Land Rover VIN Decoder

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

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

About Land Rover

Land Rover traces back to 1948, when the Rover Company unveiled the original Series I at the Amsterdam Motor Show. Rover’s chief designer, Maurice Wilks, sketched the concept after using a war-surplus Willys Jeep on his farm and deciding Britain needed a rugged, go-anywhere vehicle of its own. That first Series I, with its boxy aluminum body and 80-inch wheelbase, launched a lineage that runs through the Series II and III, the Defender, the Discovery, and the Range Rover.

Land Rover is now part of JLR (Jaguar Land Rover), the group that also builds Jaguar. Tata Motors, the Indian automotive conglomerate, bought Jaguar Land Rover from Ford in 2008. Land Rover and Jaguar remain distinct brands within JLR, each with its own model lineup and VIN patterns; this page covers Land Rover only. If you’re decoding a Jaguar, use our separate Jaguar VIN decoder page.

Land Rover’s home plant is Solihull, England, which has built the marque since 1948 and currently produces the Defender, Discovery, Range Rover, and Range Rover Sport. Halewood, near Liverpool, has built Land Rover’s smaller, transverse-engine models since 2006, including the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Velar. JLR also operates an assembly plant in Nitra, Slovakia, opened in 2018, which builds Discovery and Defender volume for European and global markets.

Land Rover 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. According to NHTSA’s vPIC database, these WMIs are registered to Jaguar Land Rover Limited in the United Kingdom:

SAL is the WMI you’ll see on the large majority of Land Rover VINs, across Defender, Discovery, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Evoque, and Range Rover Velar. SAJ is primarily associated with Jaguar-branded cars built by the same corporate entity. If your Land Rover VIN begins with an unlisted WMI, it 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 Land Rover VIN: position by position

Every Land Rover 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 Land Rover:

Positions 1-3: World Manufacturer Identifier

See the WMI table above. The country code at position 1 (S for the United Kingdom) tells you where the vehicle group is registered, not necessarily the exact plant. Land Rover vehicles assembled at JLR’s Nitra, Slovakia plant still carry a UK-registered WMI as part of the same corporate identifier.

Positions 4-8: Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS)

These five characters identify the model line (Defender, Discovery, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Evoque, Range Rover Velar), body style, engine, and restraint system. Land Rover uses this block to distinguish long-wheelbase from standard-wheelbase variants and to separate diesel, petrol, and hybrid powertrains within the same model line.

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 Land Rover 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 Land Rover, 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. Land Rover plant codes commonly cited by VIN decoding references: A (Solihull, England), H (Halewood, England), and 2 (Nitra, Slovakia). Decode the full VIN with the tool above for a confirmed plant reading on your specific vehicle.

Positions 12-17: Serial number

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

Where to find the VIN on a Land Rover

You can find your Land Rover 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 (VIN, type code, paint, interior code)
• Stamped on the chassis, typically near the front crossmember or under the hood
• Vehicle title, registration, and Land Rover service portal

If your Land Rover is older and built before 1981, such as an original Series I, Series II, or Series III, the chassis number is shorter than 17 characters and follows a Land Rover-specific format from that era. For pre-1981 vehicles, use our classic car VIN decoder guide.

Check Land Rover recalls and safety information

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

1. Decode the VIN with the tool above to confirm the model and model year
2. Cross-reference the 17-character VIN with the Land Rover product recall search (US)
3. Review any open safety actions and contact your nearest Land Rover authorised retailer 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 Land Rover VIN?

Type the 17-character VIN from your Land Rover’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, transmission, plant of origin, and open NHTSA recalls. No registration is required.

Where is the VIN on my Land Rover?

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 Land Rover sold in North America and the EU.

Is the Land Rover VIN decoder free?

Yes. VinDecoderPlus decodes every Land Rover 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 Land Rover?

A VIN decode confirms the original factory configuration of your Land Rover: 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.

Is Land Rover the same company as Jaguar?

No, though they’re closely related. Land Rover and Jaguar are separate brands owned and operated by JLR (Jaguar Land Rover), which has been owned by Tata Motors since 2008. Each brand has its own model lineup, plants, and VIN patterns. If you need to decode a Jaguar VIN, use our dedicated Jaguar VIN decoder page instead.

Can a Land Rover 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. Land Rover 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 Land Rover VIN free

Type your 17-character Land Rover 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