A Lexus VIN usually starts with JTH on Japan-built cars (ES and IS patterns we tested), JTJ on Japan-built SUVs (NX, GX, LX), 2T2 on Canada-built RX SUVs from Cambridge, Ontario, and 58A or 58A-family codes on Kentucky-built ES sedans from Georgetown. Positions 4-8 carry series and engine data, 9 is the check digit, 10 is the model year, and 11 is the plant. A decode only shows how the car left the factory, so finish with recalls and a history report.
We ran Lexus patterns through NHTSA's free vPIC decoder in mid October 2026 because RX and ES listings keep mixing Japan, Canada and Kentucky origin stories. Lexus shares platforms and many engines with Toyota, and our Toyota VIN decoder guide covers that side. For the general 17-character walkthrough, use how to decode a VIN. This page sticks to what Lexus VINs returned.
Positions 1-3: Japan cars, Japan SUVs, Canada RX, Kentucky ES
vPIC listed Toyota Motor Corporation on the Japan-built samples, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada on the RX patterns, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. on the Georgetown ES patterns. A 2017 ES 350 pattern starting JTHBK1GG came back Miyawaka, Fukuoka (Kyushu) with a 3.5-liter 2GR-FE. A 2020 ES 350 Premium starting 58ADZ1B1 decoded to Georgetown, Kentucky with a 3.5-liter 2GR-FKS. Same nameplate family, different country, and the WMI settles the argument in about five seconds.
On the SUV side, a 2017 NX 200t Luxury pattern starting JTJBARBZ came back Miyawaka with a 2.0-liter 8AR-FTS turbo. A 2017 GX 460 starting JTJBM7FX returned Tahara, Aichi with a 4.6-liter 1UR-FE. A 2017 LX 570 starting JTJHY7AX pointed at Toyota City, Aichi with a 5.7-liter 3UR-FE. RX is the Canada story: a 2019 RX 350 Standard starting 2T2BZMCA decoded to Cambridge, Ontario with a 3.5-liter 2GR-FKS, and a 2022 RX 450h Premium starting 2T2HGMDA came back Cambridge with a hybrid 2GR-FXS setup. If a seller calls a late RX "Japanese-built" and the VIN starts 2T2, the plant field wins.
Positions 4-8: ES, RX, NX, GX, IS, LX and the engine field
Lexus packs model series and engine data into the middle characters, and vPIC returns them as Model, Series, Trim and Engine Model. Our samples lined up with the nameplates people actually shop: ES 350, IS 200t (8AR-FTS at Tahara), NX 200t, GX 460, LX 570, RX 350 and RX 450h. Series strings often include chassis codes like GSV60L, AGZ10L or URJ150L, which is normal Toyota-family labeling. Trim strings came back as 350, 200t Luxury, 460, 570, 350 Standard and 450h Premium in our runs.
Honestly, do not decode from memory. Paste all 17 characters, then compare the result with the door-jamb label and the under-hood emissions sticker. Hybrid vs gas is easy to miss in a dim parking lot when both cars wear the same RX badge. Our used Toyota Highlander buying guide covers a related Toyota three-row shopper path if you are cross-shopping family SUVs.
Positions 9, 10 and 11: check digit, year, plant
Position 9 is the check digit under 49 CFR 565.15. A typo usually fails. A cloned VIN passes, so keep checking other fields. Position 10 is the model year letter (H was 2017, K was 2019, L was 2020, N was 2022 in our samples). Position 11 points at the plant: Miyawaka for several Kyushu cars and NX samples, Tahara for IS and GX, Toyota City for LX, Cambridge for RX, Georgetown for Kentucky ES. Match all 17 characters across the dash, door label and title the way we lay out in how to find and verify a VIN.
After the decode: recalls and history
Run the VIN through Lexus recall lookup (Toyota's recall tools also accept Lexus VINs on toyota.com/recall) and through a federal check. Takata and other campaign families have touched Toyota-group vehicles in past years, so a clean listing photo is not a recall status. Crash scores vary by year; check IIHS RX ratings for the exact model year, and use Car and Driver's RX page or ES coverage for generation context.
None of this shows salvage brands, flood claims, odometer gaps or old insurance payouts. Those come from DMV, insurer, auction and shop records, which is what CARFAX describes as the basis of its reports. Pull your own report; seller-supplied PDFs still get edited. As of mid October 2026, a CARFAX report through us is about $5.50 as a guest or about $4.50 as a member, and a CARFAX plus AutoCheck bundle is about $6.75, against roughly $39.99 to $44.99 at retail. Confirm at checkout. We are a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller, not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck, or Experian.
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