Decode any Acura VIN free in seconds. Enter the 17-character vehicle identification number from your Acura into the decoder above and get the model, year, engine family, trim, factory options, plant code, and recall status — instantly, with no sign-up and no credit card.

This page is the Acura VIN hub. Below you’ll find Acura-specific WMI codes, the brand’s plant codes, a position-by-position guide to reading a Acura VIN, where to find the VIN on your Acura, and direct links to the Acura VIN decoders for individual models.

About Acura

Acura is the luxury division of Honda Motor Company, launched in the United States in 1986 as the first Japanese premium nameplate sold in North America. The brand debuted with two models — the Legend (a sedan co-developed with Rover) and the Integra (a sport compact) — and quickly became the template every other Japanese carmaker copied when launching their own luxury arms in the early 1990s.

Most Acuras sold in North America are assembled at Honda plants in Marysville (Ohio), East Liberty (Ohio), and Alliston (Ontario). The flagship NSX supercar was hand-built in Marysville’s Performance Manufacturing Center until production ended in 2022. Because Acura is North-America-only, every Acura VIN starts with 1, 2, 5, or J — there are no Acuras built in Europe or assembled in Asia for the US market.

Acura WMI codes (positions 1–3)

The first three characters of your VIN — the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) — tell you who built the vehicle and where. The WMI is assigned by SAE International on behalf of ISO. Here are the WMIs you’ll encounter on Acura vehicles:

If your Acura VIN begins with any of the codes above, it’s a genuine Acura. A Acura VIN starting with an unlisted WMI may indicate a rebadge, a regional partner build, or a counterfeit — decode the full VIN with the tool above to confirm.

How to read a Acura VIN — position by position

Every Acura VIN built since 1986 uses the ISO 3779 17-character standard. The 17 characters split into three blocks:

Here is what each position means specifically on a Acura:

Positions 1–3: World Manufacturer Identifier

See the WMI table above. The country code at position 1 tells you where the vehicle was assembled — not where Acura is headquartered. A Acura assembled outside Japan (US-built models) carries the country code of the assembly plant.

Positions 4–8: Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS)

On most Acura models, position 4 encodes the model line, position 5 the body style, position 6 the engine, position 7 the transmission, and position 8 the trim/grade.

Position 9: Check digit

The check digit is the most important single character in any VIN. It is calculated from the other 16 characters using a fixed weighting table and modulo-11 math. If even one character of a Acura VIN is mistyped, the check digit will not match — and any compliant decoder, DMV, or insurance system will flag the VIN as invalid.

Position 10: Model year

The 10th character maps to a model year on a 30-year cycle. Skim the chart below to translate yours:

The letters I, O, and Q are never used in any VIN — including Acura — because they look too similar to the digits 1 and 0.

Position 11: Assembly plant

The single character at position 11 identifies the specific factory. Common Acura plant codes: 4 (Marysville, OH — TLX, Integra), 5 (East Liberty, OH — RDX), 1 (Lincoln, AL — MDX), H (Alliston, ON).

Positions 12–17: Serial number

The final six characters are the production sequence number stamped on your specific Acura as it rolled off the line. Combined with the previous 11 characters, this makes every Acura VIN globally unique.

Where to find the VIN on a Acura

You can find your Acura VIN in several places. The lower-left windshield and the door jamb are the easiest to read; the others are useful when one of those labels has been damaged or replaced.

• Lower-left corner of the windshield, visible from outside
• Driver’s side door jamb sticker (with tire and load info)
• Stamped on the engine bay firewall / shock tower (varies by model)
• Vehicle title, registration, and insurance documents

If your Acura is older and built before 1986, the chassis number is shorter than 17 characters and follows a Acura-specific format. For pre-1986 vehicles, use our classic car VIN decoder guide.

Check Acura recalls and safety information

Open and historic recalls on Acura vehicles are tracked by national transport authorities. The fastest way to check a specific Acura:

1. Decode the VIN with the tool above to confirm the model and model year
2. Cross-reference the 17-character VIN with the NHTSA recall database
3. Review any open safety actions and contact your nearest Acura authorised service centre for free repair

Recalls are repaired free of charge by the manufacturer regardless of vehicle age or ownership history.

Frequently asked questions

How do I decode my Acura VIN?

Type the 17-character VIN from your Acura’s windshield, driver-side door jamb, or vehicle title into the decoder at the top of this page. Results return in seconds and include make, model, model year, body style, engine family, transmission, plant of origin, and open NHTSA recalls. No registration is required.

Where is the VIN on my Acura?

The two easiest spots are the lower-left corner of the windshield (visible from outside the car) and the driver-side door jamb sticker. Both locations are required by federal labelling regulation on every road-going Acura sold in North America and the EU.

Is the Acura VIN decoder free?

Yes. VinDecoderPlus decodes every Acura VIN free of charge with no sign-up or credit card. Full vehicle history reports — including ownership records, accident history, and odometer history — are available as an optional paid upgrade.

What does the VIN tell me about my Acura?

A VIN decode confirms the original factory configuration of your Acura: model, year, body style, engine, transmission, trim level, factory options, country and plant of origin, and any recall actions issued against that VIN. It does not record colour (which is on the build sheet), current mileage, accident history, or ownership chain — for those, you need a paid vehicle history report.

Can a Acura VIN be faked?

The 17 characters themselves can be retyped, but the check digit at position 9 makes silent tampering nearly impossible — any single-character change breaks the math. Acura VIN plates are tamper-resistant by federal standard. If you suspect a cloned VIN, our guide how to check if a car is stolen by VIN walks through the next steps.

Decode any Acura VIN free

Type your 17-character Acura VIN into the decoder at the top of this page and get a full breakdown instantly. To learn more about VIN structure in general, see our guides:

• How to read a VIN number
• What every character in a VIN means
• Classic car VIN decoder (pre-1981)
• VIN decoder vs. vehicle history report