Ford Puma ST VIN Decoder: Versions, Engines and VIN Lookup Guide

Every Ford Puma ST carries a 17 character Vehicle Identification Number, and reading it is the quickest way to confirm what a particular car really is before you trust a listing. The Puma ST is the performance version of Ford’s compact crossover, launched in 2020 with a punchy turbocharged engine and the sharp handling that the ST badge promises. The VIN settles the model year, the engine the car left the line with and the plant that built it, which matters when you want to be sure you are buying a genuine ST rather than a styled up standard car. You can run any Puma ST VIN through the decoder at the top of this page and read the result in a few seconds. The rest of this guide explains how the number is built, walks through the versions, and points out what to check when you look one over.

How a Ford Puma ST VIN is put together

The 17 characters split into three blocks, and because the layout follows a global standard, the same position always carries the same kind of information. The first three characters are the World Manufacturer Identifier, and European Puma ST models typically begin with WF0, the code for Ford built passenger cars in Europe. Characters four through eight describe the car, including the body and, most usefully, the engine, which is where the 1.5 EcoBoost ST is set apart from the later 1.0 EcoBoost mild hybrid ST. The ninth character is a check digit that validates the whole number. The last eight characters describe the individual car, with position ten the model year, position eleven the plant and the final six the sequential build number. The quick reference below covers the clues you will use most often when you read a Ford Puma ST VIN.

You will find the number behind the windscreen, on the plate in the door jamb and on the registration documents, and matching them is the first check worth doing on a performance model.

Ford Puma ST VIN position by position

The Puma ST is the hot version of the Puma crossover, built in Europe, and it uses the seventeen character VIN. Read it in order and you can settle the year and confirm a genuine ST before you trust the advert.

Ford Puma ST model year codes (position 10)

The tenth character gives the model year. Match the letter below.

Where to find the VIN on a Ford Puma ST

Read the VIN through the base of the windscreen on the driver side and check it against the plate or label in the door area. Because the ST carries a premium over a standard Puma, confirm the VIN and the engine point to a factory ST rather than a dressed up base car.

Reading a Puma ST VIN in practice

Take a car whose VIN opens with WF0 and shows N in position ten. That places it as a European built Ford from the 2022 model year. The descriptor section confirms the ST engine, and the closing six digits are the car’s own serial number.

The Ford Puma ST versions

The Puma ST launched in 2020 with a 1.5 litre three cylinder EcoBoost engine producing around 200 horsepower, a mechanical limited slip differential on cars with the performance pack, and a chassis tuned to make the most of the crossover body. From 2022 Ford added a more affordable ST powered by a 1.0 litre EcoBoost mild hybrid with around 170 horsepower, which broadened the range. The table below sums up the versions.

Ford Puma ST engines and specifications

Because the engine code sits in the middle of the VIN, a proper check confirms the engine the car was born with, which is exactly what you want on a performance model. The figures below cover the two ST engines.

Ford Puma ST by model year

Buyers searching for a specific year want to know what they are getting, so the table below maps several model years to their VIN year code and engine. The same model year letter logic runs across the whole production run.

Reliability and the things worth checking

Reliability depends on maintenance and on how the car has been driven, and you should always run the VIN through the relevant recall check. The most common points to check are summarized below.

Buying a used Ford Puma ST

When you find one worth pursuing, decode the VIN first and make sure the model year and engine line up with the advertisement, then run the same number through the relevant recall check. Confirm through the VIN and documentation that the car is a real ST, check for signs of hard driving, and budget for tyres and brakes if they are worn. When you are ready, enter your Ford Puma ST VIN in the decoder above to confirm the year, engine and plant, then use the advice here to make sure the car is genuinely what it claims to be.