Decode any Citroën VIN free in seconds. Enter the 17-character vehicle identification number from your Citroën 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 Citroën VIN hub. Below you’ll find Citroën-specific WMI codes, the brand’s plant codes, a position-by-position guide to reading a Citroën VIN, where to find the VIN on your Citroën, and direct links to the Citroën VIN decoders for individual models.

About Citroën

Citroën was founded in Paris in 1919 by André Citroën and is widely credited with mainstreaming three of the 20th century’s most influential automotive innovations: the all-steel monocoque body (1934 Traction Avant), hydropneumatic suspension (1955 DS), and the first mass-market diesel passenger car (1959 ID 19D). The brand became part of PSA Peugeot Citroën in 1976 and is now part of Stellantis since 2021.

Citroën’s current lineup blends practical city cars (C3), family hatchbacks and SUVs (C4, C5 X, C5 Aircross), the cult-favourite Ami quadricycle, and the new ë-C3 electric supermini. Every French-built Citroën VIN starts with V (France). Spanish-built models (Vigo plant) start with VF7 or VS9. WMI VF7 is the standard Citroën identifier.

Citroën 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 Citroën vehicles:

If your Citroën VIN begins with any of the codes above, it’s a genuine Citroën. A Citroën 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 Citroën VIN — position by position

Every Citroën VIN built since 1981 uses the ISO 3779 17-character standard. The 17 characters split into three blocks:

Here is what each position means specifically on a Citroën:

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 Citroën is headquartered. A Citroën assembled outside France (Rennes, Mulhouse) carries the country code of the assembly plant.

Positions 4–8: Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS)

Citroën shares PSA/Stellantis VDS conventions with Peugeot and DS. Positions 4-5 encode the platform (CMP, EMP2, STLA), positions 6-7 the body style, position 8 the engine family (1.2 PureTech, 1.5 BlueHDi, e-CMP electric motor).

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 Citroën 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 Citroën — 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. R = Rennes, M = Mulhouse, V = Vigo (Spain), T = Trnava (Slovakia).

Positions 12–17: Serial number

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

Where to find the VIN on a Citroën

You can find your Citroën 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 windshield
• Driver-side door jamb (Citroën identification sticker)
• Stamped on the engine bay bulkhead (right side on most models)
• Vehicle registration (carte grise in France) and COC

If your Citroën is older and built before 1981, the chassis number is shorter than 17 characters and follows a Citroën-specific format. For pre-1981 vehicles, use our classic car VIN decoder guide.

Check Citroën recalls and safety information

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

1. Decode the VIN with the tool above to confirm the model and model year
2. Cross-reference the 17-character VIN with the EU Safety Gate and national transport authorities
3. Review any open safety actions and contact your nearest Citroën 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 Citroën VIN?

Type the 17-character VIN from your Citroën’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 Citroën?

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 Citroën sold in North America and the EU.

Is the Citroën VIN decoder free?

Yes. VinDecoderPlus decodes every Citroën 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 Citroën?

A VIN decode confirms the original factory configuration of your Citroën: 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 Citroën 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. Citroën 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 Citroën VIN free

Type your 17-character Citroën 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