Every Sprinter VIN tells you the badge, body, weight rating, engine and where it was built. Read yours below, then decode the option codes on the Mercedes data card for the roof, 4×4 and options.
Try It Yourself. Copy/Paste This Mercedes Sprinter VIN Into Our Decoder Below: W1Y4ECHY0MT123456
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 ReportEvery Sprinter has a 17 character VIN, also called the chassis number. Dodge, Freightliner and Mercedes Sprinters all use it, and it sits in the same places on most vans. On a used van, check the number on the windshield, the door pillar and the title all match before anything else.
A converted Sprinter can carry a second label from the company that built the camper, ambulance or shuttle body. The original Mercedes VIN is still the one that counts.
US Sprinters have used two VIN layouts. Vans up to the 2019 model year put the drive in position 4, the model and weight in positions 5 and 6 and the engine in position 7. Newer vans with a W1 start put the model and engine in positions 4 and 5. UK and European Sprinters use the FIN, which carries the Mercedes model number.
Example: W1Y4ECHY0MT123456, a 2021 Sprinter 2500 cargo van, 170 inch wheelbase, 3.0 V6 diesel, built in Charleston
Some 2019 vans still used the older layout below, so read the first three characters before the rest.
Example: WD3PE8CC8E5123456, a 2014 Sprinter 2500 cargo van, 170 inch wheelbase, 3.0 V6 diesel, built in Düsseldorf
Example FIN: W1V9076331P123456. The 907 shows it's a VS30 Sprinter, and P that it was built in Düsseldorf
The FIN doesn't carry a model year or a check digit. Use the V5C first registration date or the data card for the year.
These come from Mercedes VIN filings with NHTSA and real US VINs. The first three characters tell you the badge and the body type.
| VIN starts | Van | Years |
|---|---|---|
| WD0, WD1, WD2, WD5, WD8 | Dodge Sprinter van, cab chassis and passenger van | 2003 to 2009 |
| WDY, WDR, WDP | Freightliner Sprinter van, passenger van and cab chassis | 2001 to 2019 |
| WD3PE | Mercedes Sprinter 2500 cargo van, rear wheel drive | 2010 to 2019 |
| WD3PF | Mercedes Sprinter 3500 or heavier 2500 cargo van, rear wheel drive | 2010 to 2019 |
| WD3FE, WD3FF | Mercedes Sprinter cargo van, 4x4 | 2015 to 2019 |
| WD4PE, WD4PF | Mercedes Sprinter passenger van | 2010 to 2019 |
| WDA | Mercedes Sprinter cab chassis | 2010 to 2019 |
| 8BU, 8BT, 8BN | Mercedes Sprinter cargo van, passenger van or cab chassis assembled in Charleston | 2019 |
| W1Y4E | VS30 Sprinter 2500 cargo van, 3.0 V6 diesel | From 2019 |
| W1Y40 | VS30 Sprinter 2500 cargo van, 2.0 gasoline | From 2019 |
| W1W4K, W1W4N | VS30 Sprinter 2500 passenger van, 2.0 diesel | 2023 on |
| W1Y5K, W1Y5N | VS30 Sprinter 3500 cargo van, 2.0 diesel | 2023 on |
| W2Y, W2W, W2X | Freightliner Sprinter, VS30 | 2019 on |
Position 10 on US and Canadian VINs only. The Sprinter came to the US as a Freightliner in 2001 and a Dodge in 2003.
Model years start mid year, so a van built in summer 2023 can be a 2024 model.
Owners and upfitters use T1N, NCV3 and VS30 for the three Sprinter generations. Mercedes uses model series numbers instead. The generation decides which parts, racks, flooring and camper kits fit your van.
T1N, model series 901 to 905
Sold in the US as a Freightliner and a Dodge with a 2.7 five cylinder diesel. Wheelbases of 118, 140 and 158 inches.
NCV3, W906
Badged Dodge to 2009, Freightliner throughout and Mercedes from 2010. The 3.0 V6 diesel was the main engine, with 144 and 170 inch wheelbases and a four cylinder diesel from 2014.
