What does VF1 at the start of the VIN mean?

VF1 is Renault SAS's manufacturer code. V stands for France, F1 identifies Renault. VF6 marks the light commercial vehicle division.

My Captur starts with VF1 but it was built in Spain — why?

VF1 identifies Renault as the manufacturer (based in France), not the assembly plant. The build site appears elsewhere in the VIN.

Can you spot an E-Tech version from the VIN?

Yes. Hybrid and electric E-Tech variants have their own VDS codes, distinct from TCe or dCi blocks.

Dacia has its own WMIs (UU1 for Romania). Renault decoders usually include Dacia because both brands sit under Renault Group.

How do I find my Renault paint code?

It is on the manufacturer plate on the door pillar (e.g. TEB76 = Star Black). A dealer can also recover it from the VIN.

How do I check Renault recalls in France?

Use renault.fr/rappels with your VIN. The DGCCRF also publishes recall campaigns.

Does the VIN show the trim (Zen, Intens, RS Line)?

Not as a label. The VIN encodes the equipment group in the VDS section, but the marketing trim name is not spelled out there.

Do older Renault models work?

Yes, provided they have a 17-character VIN: Clio I through V, Mégane I through IV, Scénic, Laguna, Twingo — all decodable.

Renault VIN Decoder

Use our tool to decode your Renault's VIN and find its model, version, powertrain and assembly plant.

Renault VIN Decoder

Use our tool to decode your Renault's VIN and find its model, version, powertrain and assembly plant.

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Renault VIN Decoder

How to Decode Your Renault VIN

Every Renault carries a 17-character code stamped into its structure and shown on the registration document. It summarises model, powertrain, assembly site and production year. Our tool turns it into plain language.

Renault Group WMI Prefixes

Renault Group uses several WMIs depending on the subsidiary (Renault, Dacia, Samsung Motors) and production site:

WMI PREFIX	ENTITY / BRAND	COUNTRY
VF1	Renault SAS — passenger cars	France
VF6	Renault — light commercial vehicles	France
GA1	Renault (Revoz d.d.)	Slovenia (Novo Mesto)
UU1	Dacia (Renault subsidiary)	Romania
VNE	Renault Samsung Motors	South Korea
93Y	Renault do Brasil	Brazil
VF18	Renault Spain (ex-FASA)	Spain (Palencia, Valladolid)
MAK	Renault Nissan Automotive India	India (Chennai)

VDS Zone: Model Range, Powertrain and Transmission

For Renault, characters 4–8 give the commercial type (Clio, Mégane, Captur, Arkana, Austral, Espace, Scénic and others), body style, engine and emissions class. Engine naming breaks down as TCe (turbo petrol), dCi / Blue dCi (diesel) and E-Tech (hybrid or electric). The fourth character often points to the platform: CMF-B for small cars, CMF-CD for larger segments.

Common Renault engine families in the VDS:

TCe (turbocharged petrol)

dCi / Blue dCi (diesel)

E-Tech (hybrid or electric)

Renault Production Sites

Renault encodes the plant in the VDS area rather than relying on the 11th character alone, unlike most manufacturers. These letters identify assembly locations that also surface in VIN-related data:

Flins (France)

Renault 5 E-Tech, Mégane E-Tech

Douai (France)

Scénic E-Tech, Espace

Bursa (Turkey)

Clio, Captur (some series)

Sandouville (France)

Trafic

Palencia (Spain)

Captur, Austral

Novo Mesto (Slovenia)

Clio, Twingo (some series)

Worked Example of a Renault VIN

VF1 RFB00 0 6 P 123456

VF1

Renault SAS, France

RFB00

Clio V (BJA), 1.0 TCe

Specification variant

Check digit

Palencia plant (Spain)

123456

Production sequence number

Renault Model by Model

Where each family is built and which platforms apply.

By segment

SEGMENT	MODELS / SITE	PLATFORM / NOTES
City cars	Clio V (BJA) Bursa and Novo Mesto; Twingo III Novo Mesto; Renault 5 E-Tech Flins (ElectriCity)	CMF-BEV for R5 E-Tech
Compact	Mégane E-Tech Electric and Scénic E-Tech Electric from Douai	CMF-EV; full-electric focus
SUV	Captur (HJA) Valladolid and Palencia; Austral Palencia (CMF-CD); seven-seat Espace SUV from Douai	CMF-CD for Austral
LCV	Kangoo III Maubeuge; Trafic Sandouville; Master Batilly; VF6 WMI	E-Tech variants use distinct VDS codes

City cars: Twingo, Clio, R5 E-Tech

Clio V (BJA) is built in Bursa (Turkey) and Novo Mesto (Slovenia). Twingo III comes from Novo Mesto. The new Renault 5 E-Tech is assembled at Flins (renamed ElectriCity) on the CMF-BEV architecture.

Compact: Mégane E-Tech, Scénic E-Tech

The Mégane E-Tech Electric is built at Douai on CMF-EV. The Scénic E-Tech Electric leaves the same plant. Both embody Renault’s all-electric shift in the compact class.

SUV: Captur, Arkana, Austral, Espace

Captur (HJA) is assembled in Valladolid and Palencia. Austral, successor to Kadjar, is built in Palencia on CMF-CD. The latest Espace adopts a seven-seat SUV format and is produced at Douai.

LCVs: Kangoo, Trafic, Master

Kangoo III is built in Maubeuge, Trafic in Sandouville and Master in Batilly. These models typically use the VF6 prefix instead of VF1. Zero-emission E-Tech variants have different VDS codes.

Renault OPR Codes and Manufacturer Plate

Beyond the core VIN, Renault uses:

OPR code

Three- or four-character identifier for each Renault option. Examples: OP7AB = City pack (parking sensors + camera), OP3QA = Advanced Driving pack.

Manufacturer plate

Mounted on the door pillar; lists CNIT (national type identification code), paint and trim codes, and approved masses.

My Renault / Renault Connect

The official app exposes some vehicle data via the VIN, including service history and recall notices.

Checking Renault Recalls

Go to renault.fr/rappels or contact a Renault dealer with your VIN. Alerts are also published on RAPEX and in the DGCCRF database.

Free vs Paid: What to Choose

Information	Free	Paid
Model, engine, body style	✅	✅
Equipment (OPR codes)	✅ (partial)	✅ (full)
Safety recalls	✅	✅ (detailed)
Damage / claims	❌	✅
Mileage	❌	✅
Previous owners	❌	✅
Price	€0	From €1

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the Renault VIN decoder

VIN Number

VIN