This post was updated Dec 2020 with the latest VIN number statistics Determining the type of transmission installed in a vehicle from VIN alone has traditionally been a challenge. Through the 1990s and even well into the 2000s, most vehicles were offered by OEMs with both manual and automatic transmission options. And, while the NHTSA VIN standard requires OEMs to encode model and engine information into positions 4-8 of the VIN, no requirement exists for encoding transmission type. Even today, while most vehicles are offered with only an automatic transmission, more than 5% of vehicles produced for current model years have standard and manual options available and do not have transmission data encoded in the VIN. This article explores four common questions about VIN decoding transmission data, and provides suggested solutions for increasing the match rate of decoded transmissions in your inventory or data feed. In Part II of our VIN Decoding 101 Guide, we explained that positions 4-8 of the VIN are encoded with a number of valuable vehicle details, including engine, body type, drive type (RWD vs AWD, etc), restraint system, and GVWR. Some OEMs also use this section of the VIN to capture transmission information. Unfortunately, this is not required by the NHTSA VIN standard. Some OEMs still use the same 10-digit VIN patterns for automatic and manual transmission vehicles, meaning that VIN alone will not be enough to determine the vehicle's transmission type. This is particularly problematic for older vehicle inventory, and as a result has a significant impact on transmission match rates for total loss claims, salvage/scrap, auctions, and used vehicle sales. Due to the gradual decrease in manual transmission options for new vehicles, your chances of being able to determine transmission from VIN alone are much better for recent model years than for older vehicles (see our post on the Demise of the Manual Transmission). The table below shows the percentage of VIN patterns that reference a single transmission over the years. Note that percentages for your inventory may differ from the numbers below based on the composition and age of your inventory. For many makes, the VIN is always enough information to determine transmission. However, you can expect transmission to be especially difficult to determine from VIN alone for the following makes in the last five model years: If you're looking to improve your transmission match rate beyond what can be obtained by using the VIN alone, you have two options. Your first option is utilizing 17-digit VIN specific vehicle build information from your data provider. You may also be able to identify installed transmission using other data, in addition to VIN, stored with your vehicle inventory. Data providers like DataOne have engaged in relationships with OEMs to distribute factory OEM build data that indicates the exact trim, style, transmission, interior and exterior color, and factory optional equipment installed on the vehicle when it rolled off the line. This provides you with the OEM’s own internal record of how the vehicle was configured. And, although not all manufacturers have released this data, some data providers have developed their own 17-digit VIN specific VIN Decoding logic that may help you identify the installed transmission even when it isn’t encoded in the VIN pattern. You may find that you have already collected (or received from an inventory data feed) additional datapoints beyond VIN. These might include a trim name, a manufacturer model number, a package code, a transmission code, or even a simple transmission type (“M”, “A”, “MT”, “AT”, etc). Any of these fields may provide the missing link to accurately and precisely identifying installed transmissions. And, if you’re using DataOne’s VIN decoding service, you can provide all these additional datapoints to our API and let us make sense of them, rather than trying to extract the proper meaning yourself. When it comes to decoding transmission details, transmission type is the most helpful (and most obvious) datapoint you can try to capture and use along with VIN. Once you have VIN + transmission type, you should be able to rely on your data provider VIN data to tell you that a manual transmission vehicle with VIN XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX has a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed manual, etc. There are some VIN patterns representing vehicles that can be configured with more than one type of automatic transmission, or more than one type of manual transmission, but this is rare. If you can't include transmission type in your decoding process, the next two most helpful datapoints would be manufacturer model number (often available via inventory feeds or DMS data for new vehicles), and trim level (for example, L, LE, or XLE). Considering these two fields will increase your match percentage by about 5-6 percentage points for vehicles from the early 2000s, and by a couple percentage points for more recent model years. DataOne's VIN Decoder API is designed to leverage OEM factory build data, unique 17-digit advanced VIN decoding logic developed at DataOne, to provide industry leading VIN decoding accuracy and precision. And, for use cases that do not justify the expense of OEM build data licensing, DataOne’s APIs are designed to accept a broad spectrum of data as input, including VIN, OEM codes, and trim, as well as any other vehicle descriptors like "manual" or "automatic" that you may have access to and use these inputs to provide back a single transmission, style, and color whenever possible. This increases the accuracy of your data and vehicle listings, and their perceived value to potential customers, while reducing the need for manual verification of inventory on your part. Have similar questions about trim? Check out our blog article Decoding Vehicles to a Single Trim/Style: VIN-to-Trim/Style Matching Explained1. Why can't I determine the transmission type for my VIN?
