DAF VIN Decoder

Decode any DAF VIN free in seconds. Enter the 17-character vehicle identification number from your truck into the decoder above and get the model, model year, chassis configuration, engine family, assembly plant, and available recall information instantly, with no sign-up and no credit card.

DAF is Europe’s best-selling heavy truck brand, but it does not sell trucks in the United States or Canada. If you’re decoding a DAF VIN, the truck is almost certainly registered somewhere in Europe, the UK, or another right- or left-hand-drive market DAF serves outside North America, and this page is built around that reality: European WMI codes, the Dutch type-approval authority that oversees DAF, and the door-frame and frame-rail VIN locations used on heavy commercial vehicles rather than a windshield plate.

This page is the DAF VIN hub. Below you’ll find DAF-specific WMI codes, the brand’s assembly plants, a position-by-position guide to reading a DAF VIN, where to find the VIN on the truck itself, and how to check for safety recalls.

About DAF

DAF traces its roots to 1928, when Hub van Doorne opened a small construction workshop in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The business grew into a trailer manufacturer in the 1930s under the name Van Doorne’s Aanhangwagen Fabriek (Van Doorne’s Trailer Factory), which is where the “DAF” initials come from. The company built its first truck in 1949 and renamed itself Van Doorne’s Automobiel Fabriek shortly after. American truck maker PACCAR, which also owns Kenworth and Peterbilt, acquired DAF in October 1996, and DAF has operated as a PACCAR company ever since while keeping its own engineering, branding, and dealer network.

DAF’s final assembly is centered in Eindhoven, where the Netherlands plant builds the current New Generation lineup, the XD, XF, XG, and XG+, alongside a newer line dedicated to the battery-electric XD and XF Electric. A sister plant in Leyland, England, builds the same New Generation range plus the lighter-duty XB, supplying the UK and other right-hand-drive markets. Cabs and axles for both plants come from Westerlo, Belgium. DAF also has smaller assembly operations outside Europe, including Ponta Grossa, Brazil, and Bayswater, Australia, serving those regional markets. Older CF and LF models were phased out through 2024 as the XD and XB took over their roles.

DAF WMI codes (positions 1-3)

The first three characters of your VIN, the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI), identify the manufacturer, country, and vehicle type. The WMI is assigned by SAE International on behalf of ISO. Because DAF trucks are not sold or type-approved in the US, DAF’s WMI does not appear in NHTSA’s vPIC lookup tool the way a US-market brand’s would; it’s registered instead under the international WMI system that covers European manufacturers.

DAF also builds buses and coaches under a separate WMI registered to DAF Bus; this page covers DAF’s truck range only. If your DAF VIN begins with an unlisted WMI, it may indicate a rebadge, a related PACCAR sibling brand, or a data-entry error. Decode the full VIN with the tool above to confirm.

How to read a DAF VIN: position by position

Every current DAF VIN follows the ISO 3779 17-character international standard, the same overall format used worldwide. The 17 characters split into three blocks:

Here is what each position means specifically on a DAF.

Positions 1-3: World Manufacturer Identifier

See the WMI table above. XLR marks a DAF-built truck regardless of whether it left the line in Eindhoven or Leyland; DAF’s manufacturer registration, not the physical plant, drives the WMI.

Positions 4-9: Vehicle Descriptor Section

Like other heavy-truck VINs, this block gives more weight to chassis and drivetrain than to body style, since DAF customers spec a truck by axle configuration, cab type, and GVW class as much as by model line (XB, XD, XF, XG, or XG+). Engine family, whether a PACCAR PX-5, PX-7, MX-11, or MX-13, along with cab type and restraint system, are also encoded here. One notable difference from a US-market VIN: under the ISO 3779 standard that governs DAF, position 9 is not a mandated, math-validated check digit the way it is on vehicles built to comply with US federal regulation (49 CFR 565). European manufacturers, DAF included, are free to use position 9 as an ordinary descriptor character rather than a checksum, so don’t expect the modulo-11 check-digit math that works on a US-market VIN to validate a DAF one.

