Where to Find the VIN on Your Ford

Before you can decode a VIN you have to find it, and on a Ford there are several places to look. This guide covers the usual locations so you can confirm the number quickly and check that it is consistent.

The most common place is the base of the windscreen on the driver’s side, where a small metal plate is visible from outside the car looking down through the glass. The second place is the certification label in the driver’s door jamb, which you see when you open the door, and which also lists useful build information such as the date of manufacture and tyre pressures. On many Fords the number also appears on a label inside the engine bay or under the bonnet.

Away from the car itself, the VIN is printed on the vehicle’s registration document, on the insurance paperwork, and on the service book. Matching the number on the car with the number on the paperwork is one of the most important checks you can make, because if they do not agree you need to find out why before going any further.

On older Fords built before the modern standard, the identification number is usually stamped on a plate in the engine bay or on the body, and its exact location varies by model and era. If you cannot find it in the usual places, the registration document will tell you what number to look for, and an owners club or marque specialist can point you to where a particular classic carries it.

Once you have located and confirmed the number, enter it into the decoder at the top of the page to read what it means.