Enter your 17 character Volvo VIN to see the model, engine, trim, model year and factory, plus recall records. Modern Volvos code the engine and trim straight into the VIN, so it can tell a T6 Momentum from a T8 Inscription. Below you’ll find a Volvo VIN decoder chart, engine and trim codes, classic 240 chassis numbers, paint codes with swatches and how to get your Volvo build sheet.
Try It Yourself. Copy/Paste This Volvo VIN Into Our Decoder Below: YV4A22PK1N1024680
Check VIN identity, factory spec, recalls, complaints, and ownership risks before you buy.
EPA fuel economy for the vehicle year and model profile.
Supplementary spec matching for output such as power, transmission, size, and weight.
Model level safety and complaint data for the decoded year, make, and model.
Platform specific reliability patterns, critical engine platform audits, and pre purchase inspection guidance.
Probability model for common package combinations around this production era.
The free scan verifies identity and surfaces early risk signals. The paid report goes deeper into what those signals mean for ownership, repairs, and buying confidence.
Unlock Full VIN ReportThe Volvo VIN is in the usual places, and the label in the door opening adds the paint code, interior code and build date.
Since the SPA cars arrived, Volvo has put the engine version in characters 4 and 5 and the trim level in character 8, so the VIN tells you a T6 Momentum from a T8 Inscription. Here's a 2022 XC90 T6 AWD, decoded with Volvo's own VIN chart.
YV4A22PK1N1024680: 2022 Volvo XC90 T6 AWD Momentum, 7 seats, built in Torslanda, Sweden
| Position | What it means | On this XC90 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Maker and type | YV4: Volvo XC or Cross Country model |
| 4 and 5 | Engine version | A2: B4204TS, 316 hp, XC90 T6 AWD |
| 6 | Emissions version | 2: ULEV or SULEV |
| 7 | Body, seats and restraints | P: XC90 7 seat AWD |
| 8 | Trim level | K: Momentum |
| 9 | Check digit | 1 |
| 10 | Model year | N: 2022 |
| 11 | Factory | 1: Torslanda, Sweden |
| 12 to 17 | Serial number | 024680 |
Prefixes: YV1 for Volvo cars, YV4 for XC and Cross Country models, 7JR for the US built S60, LVY and LYV for China.
The badge on the back of a Volvo tells you the power level, and characters 4 and 5 of the VIN tell you the exact engine. Here's how the two match up on recent XC90 and XC60 models.
| VIN code | Engine | Badge |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | B4204T, 250 hp | XC90 T5 |
| A2 | B4204TS, 316 hp | XC90 T6 AWD |
| BR | B4204TSH plug in hybrid | XC90 and XC60 T8 Recharge |
| BK | B4204TSH plug in hybrid | XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered |
| L1 | B4204T mild hybrid, 247 hp | XC60 B5 |
| 06 | B4204TE mild hybrid, 295 hp | XC60 B6 AWD |
Volvo changes these codes between model years, so check the year in character 10 too. The full engine code, like B5254T11, is on a label on the engine.
Classic Volvos built for Europe put the model straight into the VIN. On a European 240, YV1245277N1 reads as YV1 for Volvo, 245 for a 200 series four cylinder estate, 27 for the B200FT engine, 7 for the AW70 automatic, N for 1992 and 1 for Sweden. US and Canadian 240s use a different 17 character layout that starts YV1A, with W often marking the wagon.
Before 1981, Volvos carried a shorter chassis number on a plate in the engine bay, with the model and body type at the front. Volvo's own archive and the Volvo clubs can help date a car from it.
Volvo keeps a full build record for every car, called the vehicle data or VDN, which lists each variant code the car was built with. Here's how to get it.
The full record
Volvo dealers read the build data in VIDA, Volvo's workshop system. Ask for the vehicle specification printout.
US cars
Lists the trim, packages and options by name with prices. Volvo retailers can usually print a fresh copy.