VS30, W907
Built in Charleston and Germany, with MBUX, a 2.0 gasoline option and a 4500. Updated for 2023 with the 2.0 diesel, the 9 speed automatic and all wheel drive. The eSprinter is electric.
| Spec | What it means | How to confirm it |
|---|---|---|
| 1500, 2500, 3500, 3500XD, 4500 | The weight rating, from light single rear wheel vans to dually chassis | VIN positions 4 and 5 on newer vans, and the door pillar label |
| 144, 170, 170 extended | Wheelbase in inches. Extended adds length behind the rear wheels | VIN position 6 on newer vans |
| Standard, high, super high roof | Interior height, the big one for camper buyers | Codes D03 and D05 on the data card |
| Cargo, crew, passenger, cab chassis | The body as it left the factory | VIN positions 1 to 3 and the data card |
| 4x4 or AWD | Four wheel drive, with low range on many vans | VIN position 4 on older vans, position 7 on newer ones, and code ZG3 |
Sprinter paint codes have four digits, so Arctic White is 9147 and Obsidian Black Metallic is 9197. The code is on the data card, which is the quickest way to spot a resprayed or wrapped van.
Swatches are a guide only. Fleet vans were often ordered in special colors, so the code on your data card is the proof.
Not from the 17 characters. The VIN gives you the badge, the body, the weight rating, the engine and the plant, but not the roof height, the 4x4 type or the options.
Mercedes keeps a data card for every Sprinter. It lists the FIN, the VIN on US vans, the engine and transmission numbers, the paint code and every option code. Here's how to get it.
Ask the service desk to print the vehicle data card from the VIN. It lists every factory option code with a description.
Parts staff look up the data card to order the right parts, so they can often read out the option codes too.
The original window sticker or fleet order lists the packages and options by name. Match them to the codes below.
Check for a low range button, the roof height, the heater and air conditioning controls and the screen size. They back up the paperwork.
Copy the codes from the data card and paste them into the decoder below to get your full Sprinter options list.
Paste the option codes from your Sprinter data card and get a readable options list, grouped by system. Four digit paint codes like 9147 work too.
Separate codes with spaces, commas or new lines.
Search by code or keyword. Covers option codes, packages, paint and engine codes.
Type a code or keyword to see matches.
Tip: click any code to copy it. Some codes changed meaning between generations, so check anything important against the data card.
The Sprinter has used five cylinder, V6 and four cylinder diesels, two gasoline engines and an electric motor. On newer vans, VIN positions 4 and 5 tell you the engine. On older vans it's position 7.
| Generation | US years | Engines |
|---|---|---|
| T1N | 2001 to 2006 | 2.7 five cylinder diesel, OM612 then OM647, with a 5 speed automatic |
| NCV3 | 2007 to 2018 | 3.0 V6 diesel OM642, 3.5 V6 gasoline on early vans, 2.1 four cylinder diesel OM651 from 2014 with a 7 speed automatic |
| VS30 | 2019 to 2022 | 3.0 V6 diesel OM642, 2.2 four cylinder diesel OM651, 2.0 four cylinder gasoline M274 |
| VS30 updated | 2023 on | 2.0 four cylinder diesel OM654 in two outputs, with the 9G-TRONIC 9 speed automatic. eSprinter electric |
The 3.0 V6 diesel is the one most camper and towing buyers look for. The four cylinder diesels use less fuel but work harder in a heavy, loaded van.
NCV3 and early VS30 vans offered a part time 4x4, often with low range, code ZG3. From 2023 the Sprinter switched to all wheel drive. Both add real value, so check the code.
