whether the truck was a 1500 (number 1), 2500 (number 2) or 3500 (number 3) series.
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5
Find characters seven and eight, which define the body type and engine. For Dodge trucks, the most common numbers for the body type would be 2 (for a 2-door club cab), 3 (for a 4-door quad cab) or 6 (for a conventional cab). The engine type, as described by the eighth digit, can vary greatly depending upon whether your truck has a V6, V8, V10 or diesel engine. For example, a 5.9L V8 HDC would be assigned the number 5 while a 8.0L V10 would be assigned the letter W.
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6
Locate the ninth digit of the VIN. As is the same for all cars, the ninth digit of the VIN is the check digit, which is used by the Department of Transportation for VIN validation.
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7
Identify the two digits of the VIN, which represent the production numbers. The tenth digit is a letter that represents a vehicle model year. The eleventh digit represents the plant where the car was manufactured (for example, the letter A represents Auburn Hills, Michigan while the letter F stands for Newark, New Jersey).
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8
Find the remaining six digits of the VIN, which stand for the truck's serial number and are used as a unique identifier for each truck that is manufactured. These numbers are assigned in the order the vehicle comes off of the assembly line for each truck of the same type.
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