Germany · NHTSA recalls & complaints
Volkswagen VIN decoder
Volkswagen is the core brand of the Volkswagen Group, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. The group's largest shareholder is Porsche SE, which holds 53.3% of the voting rights, followed by the state of Lower Saxony with 20% and Qatar with 17%. Within the group, the Volkswagen brand sits in the Core brand group with Škoda, SEAT and Cupra, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. It builds cars, SUVs, vans and a growing range of ID. electric models.
Enter all 17 characters to see the build details NHTSA holds and the recalls for that model year.
- 32 model pages
- 255 recall campaigns
- 33,208 owner complaints
- model years 1995–2026
- 22 WMI codes in vPIC
- origin: Germany
| Country of origin | Germany |
|---|---|
| Region | Europe |
| NHTSA recall and complaint data | Yes, model years 1995–2026 |
| WMI codes in NHTSA vPIC | 22 |
| Model pages | 32 |
| Other model names in NHTSA data | 8 |
| Vehicle recall campaigns | 255 |
| Owner complaints | 33,208 |
| Complaints reporting a crash | 1,286 (3.9%) |
| Complaints reporting a fire | 847 (2.6%) |
| Complaints reporting an injury | 1,102 (3.3%) |
| Complaints reporting a death | 30 (0.1%) |
| Data updated | September 25, 2026 |
Volkswagen builds vehicles for the U.S. in North America. Its Chattanooga plant in Tennessee has built the Atlas since 2017 and the Atlas Cross Sport since 2020, and it built the electric ID.4 from July 2022 until April 2026. The Puebla plant in Mexico builds the Jetta, Tiguan and Taos. That is why NHTSA's vPIC database lists U.S. and Mexican codes for Volkswagen as well as German ones.
The first Volkswagens reached the United States in 1949, and Volkswagen of America was founded in 1955. NHTSA holds a large volume of recall campaigns and owner complaints for U.S.-market Volkswagens, and this page summarises them by model. The notes below explain the brand's many WMIs and why a European-market Volkswagen may decode only partly.
NHTSA’s files hold 255 vehicle recall campaigns and 33,208 owner complaints for Volkswagen vehicles from model years 1995 to 2026, summarised here on 32 model pages. The Jetta has the most complaints (9,683), followed by the Passat (7,514) and the Beetle (2,586). Of those complaints, 1,286 report a crash, 847 a fire, 1,102 at least one injury and 30 at least one death; the figures count complaints, not people.
The World Manufacturer Identifier is the first three characters of the VIN. NHTSA’s vPIC database decodes 22 WMIs to Volkswagen; this is the complete list, with the manufacturer name, country and vehicle type vPIC records for each.
| WMI | Manufacturer (vPIC) | Country | Vehicle type | Also decoded as |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1C4 | FCA US LLC | United States | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Ram |
| 1C6 | FCA US LLC | United States | Truck | Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Ram |
| 1C7 | FCA US LLC | United States | Incomplete Vehicle | Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Ram |
| 1V1 | VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA, INC. | United States | Truck | – |
| 1V2 | VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA, INC. | United States | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| 1VW | VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA, INC. | United States | Passenger Car | – |
| 2C4 | FCA CANADA INC. | Canada | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Ram |
| 2C6 | FCA CANADA INC. | Canada | Truck | Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Ram |
| 2C7 | FCA CANADA INC. | Canada | Incomplete Vehicle | Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Pontiac, Ram |
| 2V4 | FCA CANADA INC. | Canada | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
Show the other 12 WMIsHide the rest
| WMI | Manufacturer (vPIC) | Country | Vehicle type | Also decoded as |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2V8 | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC(USA),CHRYSLER CANADA, CHRYSLER DE MEXICO | Canada | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| 3C4 | CHRYSLER DE MEXICO TOLUCA | Mexico | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Ram |
| 3C6 | CHRYSLER DE MEXICO TOLUCA | Mexico | Truck | Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Ram |
| 3C7 | CHRYSLER DE MEXICO TOLUCA | Mexico | Incomplete Vehicle | Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Ram |
| 3VV | VOLKSWAGEN DE MEXICO SA DE CV | Mexico | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| 3VW | VOLKSWAGEN DE MEXICO SA DE CV | Mexico | Passenger Car | – |
| 9BW | VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA, INC. | Mexico | Passenger Car | – |
| WV1 | VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA, INC. | Germany | Truck | – |
| WV2 | VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA, INC. | Germany | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| WV3 | VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA, INC. | Germany | Incomplete Vehicle | – |
| WVG | VOLKSWAGEN AG | Germany | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| WVW | VOLKSWAGEN AG | Germany | Passenger Car | – |
Some codes are shared across a manufacturer’s brands; the last column names the other brands in our catalog that vPIC links to the same code. See the WMI code guide for how the codes are assigned.
