The Ford Maverick name covers two very different vehicles, and the VIN is the quickest way to tell which one is in front of you. From 1970 to 1977 the Maverick was a compact car built on Falcon underpinnings. Since 2022 the name has come back on a small unibody pickup. This page walks through both, so you can read the number on either one and know what you are dealing with.
How a Ford Maverick VIN is put together
Which VIN you are reading depends entirely on the era. The 2022 and later pickup uses the modern seventeen character VIN that every new vehicle carries. The 1970 to 1977 compact predates that system and instead wears a shorter Ford identification number, usually eleven characters, stamped on a plate and on the door data tag. The two do not decode the same way, so the first job is to work out which Maverick you have.
Ford Maverick VIN position by position (2022 and later)
On the current pickup the seventeen characters break down like this. Read them left to right and you can settle the year, the engine and the plant in a few seconds.
| Position | Name | What it tells you on a Maverick |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | World Manufacturer Identifier | 3FT marks a Ford truck built in Mexico, which is where the Maverick is made |
| 4 to 7 | Vehicle descriptor | Body style, cab, series and restraint details |
| 8 | Engine | The powertrain code, 3 for the hybrid and 9 for the EcoBoost, as shown below |
| 9 | Check digit | A calculated character that validates the rest of the VIN |
| 10 | Model year | A single character, listed in the chart below |
| 11 | Assembly plant | R for the Hermosillo plant in Sonora, Mexico |
| 12 to 17 | Serial number | The build sequence unique to that truck |
Ford Maverick engine codes (position 8)
The Maverick launched with two powertrains, and position eight tells them apart cleanly. This is worth checking, since the hybrid and the EcoBoost drive and cost very differently on the used market.
| Code | Engine |
|---|---|
| 3 | 2.5 litre hybrid four cylinder |
| 9 | 2.0 litre EcoBoost turbo four cylinder |
Ford Maverick model year codes (position 10)
To date a current Maverick, read the tenth character and match it below.
| Model year | Code in position 10 |
|---|---|
| Ford Maverick 2022 | N |
| Ford Maverick 2023 | P |
| Ford Maverick 2024 | R |
| Ford Maverick 2025 | S |
| Ford Maverick 2026 | T |
The classic Ford Maverick, 1970 to 1977
The original Maverick arrived in 1970 as a simple, cheap compact aimed at the Volkswagen Beetle and the new imports. It shared much with the Falcon and later the Comet. Early cars used a 170 or 200 straight six, a larger 250 six followed, and from 1971 you could order the 302 V8 that turned the plain Maverick into something with real pace, most famously in the Grabber. Because these cars are from before 1981, the identification number is the older eleven character Ford format. On that number the first character is the model year, the second is the assembly plant, the middle group is the body code, and one character marks the engine. The door data plate spells the same details out in full, so on a classic always check the plate against the stamped number before you trust a claimed V8 car.
| Engine | Notes |
|---|---|
| 170 and 200 straight six | The base engines from launch |
| 250 straight six | Added as the larger six |
| 302 V8 | Offered from 1971, the engine behind the Grabber |
The new Ford Maverick pickup, 2022 onward
The Maverick returned in 2022 as a compact unibody pickup built in Hermosillo, Mexico. It broke the mould by making the hybrid the standard engine, with the 2.0 EcoBoost as the paid upgrade. Ford said most early buyers took the hybrid even at extra cost, which is unusual for a truck. For a used buyer the VIN is the honest way to confirm which powertrain a given truck actually has, since trim badges do not always tell the full story.
Where to find the VIN on a Ford Maverick
On the current pickup, read the VIN through the windshield at the base of the glass on the driver side, and check it against the label in the driver door jamb. On a classic Maverick the number sits on a plate on the door or door pillar and is stamped on the body, and the door data tag carries the matching build codes. If any of these disagree, find out why before you buy.
Reading a Maverick VIN in practice
Take a current truck whose VIN starts with 3FT and shows P in position ten. That already tells you it is a Mexican built Ford truck from the 2023 model year. If position eight is a 3 it left the line as the hybrid, and if it is a 9 it is the 2.0 EcoBoost. An R in position eleven confirms the Hermosillo plant, and the last six digits are the truck’s own serial number.
Reliability and the things worth checking
On the modern pickup the hybrid system and the standard four cylinder engines have proved dependable, and the main things to watch are the usual signs of hard use in a cheap work truck, from worn brakes to a scuffed bed. On a classic the running gear is simple and easy to fix, but rust is the real enemy, so look hard at the floors, the shock towers and the lower body. Matching numbers matter most on the 302 cars, where a genuine V8 Grabber is worth far more than a six with a swapped engine.
Ford Maverick recalls
Below are the main safety recalls recorded for the Ford Maverick pickup by the American road safety regulator, the NHTSA. This is a reference list, not a check of your individual truck. A recall applies only to certain build dates and VIN ranges, so a model year appearing here does not mean every car of that year is affected.
| Model years | NHTSA number | Area | Problem and risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 to 2023 | 22V484 / 23V380 | Engine, 2.5L hybrid | On hybrid models an engine failure can release oil and fuel vapor near hot parts, which can start a fire in the engine bay. Dealers update the software or replace the engine. |
| 2022 to 2026 | 26V340 | Front suspension | Front lower control arm ball joints may be built or repaired wrong, letting the arm separate from the wheel knuckle and causing loss of control. Owners are told not to drive until it is fixed. |
| 2022 | 21V976 | Fuel tank | The fuel tank could be drilled through during spray-in bed liner install, causing a leak and fire risk. Tank inspected and replaced as needed. |
| 2024 | 24V185 | Fuel tank | An open seam between the two tank molds could let fuel leak. Tanks replaced. |
| 2022 to 2024 | 24V330 | Hybrid transmission | Control module software could shift the truck into neutral on its own, causing a loss of drive power. Software update. |
| 2022 to 2023 | 25V019 / 24V267 | 12 volt battery | The 12 volt battery can degrade and fail suddenly, cutting electrical accessories or drive power. Battery inspected and replaced. |
| 2022 | 21V979 | Rear seat belts | Rear seat belt buckles may not be attached properly to the floor, so they may not hold in a crash. Attachments repaired. |
| 2022 | 22V594 | Side curtain airbags | The side curtain airbags may not deploy correctly. Modules replaced with a new design. |
| 2024 | 24V778 | Child seat anchors | Second row child seat tether anchors may not hold due to incomplete threads. Anchor points repaired. |
| 2023 to 2024 | 24V594 | Wipers | The front windshield wiper motor can fail, leaving the wipers inoperative. Motor inspected and replaced. |
| 2022 to 2024 | 24V684 | Rear camera | The rearview camera image can freeze while in reverse. Radio software update. |
| 2022 to 2024 | 25V685 | Engine block heater | The engine block heater can crack, leak coolant and short out when plugged in, a fire risk. Heater replaced. Owners are told not to plug it in until fixed. |
Recall data is published by the NHTSA and changes over time, so treat this as background rather than a substitute for the official record for your VIN.
Check a specific VIN for open recalls: use the official NHTSA recalls lookup or the Ford recall page. Both are free and show whether the work has already been done.
Buying a used Ford Maverick
Decide first which Maverick you actually want, because the two could not be more different to own. The new pickup is a practical daily truck where the choice comes down to hybrid economy against EcoBoost pace, and the VIN settles which one you are looking at. The classic is a project or a weekend car, where originality and a solid shell count for everything. In both cases, run the VIN before you commit so the year, the engine and the history line up with the seller’s story.