Rugged, powerful, and tough are maybe the best words to describe a four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicle.
On muddy tracks, wet surfaces, or where there are no roads at all, a 4WD will quickly get you through the terrain, whereas a 2WD car would get stuck. That is not all! A good 4WD also gives you the confidence to go rock crawling. But the fast-advancing AWD and 4WD technologies in vehicles make it hard for some car dealers and buyers to differentiate them.
If you are stuck trying to establish whether your car is a 4WD or not, one of the best ways to check is through the vehicle identification number (VIN).
Get the guesswork out of the way. Keep reading as we show you how to tell if the vehicle is 4WD by VIN.
How to Tell If a Vehicle Is 4WD by VIN: What Makes a Car a 4WD?
A four-wheel drive, also called a 4WD or 4X4, is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain designed to provide torque to all wheels simultaneously. The vehicles use transfer cases that provide for additional output drive shafts, usually for the front axle.
4X4 vehicles can further be classified into two categories: all-wheel-drive (AWD) and on-demand 4WD. An AWD is a vehicle where torque is supplied to both axles all the time. No decision to be made by the driver here. In contrast, the on-demand 4X4 model features gears that allow the diver to choose whether to run on two wheels (mainly the rear axle) or all four. Learn more about AWD vs 4WD.
On-demand 4×4 vehicles have the advantage of allowing the driver to engage all four wheels only when moving via challenging tracks, such as muddy roads or icy surfaces. Good examples of on-demand 4×4 vehicles are Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner.
Understanding VIN
Since the start of mass vehicle production, every automaker uses VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) codes, which serve different purposes. Although the primary one is helping to track every vehicle on the road, you will also find it very useful in knowing if it is a 4X4, AWD, or 2WD.
What Does a VIN Look Like?
VINs use the same pattern, a set of 11-17 numbers and letters printed/stamped on some parts of the car. Each character in the VIN has a meaning. In the image below, the code circled in red is the VIN of the car.
Just like a person’s fingerprint, a vehicle’s VIN is its unique identifier in its entire life. Before 1981, manufacturers in the U.S. were allowed to have between 11 and 17 characters as VIN. However, this changed after 1981 when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration standardized VINs to a 17-digit string.
So, the variation of VINs for various models depends on the precise details, such as where it was manufactured and body type. For example, the first character on VINs of cars made in the US will be 1, 4, or 5 and J for another from Japan.
How Do You Find a Vehicle’s VIN?
Once a manufacturer has generated a VIN for a vehicle, it is stamped where it is easy to find. One of the common areas where you are likely to get the VIN is at the lower part of the windshield, on the driver’s side.
If you’re dealing with an older vehicle, the VIN will likely be on the sticker/plate inside the driver’s frame sill or the glove compartment. Manufacturers also stamp the VIN on different parts of the car chassis. Below is a pictorial of locations you are likely to get the VIN of your car.
Interpreting VIN to Know If the Vehicle Is a 4WD
Now that you have an idea of what a VIN is and where it is printed/ stamped on a vehicle, we are now going to decipher it. Each character on VIN occupies a specific position, starting from the left moving to the right. Below is an example of a Toyota VIN that we will use for demonstration:
Position 1
This is the first character on VIN, and it tells you the car’s country of origin.
The characters can be either letters or numbers. 1, 4, or 5 are used for the USA, 2 for Canada, 3 for Mexico, 6 for Australia, 8 for Argentina, 9 for Brazil, J for Japan, K for Korea, M for Thailand, S for the UK, and V for France.
Position 2
Position two is used to denote the manufacturer of the vehicle. Because we are using Toyota for demonstration purposes, the second character can be T (Toyota) or N {NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing)}.
Position 3
The character in this position will tell you what type of vehicle it is.
A, B, F, M, or 4 are used to denote trucks, while E, L, or 3 show a multipurpose passenger vehicle/SUV. Other characters used in position 3 include 5 for incomplete vehicles such as convertibles, and D, G, K, X, 1, 2, 7, or N for a passenger vehicle.
Position 4
To know if your vehicle is a 4WD, you should focus on characters in the fourth position. They are used to indicate the body type, and you should notice the ones for a 4X4 vehicle. So, we are going to note the codes on position four that indicate a 4WD car.
- B: 4DR sedan 2WD or 4DR truck 4WD
- D: 4DR truck 4WD
- H: 4DR wagon 4WD
- L: 4DR wagon 4WD or 4DR truck 4WD
- P: 2DR regular cab truck 4WD
- W: 2DR extended cab 4WD
- S: 3DR liftback 4WD
Although the information from the character on position four is enough to know if the car is 4WD or not, it is good to decipher the VIN in its entirety for additional details.
The rest of the characters will give you more information about the car’s year of manufacture as well as safety features, which are equally important.
Position 5
The characters in position 5 show the type of engine. This is very important because a 4×4 vehicle needs a lot of power, especially when the 4WD system is engaged. Some examples of engine models include A for 3MZ-FE, D for 2ZZ-GE, and F for 1MZ-FE.
Position 6
The digit will give you the vehicle series. In the case of Toyota, the series code is based on the chassis provided for the car.
Position 7
Characters used in this position denote important safety features of the vehicle. For example, 0 means a car with manual belts with two airbags and curtain airbags, and D for manual belts with two airbags, side airbags, three-row curtain airbags, and knee airbags.
Position 8
This is the platform of the vehicle or model. At Toyota, A is used for Highlander, 1 for Tundra, 4 for Scion xB, B for Avalon, N for Tacoma, and O for MR2 Spyder.
Position 9
This is a check digit for verifying the authenticity of the car’s VIN. Unlike other codes, this is a number and is obtained using a formula by the US Department of Transport.
Position 10
This character shows the year of manufacture, starting from 1997 moving forward.
Some of the codes include V for 1997, W for 1998, X for 1999, 1 for 2000, 2 for 2002, and E for 2014.
Position 11
This digit indicates the factory where the car was assembled, with 0-9 being for Japan, R for Lafayette in the US, and A for Onnaing-Valenciennes, France.
Position 12
Characters in positions 12 to 17 represent the vehicle’s production number. They highlight the unit number as the vehicle was made in the production line.
Now that we have deciphered the meaning of all the characters, let us go back to the VIN on our example.
Since Position 4 is represented by character N, it is telling us that the vehicle is not a 4X4. Instead, it is a Standard Cab 1/2 Ton Truck, 2WD, Short Bed, Full-Size Frame.
Final Thoughts
Buying a vehicle, especially a 4WD model, means committing a lot of resources because 4x4s are more expensive than 2WDs. Therefore, it is paramount to be sure of picking the model to suit your needs, be it traveling off-road or rock crawling. This post has demonstrated how to tell if a vehicle is 4WD by VIN.
The method stands out from others because it also gives a lot of information about the vehicle. In addition to pinpointing a 4WD vehicle, gathering details such as its safety, engine, year of manufacture, and manufacturer can help you make a more informed decision.
If you are still unsure or want to get further clarifications about the car of interest, it will also be okay to get help from the vehicle manufacturer or a technician.