Sprinters are built for big miles, but they work hard and repairs cost more than on a domestic van. The generation and engine tell you what to check.
| Generation or system | What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| T1N and early NCV3 | Rust on the wheel arches, door bottoms, sills and underbody | Rust is the main reason older Sprinters fail. Get underneath before you buy. |
| T1N diesel | Leaking injector seals, a tar like build up around the injectors | Left too long, the injectors can seize in the head. |
| NCV3 3.0 V6 diesel | Oil leaks from the oil cooler seals in the V of the engine | A labour heavy job. Look for oil on top of the transmission. |
| BlueTEC diesels, 2010 on | DEF heater, NOx sensor and emissions warnings, limp mode | Emissions faults are the most common Sprinter repair. Check for warning messages and the repair history. |
| 5 speed automatic | Limp mode stuck in one gear, harsh shifts | Often an electrical fault in the transmission rather than a full rebuild. |
| VS30 2.0 diesel | Oil leaks near the high pressure fuel pump | Mercedes has issued a technical communication on this. Ask what's been done. |
| Converted vans | Overloading, roof cut outs, extra wiring and batteries | A camper or ambulance body can add weight and electrical faults. Check the weight label and the conversion paperwork. |
Recalls differ by badge, market and generation, so check through the channel that covers where the van was sold.
Run the VIN through the decoder above for NHTSA recall records, or use the NHTSA recall lookup. Dodge and Freightliner Sprinters are listed under their own badge.
Use the DVSA vehicle recall checker on GOV.UK with the make, model and year, then ask a Mercedes van dealer to run the VIN.
Camper, ambulance and shuttle builders can have their own recalls on top of the Mercedes ones. Check with the company that built the body too.
Fleet vans often skip dealer visits. Ask for proof that every recall was completed, not just booked.
The full list behind the data card decoder, grouped by system. Codes vary by generation, year and market, so verify anything important against your own data card.
Sprinter packages changed by model year and market. A package code on the data card is usually followed by the codes for every part inside it.
Newer data cards list the engine as an option code. Older Sprinters show the engine family on the data card and the engine itself.
Sprinter paint codes have four digits, like 9147 for Arctic White. Swatches are a guide only, and fleet vans were often painted to order.
These codes describe the van itself. Roof height, partition and doors matter most to upfitters and camper van buyers.
4x4 and towing codes add a lot of value to a used Sprinter, so check them on the data card before you pay for them.
Multimedia codes changed with every update, so the same feature can show under different codes on older and newer vans.
Heater and air conditioning codes matter a lot on camper and passenger conversions.
Upfit and cargo codes tell you how the load area left the factory.
These codes don't add equipment, but they show where the van was built and which market it was built for.
The names you'll see in listings, on order forms and on upfitter paperwork. Search any of them in the decoder above to find the code behind it.
On a plate at the bottom of the windshield on the driver side, on the label in the driver door pillar, and stamped into the body. It's also on the title in the US and the V5C in the UK.
Check the model year and the first characters of the VIN. US vans up to 2006 are T1N, 2007 to 2018 are NCV3, and 2019 on are VS30. On a FIN, 906 is the NCV3 and 907 the VS30.
W1Y is a Mercedes Sprinter cargo van. W1W is a passenger or crew van, W1X a cab chassis and W1Z a bus.
WD3 is a Mercedes Sprinter cargo van from before the W1 codes arrived. WD4 is a passenger van and WDA a cab chassis.
Yes on US vans. On older vans, F in position 4 means 4x4. On newer W1 vans, position 7 is a letter from R to V or the number 6. The data card shows code ZG3 for 4x4 with low range.
No. The roof height isn't in the VIN. Look for code D03 for the high roof or D05 for the super high roof on the data card.
Yes. They were built by Mercedes with different badges. The VIN start tells you which badge it was sold under, and Mercedes parts fit the same generation.
Read position 11 of a US VIN. T is Charleston, South Carolina. 5, P, R and S are Düsseldorf, and 9 and N are Ludwigsfelde in Germany.
Not from the 17 characters alone. The options are on the Mercedes data card, which a dealer can print from the VIN. Paste the option codes into the decoder above.
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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.
A high roof, 4x4 with low range, the V6 diesel, roof air conditioning, a fuel fired heater. Two Sprinters can look the same in photos and be worth very different money. See what the options on yours are worth today.
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