Each model page lists NHTSA’s recall campaigns and owner complaints for that model name, by model year and component. Models are sorted by complaints; the data covers model years 1995–2026.
| Model | Model years | Recall campaigns | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jetta | 1995–2026 | 60 | 9,683 |
| Passat | 1995–2022 | 50 | 7,514 |
| Beetle | 1998–2019 | 24 | 2,586 |
| Tiguan | 2009–2026 | 39 | 2,282 |
| Atlas | 2018–2026 | 48 | 1,980 |
| GTI | 1995–2025 | 29 | 1,397 |
| Golf | 1995–2023 | 42 | 1,314 |
| ID.4 | 2021–2026 | 26 | 998 |
| CC | 2008–2017 | 12 | 983 |
| Routan | 2008–2014 | 8 | 784 |
| Touareg | 2004–2017 | 12 | 645 |
| Taos | 2022–2026 | 8 | 491 |
| Atlas Cross Sport | 2020–2026 | 30 | 477 |
| Eos | 2007–2016 | 7 | 425 |
| New Beetle | 1998–2006 | 5 | 191 |
| Golf SportWagen | 2013–2019 | 9 | 172 |
| Jetta SportWagen | 2008–2014 | 2 | 171 |
| Cabrio | 1995–2002 | 2 | 162 |
| Rabbit | 2006–2009 | 3 | 152 |
| EuroVan | 1995–2004 | 3 | 136 |
| R32 | 2004–2008 | 3 | 129 |
| Jetta Hybrid | 2013–2016 | 3 | 101 |
| Golf Alltrack | 2017–2019 | 4 | 100 |
| Golf R | 2012–2026 | 16 | 79 |
| e-Golf | 2015–2019 | 9 | 55 |
| Passat Wagon | 2001–2010 | 3 | 50 |
| Arteon | 2019–2023 | 6 | 43 |
| Beetle Convertible | 2008–2019 | 6 | 42 |
| ID. Buzz | 2025 | 2 | 14 |
| GLI | 2008–2021 | 1 | 11 |
Show 2 more Volkswagen modelsHide the other models
| Model | Model years | Recall campaigns | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrado | 1995 | 1 | 1 |
| Touareg Hybrid | 2011–2015 | 3 | – |
– means NHTSA has no records of that kind under the model name.
Other Volkswagen models in NHTSA data
NHTSA also lists these Volkswagen model names, but with no recall campaign and fewer than 25 complaints each, so they have no page of their own: Golf Sportswagen, Jetta GLI, Jetta TDI, Jetta Wagon, Passat TDI, Phaeton, Polo 1.6 Comfortline, Tiguan Limited.
Which WMI codes does Volkswagen use?
Volkswagen VINs can start with several WMIs because the brand builds vehicles on three continents. NHTSA's vPIC database lists codes for Volkswagen AG in Germany, Volkswagen de México and Volkswagen Group of America, split by vehicle class. The main ones are below.
| WMI | Manufacturer (NHTSA vPIC) | Country | Vehicle type |
|---|---|---|---|
| WVW | Volkswagen AG | Germany | Passenger car |
| WVG | Volkswagen AG | Germany | MPV (SUV class) |
| WV1 | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. | Germany | Truck |
| WV2 | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. | Germany | MPV |
| 1VW | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. | United States | Passenger car |
| 1V2 | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. | United States | MPV (SUV class) |
| 3VW | Volkswagen de México S.A. de C.V. | Mexico | Passenger car |
| 3VV | Volkswagen de México S.A. de C.V. | Mexico | MPV (SUV class) |
| 9BW | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. | Brazil | Passenger car |
The country column follows the letters of the code: W is Germany, 1 is the United States, 3V falls in Mexico's range and 9B in Brazil's. vPIC sometimes records a different country for the company's address, so rely on the prefix. The WMI code guide explains the allocation.
How do European-market Volkswagen VINs differ?
Volkswagens built for the U.S. follow 49 CFR Part 565, with a check digit in position 9 and a model-year code in position 10. Those built for Europe before July 2022 came under rules that mirrored ISO 3779, which lets the manufacturer define positions 4 to 9 and requires neither a check digit nor a year code. The EU has required a check digit for new vehicle types since 6 July 2022, and from 7 July 2026 vehicles without one cannot be registered in the EU. An older European-market Volkswagen VIN may therefore fail the U.S. check-digit formula without anything being wrong with it.
Public records from elsewhere in the group show what the older rules allowed: SEAT VINs quoted in French government recall notices have ZZZ in positions 4 to 6 and a Z in position 9, where a U.S. VIN would carry model codes and a check digit. See the SEAT VIN decoder and the European VIN decoding guide for more.
Volkswagen Group brands
Why does my Volkswagen's VIN start with 1V2 or 3VV?
Both are genuine Volkswagen WMIs in NHTSA's vPIC database. 1V2 is listed under Volkswagen Group of America for MPV-class vehicles, the U.S. category that includes SUVs, and 3VV under Volkswagen de México for the same class. The first character tells you the country: 1 for the United States, 3 for Mexico.
Will a European-market Volkswagen decode fully here?
Often only partly. Our decoder uses NHTSA's vPIC data, which is most complete for vehicles built for North America. The WMI will identify Volkswagen, but model, engine and trim fields for a European-market car may be empty.
Does this page show Volkswagen recalls?
It shows NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints for Volkswagen models sold in the U.S., grouped by model and model year. To check one vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or ask a Volkswagen dealer.
Can a Volkswagen VIN reveal accident or ownership history?
No. A decode reads manufacturing information only. Accident, title and ownership records come from licensed history providers and are not part of this site.
Brands mentioned in the notes above, each with its own VIN notes and WMI list.
- SEAT (no NHTSA model pages) Spain
- Audi (66) Germany · 214 recall campaigns
- Porsche (104) Germany · 142 recall campaigns
- Bentley (29) United Kingdom · 55 recall campaigns
- Lamborghini (18) Italy · 39 recall campaigns
- Škoda (no NHTSA model pages) Czech Republic
Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files and NHTSA vPIC, updated September 25, 2026.