Engine by VIN
Enter a VIN and NHTSA returns the engine the manufacturer filed for it, free: displacement in liters, cylinders, engine model code, horsepower, configuration and fuel. A blank field means the manufacturer did not file that attribute, not that the engine is missing. Engine type is one of the attributes the VIN standard requires, so it is on file far more often than the transmission: for twelve makes decoded on September 15, 2026, 12 returned displacement and 8 returned horsepower.
Facts and links on this page were checked on September 15, 2026.
What came back for twelve makes
One VIN per make, decoded through NHTSA vPIC on September 15, 2026 (public-listing VINs for ten makes; pattern-valid test VINs for Subaru and Harley-Davidson).
| Make (sample) | Displacement | Cylinders | HP | Engine model | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford (2019 F-250) | 6.7 L | 8 | 440 | not filed | Diesel |
| Toyota (2021 Camry) | 2.5 L | 4 | 202 | A25A-FKS | Gasoline |
| Honda (2023 Civic) | 2.0 L | 4 | 158 | K20C2 | Gasoline |
| Chevrolet (2020 Equinox) | 1.5 L | 4 | not filed | LYX - Direct Injection, VVT, FGT, TURBO, ALUM, GEN1 | Gasoline |
| Nissan (2021 Kicks) | 1.6 L | not filed | not filed | not filed | Gasoline |
| BMW (2011 550i) | 4.4 L | 8 | 400 | not filed | Gasoline |
| Audi (2016 A6) | 3.0 L | 6 | 333 | not filed | Gasoline |
| Jeep (2021 Wrangler) | 2.0 L | 4 | 375 | not filed | Electric |
| Subaru (2020 Outback) | 2.5 L | 4 | 182 | U5 | Gasoline |
| Hyundai (2025 Tucson) | 2.5 L | not filed | not filed | GDI Theta III | Gasoline |
| Kia (2025 Niro) | 1.6 L | not filed | not filed | GDI Kappa PE | Gasoline |
| Harley-Davidson (2007 Street Glide) | 1.6 L | 2 | 70 | not filed | Gasoline |
How the engine gets into a VIN
49 CFR 565.15 says positions 4 to 8 of a passenger-car VIN must uniquely identify the line, series, body type, engine type and restraint system; for SUVs and trucks the list includes engine type and GVWR; for motorcycles it includes engine type and net brake horsepower, within 10 percent of the actual figure. The manufacturer decides which of the five characters carries which attribute and files the key with NHTSA. vPIC is that key, which is why the decode returns exactly what the maker filed and nothing more.
Reading the fields
- Displacement. Liters, as filed. vPIC also converts to cubic centimeters and cubic inches; the tool shows liters to one decimal.
- Cylinders and configuration. Count and layout (in-line, V). The Ford sample returned 8 cylinders and 6.7 L; the Honda returned 4 and 2.0 L.
- Horsepower."Engine Brake (hp) From", the lower value where a range was filed.
- Engine model.The maker's engine family code (A25A-FKS on the Toyota sample, K20C2 on the Honda, U5 on the Subaru). Useful for parts and for reading a service history.
- Fuel and turbo.Primary fuel; a turbo flag where filed (a 2015 Grand Cherokee pattern we decoded returned "No" explicitly, and the Chevrolet sample spelled TURBO out in its engine model string).
What free sources can show
- Displacement (liters), cylinder count, engine model code, horsepower, configuration (in-line, V), fuel and turbo flag, where filed.
- Electrification level for hybrids and EVs, and manufacturer notes in "other engine info".
- The rest of the decode: year, make, model, trim, body, transmission, plant.
- EPA fuel economy for the year, make, model and engine, on the free CarWorthIt report.
What they cannot
- An engine the manufacturer did not file: a blank stays blank.
- Whether the engine was replaced, rebuilt or modified since the car was built.
- Torque, compression ratio or the exact engine option code on the window sticker (the build record has the option).
- The condition of the engine: that is an inspection, not a decode.
Common questions
Can you tell the engine size from the VIN?
Usually. Engine type is one of the attributes 49 CFR 565.15 requires the VIN to make decipherable for cars, SUVs, trucks and motorcycles, so most manufacturers file it. For twelve makes decoded on September 15, 2026, 12 of 12 returned displacement, 9 returned the cylinder count, 8 returned horsepower and 6 returned an engine model code.
Which character of the VIN is the engine code?
There is no fixed position. The regulation says positions 4 to 8 together must make the engine type decipherable "with information supplied by the manufacturer", and each maker lays those five characters out its own way. On many US-market cars the 8th character is the engine code, but that is convention, not rule, which is why the decoder reads the whole pattern rather than one character.
What does the horsepower figure mean?
vPIC's field is "Engine Brake (hp) From": brake horsepower at the engine output shaft, and where the manufacturer filed a range, the lower end of it. Treat it as the manufacturer's filed figure for the engine family, not a dyno result for this car.
Why is the engine blank for my VIN?
The manufacturer did not file that attribute for the pattern. In our sample the Nissan Kicks VIN returned displacement and fuel but no cylinder count, horsepower or engine model, and the Hyundai and Kia VINs returned displacement and an engine family name but no cylinders or horsepower. A blank is a blank filing; the decoder says so rather than guessing.
Does the decode show if the engine was replaced or modified?
No. It is the build record: the engine the vehicle left the factory with. A swap, a rebuild or a tune is not reported to NHTSA. The engine block casting and the emissions label under the hood are the physical checks; service records are the paper trail.
What about electric vehicles?
vPIC returns an electrification level (BEV, PHEV, strong hybrid) and, for some EVs, notes in "other engine info" (a Tesla Model S pattern we decoded returned "Dual Motor - Standard"). Displacement and cylinders are blank because there are none; that is correct, not a fault.
The engine as it was sold, and what the car is worth with it
The CarWorthIt Full Report ($6.99) reproduces the manufacturer's build record for the exact VIN, including the engine and transmission as specified, the sticker price when new and the installed options, plus the local-market valuation at the car's mileage. The free report already shows recalls, safety ratings and EPA running costs for the engine. See a sample.
Related free tools
Sources checked for this page
- NHTSA vPIC API, DecodeVinValues, checked September 15, 2026
- 49 CFR Part 565, Vehicle Identification Number Requirements (eCFR), checked September 15, 2026: 565.13: 17 characters, check digit in position 9, no I, O or Q, VIN readable through the windshield at the left pillar. 565.15 Table VII (2005 to 2039) and Table XIII (1980 to 2013) give the model-year codes.
CarWorthIt is not an NMVTIS-approved data provider, does not sell vehicle history reports, and is not affiliated with Carfax, AutoCheck, Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds or NADA.
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