Free
Shows your car's model, engine and many features once it's linked to your account.
Paste Volvo engine codes, VIN engine codes, paint codes or model numbers and get them back in plain English, from the B5254T11 and B4204T23 to paint codes like 717 and 723.
Separate codes with spaces, commas or new lines.
Look up a Volvo code or search by name.
Type a code or a name to search.
Click a code to copy it. Volvo reuses some VIN codes between model years, so check anything important against the dealer build data.
Volvo paint codes are three digits on the label in the door opening. The same code can carry a different color name between models, so always go by the number.
707
Tri coat pearl white, a paid option.
614
Solid white.
019
Solid black.
717
The most common Volvo black.
711
Long running Volvo silver.
735
Warm silver on newer models.
714
Mid grey on the SPA cars.
728
Grey on XC60 and XC90.
724
Grey green, very popular.
492
Light grey.
723
Soft blue on R-Design and Inscription.
720
Bright blue on R-Design and Polestar models.
725
Deep red.
726
Champagne beige.
Colors on screen are only a guide. Buy touch up paint by the three digit code.
Volvo renamed its trims for 2023, which trips up a lot of buyers comparing listings.
| Before 2023 | From 2023 |
|---|---|
| Momentum | Core |
| Inscription | Plus or Ultimate with the Bright theme |
| R-Design | Plus or Ultimate with the Dark theme |
| Polestar Engineered | Polestar Engineered and Black Edition on some models |
Use the engine and year from the VIN to know what to ask about.
| Issue | Affects | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Oil consumption | Early Drive-E 2.0 four cylinder engines | Oil top ups between services and piston ring work in the history |
| Air suspension faults | XC90 and S90 with four corner air suspension | Uneven ride height and suspension warnings |
| Sensus screen issues | SPA cars with the 9 inch portrait screen | Freezing or reboots. Software updates fix many |
| Timing belt | Five cylinder engines like the B5254T | Proof the belt and tensioner were changed on time |
| Gearbox wear | Older five speed automatics on P2 cars | Harsh shifts and slipping |
Our decoder lists Volvo recall campaigns by model and year. For one car, run its VIN with Volvo or NHTSA.
Volvo's recall lookup searches by VIN, and dealers carry out recall repairs free.
The US government VIN search lists open safety recalls.
The DVSA recall checker and national recall services cover Volvo.
Every code our Volvo decoder knows, from engine codes and badges to paint, VIN engine codes and model numbers.
The Volvo equipment names you'll find in listings, from Pilot Assist and City Safety to Bowers and Wilkins, Nordico and the Lounge Package.
Ask a Volvo dealer for the vehicle specification from VIDA. It lists every variant code the car was built with. US buyers can also ask for a window sticker reprint.
On modern Volvos, yes. Character 8 is the trim, like K for Momentum or L for Inscription.
European 240s show the model in characters 4 to 6, like 245 for an estate, then the engine and gearbox. US 240s start YV1A and use a different layout. Character 10 is the year on both.
In Volvo build data, factory code 31 is the NedCar plant in Born, Netherlands, which built the first S40 and V40. Market and variant codes vary by system, so a Volvo dealer can confirm what a code means for your car.
Characters 4 and 5 of the VIN give the engine version. The full engine code, like B4204T23, is on the engine and in the dealer's build data.
Not on cars from 1981 on, where the chassis number is the VIN. Older Volvos have a shorter chassis number on a plate in the engine bay.
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Dale has spent more than 20 years in vehicle valuations, forecasting and asset management. He was a Forecast Manager at CAP HPI, the UK's leading vehicle valuation authority and a counterpart to Kelley Blue Book.
He helped pioneer early electric vehicle depreciation models adopted by major manufacturers, and his residual value forecasts cover more than 10,000 vehicles. Today his data led insights help buyers, enthusiasts and automotive professionals around the world.
Engine, trim and packages like Bowers and Wilkins or air suspension all change a Volvo's value. See what your car's spec is worth.
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