2. How often will I be able to determine transmission using VIN alone?
3. Which makes are particularly problematic?
Transmission is especially difficult to determine from the VIN pattern alone for:
4. How can I improve my transmission match rate?
Using factory build data to determine transmission type
Using additional datapoints to determine transmission type
How to get help identifying transmission and other key inventory details
FAQs
How to determine transmission type from VIN? ›
Enter the VIN into the NHTSA's online VIN decoder.
Go to https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/decoder/ and type in the VIN (the 17-character Vehicle Identification Number). Look under the “Engine” category of the resulting report to find information on the vehicle's transmission.
Your VIN contains illegal characters
This is simply to avoid confusion with the numbers 1 and 0, leaving less room for error. If your VIN contains any of these alphanumeric characters, the VIN is invalid and will not be decoded by any VIN decoding service.
Often found on the driver's side dashboard or door jamb, the VIN provides a wealth of vital information, including engine type and original product details, and can also be used to determine whether the vehicle was part of a recall or how often the car has been purchased.
How does a VIN decoder work? ›Decoding your VIN
It tells you the country of origin. The second character denote the manufacturer. The third character tells you the vehicle type or division. The fourth through the eighth characters tell you the vehicle brand, body style, engine size and type, model, and series.
Placard on the driver's side door
This card contains specific details about the year the car was made, its transmission, engine specifications and other details. To determine what type of transmission system you have under the hood, write down the code that appears underneath or beside the “TR” symbol.
To find the transmission information, look for a “TR” symbol on the label. Either next to or below it, you should find a number code. Once you've found the code, you can call a dealership or auto parts retailer to help you determine which transmission is related to that number.
What makes a VIN invalid? ›2) You may have entered a VIN with invalid characters. A VIN can only contain certain letters and numbers. For example, VINs do not use the letters I, O or Q. If your VIN contains one of these, try using the number 1, the letter L, or the number 0 instead.
What letter is never used in a VIN? ›In 1981, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States standardized the format. It required all on-road vehicles sold to contain a 17-character VIN, which does not include the letters O (o), I (i), and Q (q) (to avoid confusion with numerals 0, 1, and 9).
Is it safe to use VIN decoder? ›Yes, as long as you go to the right page. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website offers a free VIN decoder that reveals specs such as the factory it was made at, how many airbags it has, engine displacement, horsepower and more.
What is 3 things a VIN number can tell you about a vehicle? ›You can also use it to track safety recalls, registration histories, liens, claims, thefts, and insurance coverages. You can find your VIN number in a couple of different places. The most common location is on the dashboard window of the driver's side. Another place it might be is in the driver's side door jamb.
Can two cars have the same VIN? ›
The VIN serves as the car's unique DNA, as no two cars can have the same VIN. All vehicle's made since 1981 have a VIN of 17 numbers and capital letters that serve as a unique identifier for the car. A VIN displays your car's unique features, specifications and manufacturer.
What else can the VIN provide? ›A VIN displays the car's unique features, specifications and manufacturer. The VIN can be used to track recalls, registrations, warranty claims, thefts and insurance coverage.
Does VIN tell transmission? ›The transmission is not indicated by a specific VIN digit. The transmission type is typically encoded in the fourth through eighth digits of the VIN, but this is not always the case. Some manufacturers use this section of the VIN to capture other information, such as the engine type or body style.
Which VIN decoder is best? ›However, for a car's history, the best VIN lookup tool is a Carfax Vehicle History Report. A Carfax Report goes beyond a standard VIN check, digging into Carfax's billions of records to determine a vehicle's accident history, service history, ownership history, and more.
What does the first digit of a VIN decode? ›You can confirm the vehicle's place of manufacture, model year, and other information by referring to the VIN. The first character of the code indicates the country of manufacture: 1 or 4 means USA, 2 is Canada, 3 is Mexico, J is Japan, K is Korea, S is England, W is Germany, and Y is Sweden.
How do I identify my automatic transmission? ›The best way to identify your automatic transmission is by the bolt pattern on the pan. There are many charts out there, but here is an example of one. Conventional automatic transmissions are the most common type of automatic transmission. They are found in a wide range of vehicles, from economy cars to luxury sedans.
Can my VIN number tell me what options I have? ›Yes. Enter a VIN here to discover vehicle specifications, options, and more. How do you find out what features a car has? Enter a VIN here to discover vehicle specifications, options, and more.
How to identify a CVT transmission? ›Some other things to look out for are that some cars have CVT written on the transmission dipstick. Others even have a CVT badge on the car. Often, there will be no 3,2,1 on the gearshift gate, with only P, N and D. If buying from a dealer, ask the question and they are obliged to tell you.
How do you identify a Toyota transmission by the VIN number? ›How To Decode A Toyota VIN Number. The first three digits in the VIN correspond to the make, model, and manufacturer. The fourth digit represents the safety features on the vehicle. Digits five thru eight represent the vehicle trim level or series, engine, and frequently (but not always) transmission.