Free 2018 Audi A3 VIN Decoder

How to decode a 2018 Audi A3 VIN

Characters 1-3 of a 2018 Audi A3 VIN

A World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) is the first set of characters in a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) which identifies the manufacturer of the vehicle as well as its location of manufacture and vehicle type. Specifically, for the 2018 Audi A3, the WMI “WAU” indicates that the vehicle was manufactured by Audi AG, located in Ingolstadt, Germany. This designation confirms the vehicle as a passenger car produced by one of Germany’s renowned automotive manufacturers. The WMI is essential for vehicle tracking, registration, and recall purposes, providing a standardized method to identify the vehicle’s manufacturing origin at a glance. It serves as the global fingerprint for vehicles, ensuring that each is unique and traceable back to its maker.

List of WMI Codes for a 2018 Audi A3

WMI: WAU

• Model Years Covered: 2006-2013, 2015-2020, 2022-2024
• Example VIN: WAU78LFF0J1008533
• Manufacturer Name: Audi AG
• Vehicle Type: Passenger Car
• City: Ingolstadt
• State or Province:
• Country: Germany

Characters 4-8 are the Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) of a 2018 Audi A3 VIN

These characters correspond to components like:

• Engine type
• Transmission
• Model or trim
• Body style
• Gross vehicle weight range

Below find the known vehicle descriptor codes for a 2018 Audi A3:

Auto manufacturers have some discretion to decide how they want to code this section, but its contents and decoded results are generally consistent.

Character 9 is the “check digit” in a 2018 Audi A3 VIN.

Based on a formula developed by the US Department of Transportation, it helps reduce fraud by ensuring the validity of the VIN.

10th Character in the 2018 Audi A3 VIN — Year Code

11th Character in the 2018 Audi A3 VIN — Plant Code(s)

Known 2018 Audi A3 Assembly Factory VIN Code(s)

VIN Characters 12 - 17 of a 2018 Audi A3

The final 6 characters in a 2018 Audi A3’s 17-digit VIN are its serial number, which will be unique to every vehicle.

What info can a 2018 Audi A3 VIN reveal?

• Model Year: The VIN can reveal the vehicle’s model year, which in this case is 2018, offering insights into the age and potential market value of the vehicle.
• Body Class and Vehicle Type: It can provide details on the body class, such as Hatchback/Liftback/Notchback, and the vehicle type, for example, a Passenger Car, offering insight into the vehicle’s overall design and intended use.
• Engine Specifications: The VIN can encode crucial engine details, including displacement in liters (e.g., 1.4L), horsepower (e.g., 204 hp), and engine manufacturer, providing important information for understanding the vehicle’s performance capabilities.
• Safety Features: Standard safety features like Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Blind Spot Warning (BSW), and Curtain Air Bag Locations covering all rows, are encoded, reflecting the vehicle’s focus on passenger safety.
• Fuel Type and Electrification Level: The VIN can reveal the primary and secondary fuel types, and in this example, they are Electric and Gasoline, respectively, and the electrification level as PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), offering insights into the vehicle’s environmental impact and fuel efficiency.
• Manufacturing Information: Information about the manufacturing, such as the plant country being Germany and the specific city of Ingolstadt, can be deciphered from the VIN, offering a glimpse into the vehicle’s origin and production standards.
• Additional Vehicle Specifications: The dataset could include critical specifications like the number of seats (5), the number of axles (2), and specific features such as the number of wheels (4), and the transmission style.

Sample VIN Decode Report for a 2018 Audi A3

Source