Position 10: Model year

The 10th character maps to a model year on a repeating cycle that’s used internationally, not just in North America. Skim the chart below to translate yours:

The letters I, O, and Q are never used in any VIN, including DAF, 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 that built the truck. DAF has not published a single, consistent plant-code table the way some manufacturers have, and with final assembly split mainly between Eindhoven and Leyland (plus smaller regional lines in Brazil and Australia), the safest way to confirm where your specific truck was built is to decode the full VIN with the tool above rather than rely on the 11th character alone.

Positions 12-17: Serial number

The final six characters are the production sequence number assigned to your truck as it rolled off the line, making every DAF VIN globally unique.

Where to find the VIN on a DAF

DAF trucks are heavy commercial vehicles, and European VIN-placement rules treat them differently from passenger cars. Commission Regulation (EU) No 19/2011 requires the VIN to be stamped into the chassis and displayed on a manufacturer’s statutory plate in an accessible, visible spot, but it does not require a windshield-visible VIN the way US regulation does for lighter vehicles. On a DAF, look here instead:

• The manufacturer’s statutory identification plate, riveted in the cab, typically on the right-hand side near the driver’s seat or door pillar
• The VIN stamped into the chassis frame, usually on the right side behind the front wheel
• The vehicle’s registration documents and DAF dealer service records

The 17-character ISO VIN format covered here applies to current-production DAF trucks. For older or historic DAF vehicles with a shorter chassis number, use our classic car VIN decoder guide; DAF dates back to 1928, so pre-1981 trucks are common among collectors and vintage fleets.

Check DAF recalls and safety information

DAF is not sold in the US or Canada, so NHTSA’s recall database won’t have a record of a DAF VIN. Because DAF Trucks NV is headquartered and type-approved in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, its vehicles fall under the authority of the RDW (Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer), the Dutch national vehicle authority that grants DAF’s EU whole-vehicle type-approval. In practice, a specific recall on a truck registered outside the Netherlands is usually administered through that country’s own national road-transport authority, working from the same underlying manufacturer notice. The fastest way to check a specific DAF:

1. Decode the VIN with the tool above to confirm the model, model year, and chassis configuration
2. Look up the VIN through DAF’s RMI vehicle information portal, which surfaces open recall campaigns tied to a specific VIN, or contact your national road-transport authority (RDW in the Netherlands, DVSA in the UK, and equivalent bodies elsewhere in the EU)
3. Contact your nearest DAF dealer for the free recall repair

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

Frequently asked questions

How do I decode my DAF VIN?

Type the 17-character VIN from your DAF’s cab identification plate, chassis frame stamp, or registration documents into the decoder at the top of this page. Results return in seconds and include model, model year, chassis configuration, engine family, assembly plant, and available recall information. No registration is required.

Does DAF sell trucks in the United States?

No. DAF is the market leader in heavy trucks across Europe, but its parent company PACCAR sells trucks in North America exclusively under the Kenworth and Peterbilt brands rather than the DAF nameplate. If you’re decoding a DAF VIN, the truck was built for a European, UK, or other non-North American market.

Where is the VIN on my DAF?

Unlike a car, a DAF’s VIN isn’t required to be visible through the windshield. Check the manufacturer’s statutory identification plate riveted in the cab, usually near the driver’s seat or door pillar, and the VIN stamped into the right side of the chassis frame behind the front wheel.

Is the DAF VIN decoder free?

Yes. VinDecoderPlus decodes every DAF VIN free, with no sign-up or credit card. Full vehicle history reports, including registration records, accident history, and mileage history, are available as an optional paid upgrade.

What does the VIN tell me about my DAF?

A VIN decode confirms the original factory configuration: model (XB, XD, XF, XG, XG+, or an earlier CF/LF), chassis and axle configuration, engine and cab type, model year, assembly plant, and any recall campaigns tied to that VIN. It does not record current mileage, accident history, or ownership chain. For those, you need a paid vehicle history report.

Can a DAF VIN be faked?

The 17 characters can be retyped, and unlike a US-market VIN, DAF’s position 9 isn’t a mandated check digit under the ISO 3779 rules that govern it, so a European decoder can’t lean on modulo-11 math the same way a US one can. The VIN is also independently stamped into the chassis frame and shown on the riveted cab plate, so a swapped or altered plate won’t match the frame stamp. 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 DAF VIN free

Type your 17-character DAF 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