Mercedes-Benz VIN Numbers: Decoding Every Mercedes VIN

Mercedes-Benz manufactures vehicles in Germany, the United States (Vance, Alabama), and several other countries. Its German-assembled vehicles carry WMI codes beginning with WD or WDB, while vehicles from the Alabama plant use codes beginning with 4JG.

Mercedes-Benz WMI Codes

• WDB — Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, Germany
• WDD — Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, Germany (newer encoding)
• 4JG — Mercedes-Benz SUVs, United States (GLE, GLS, GLE Coupe)
• WDC — Mercedes-Benz SUVs, Germany (GLC, GLB)
• W1N — Mercedes-Benz SUVs, Germany (newer encoding)

See all codes on the Mercedes-Benz manufacturer page.

The Vance, Alabama Plant

Mercedes-Benz US International's plant in Vance, Alabama produces GLE, GLS, and GLE Coupe models — primarily for export as well as domestic sale. VINs from this plant begin with 4JG and carry plant code A at position 11. The Vance plant is one of the largest automotive exporters in the United States by value.

AMG Models

Mercedes-AMG vehicles use the same WMI codes as standard Mercedes-Benz models — the AMG designation is not encoded in the WMI. The AMG model variant is captured in the VDS (positions 4–8) and returned explicitly by the NHTSA vPIC lookup. AMG Line (styling package) and full AMG (separate powertrain) are both encoded in the VDS but distinguished only through the full decode.

Class Identification

Mercedes-Benz class (C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, GLC, GLE, etc.) is encoded in the VDS. The specific class is returned by the NHTSA vPIC API and shown in our decoder output. The WMI alone does not distinguish between a C 300 and an E 450.

Model Year Verification

As with all standardized VINs, position 10 encodes the model year. A 2024 Mercedes should show R at position 10. German Mercedes VINs follow the global standard; there is no proprietary encoding in this position.