3VW — Volkswagen
A VIN beginning 3VW identifies a vehicle built by Volkswagen in Mexico, covering Puebla-built Jetta and Tiguan. The first character, 3, is the region marker; the two that follow narrow it to the manufacturer and division.
Decode a full Volkswagen VIN →
Other Volkswagen codes
Large manufacturers hold several WMIs, usually split by plant or vehicle class.
Also built in Mexico
Questions
›What car has a VIN starting with 3VW?
A Volkswagen built in Mexico — typically Puebla-built Jetta and Tiguan. The three characters identify the manufacturer and plant region, not the specific model; characters 4–8 describe the model itself.
›Is 3VW the same as the country of origin?
The first character alone gives the region — 3 indicates Mexico. All three together identify the specific manufacturer and division within it.
›Can I tell the model year from 3VW?
No. The WMI says who built the vehicle, not when. Character 10 carries the model year, and character 7 helps resolve which of its two possible years applies.