Mazda VIN Decoder Australia

What each character on a Mazda VIN means, and what it doesn't tell you.

Mazdas in our data
601,339
Mazdas in our data
Characters that identify the model
5 characters
identify the model
Last updated
Sep 2026
last updated

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How to read a Mazda VIN

Take a 2019 Mazda3. Its VIN starts JM0BP, and those five characters are the useful part. The rest is unique to one car, so it's painted out here.

Mazda3 (BP) · windscreen VIN tag

JM0BP PAINTED OUT 1234567891011121314151617 1 2 3 4 5 6
  1. Characters 1 to 3: Maker and country
  2. Characters 4 and 5: Model and generation
  3. Characters 6 to 8: Variant
  4. Character 9: Not a check digit on a Mazda
  5. Character 10: Not the model year on a Mazda
  6. Characters 11 to 17: Plant and serial number

Characters 1 to 5

Maker, country, model and generation. Enough to tell a BP Mazda3 from a BM.

Characters 9 and 10

On a US car, a check digit and the model year. On a Mazda, neither.

Characters 11 to 17

Plant and serial number. Unique to one car, so never shown.

A Mazda build plate (illustration)

The year is on the build plate, not in the VIN

US decoders read the 10th character as the model year. In September 2026 we checked 15,834 Mazdas against their build dates. Even allowing a year either way, it matched about one time in ten, no better than guessing. The build date is on the build plate, and in every Carify VIN check.

Mazda3 VIN patterns

Each Mazda3 generation has its own two-letter code in characters 4 and 5.

Pattern Generation Built Cars in our data
Mazda3 BK 2004 to 2008 33,753
Mazda3 BL 2009 to 2013 45,759
Mazda3 BM 2013 to 2016 24,561
Mazda3 BN 2016 to 2018 22,682
Mazda3 BP 2019 on 28,844

Plus 9 less common patterns. Built: the middle 90% of build years, from 5,851 decoded cars. Updated Sep 2026.

Mazda3 (BP) · where to find the VIN
Line drawing of a Mazda3 hatch (BP), numbered where the VIN is
  1. The VIN plate on the lower door pillar, seen with the front door open
    1  Lower door pillarOpen the front door to see the plate.
  2. The VIN stamped into the floor under a flap in the carpet beside the front seat
    2  Floor, under a carpet flapBeside the front seat, stamped in.
  3. The VIN tag at the base of the windscreen on the passenger side
    3  Base of the windscreenPassenger side. Read it from outside.

Locations from Mazda's owner's manual for the Mazda3 (BP).

Other popular Mazdas

The Mazdas we see most after the Mazda3, and the patterns that identify them.

  • CX-5

    and 1 more

    • KE 2012 to 2016
    • KF 2017 on

    From 2,302 decoded cars

  • CX-3

    • DK 2015 on

    From 1,089 decoded cars

  • BT-50

    and 2 more

    • UN 2006 to 2011
    • UP 2011 to 2015
    • UR 2015 to 2019
    • TF 2020 on

    MM0UN is also used on the B-Series / Bravo.

    From 1,270 decoded cars

  • Mazda2

    and 8 more

    • DE 2007 to 2014
    • DJ 2014 on

    From 1,647 decoded cars

Other makes

About these numbers: generations and build years come from 15,834 Mazdas decoded from factory records, one per VIN. Build years show the middle 90% of each pattern, and patterns with fewer than 30 decoded cars are left out. Updated September 2026.