BMW VIN Numbers: How to Decode Any BMW or Mini VIN

Long Pattern Editorial

BMW AG uses WMI codes starting with WBA and WBS for vehicles assembled in Germany, plus US codes for its Spartanburg plant. Here is the full decoding guide.

BMW AG manufactures vehicles in Germany, the United States, China, South Africa, and other countries. Its primary WMI codes begin with W (Germany) for European-assembled vehicles, and 5U or similar codes for US-assembled models from its Spartanburg, South Carolina plant. MINI vehicles use their own WMI structure.

BMW's WMI Codes

  • WBA — BMW AG passenger cars, Germany
  • WBS — BMW M GmbH performance cars, Germany
  • WBY — BMW electric vehicles (i series), Germany
  • 5UX — BMW SAV (X5, X6, X7), United States
  • 5YM — BMW X3, X4, United States
  • WMW — MINI vehicles, Germany/United Kingdom

See all BMW codes on the BMW manufacturer page.

BMW Spartanburg Plant

BMW's Spartanburg, SC plant is the largest BMW plant in the world by volume, producing over 400,000 vehicles annually. VINs from Spartanburg have WMI codes beginning with 5 and plant code E at position 11. The plant produces the X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, XM, and Z4 models.

Identifying BMW Series and Model

BMW's VDS encodes the model series in positions 4–5. The 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, and X models all have distinct VDS patterns. However, BMW's internal coding is complex and requires the NHTSA vPIC lookup for precise decoding. Our VIN decoder returns the full model identification from the NHTSA database.

BMW M vs. BMW M Sport

BMW M GmbH vehicles (M3, M5, M8, and similar) use the WBS WMI code, distinguishing them from regular BMW models. M Sport package vehicles — regular BMW models with sport styling but not the full M powertrain — use the standard WBA code. This distinction is verifiable through the VIN.

Model Year and Import Verification

Position 10 encodes the model year. For a 2024 BMW, the character should be R. German-assembled BMWs imported to the US go through compliance checking; the WMI starting with W confirms German assembly, while 5UX or 5YM confirms the Spartanburg plant.