Acura VIN Decoder & Lookup Tool

A Acura VIN decoder reveals the model year, model name, trim level, engine type and displacement, transmission, drive type, body style, and assembly plant of any Acura vehicle. It uses NHTSA vPIC, the public VIN-decoding platform built from manufacturer-submitted data (model year 1981-forward); decode fields vary by model year and manufacturer submission. It does not show accident or ownership history.

Acura VINs typically start with 19U, JH4, 5J8, 2HN. 19U identifies Acura passenger cars built in the U.S. (TLX, Integra). JH4 identifies Acura models imported from Japan. 5J8 identifies Acura SUVs (RDX, MDX) built at East Liberty or Lincoln. 2HN identifies Canada-built MDX through 2020.

The easiest place to find the VIN on a Acura is the lower corner of the windshield on the driver's side dashboard, visible from outside the vehicle. It's also printed on the driver's door jamb sticker, the vehicle title, the registration card, and the insurance card. On older models the VIN may be stamped on the engine block or firewall.

Every Acura VIN from model year 1981 onward is exactly 17 characters — the ISO 3779 standard — and never contains the letters I, O, or Q to avoid confusion with the digits 1, 0, and 9. Vehicles built before 1981 used shorter, manufacturer-specific serial formats, so a shorter number on a pre-1981 Acura can be legitimate. On a 1981-or-newer Acura, anything other than 17 characters is a partial reference or a transcription error.

Yes. CarWhere's Acura VIN decoder is completely free with no signup, account, or credit card required. We use the NHTSA vPIC API — the official U.S. government VIN database that every U.S.-market Acura is filed against. We additionally cross-reference the decoded year, make, and model against verified buyer transactions in our deal database.

Acura operates manufacturing facilities in Marysville, Ohio, East Liberty, Ohio, Lincoln, Alabama, Alliston, Ontario. Note that not every facility does final vehicle assembly — some build engines or components that ship to an assembly plant. The 11th character of a Acura VIN identifies the final-assembly plant, while the first three characters (the World Manufacturer Identifier) identify the manufacturer and country.

Yes, in two steps. Decoding a Acura VIN here surfaces the recall campaigns filed against that year, make, and model — which tells you what campaigns affect the model, not whether this specific vehicle's repair is still outstanding. To confirm whether a specific VIN has an unrepaired open recall, enter the full VIN at the official NHTSA recall lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls; Acura also operates an owner portal where owners can view recall status and schedule free repairs at any authorized Acura dealer.

No. A VIN decode reveals factory specifications only — make, model, trim, engine, plant. To check accident history, salvage titles, or odometer rollback on a Acura, you need a vehicle history report from Carfax or AutoCheck, both of which use the VIN as the lookup key but pull from insurance and DMV records.

The current lineup is U.S.-built: the TLX and Integra at Marysville, Ohio (VINs starting 19U) and the RDX and MDX at East Liberty, Ohio (5J8). Older Acuras — the first NSX, Legend, Integra, and RSX — were Japan-built and carry JH4 VINs. Some earlier MDX model years came from Alliston, Ontario (2HN).

JH4 is Honda's World Manufacturer Identifier for Japan-built Acura models. Seeing it on a VIN means the car was imported from Japan — typical for the brand's earlier decades (Legend, first-generation NSX, RSX). Modern Acuras are built in Ohio and carry 19U or 5J8 prefixes.