A modern Mercedes-Maybach VIN starts exactly like any other Mercedes, with WDD on 2016-2020 cars and W1K from 2021 on, so the Maybach tell sits in positions 4-8 instead. In our October 14, 2026 runs through NHTSA's vPIC, a 2022 pattern starting W1K6X7GB decoded as "S580 MAYBACH" with a 4.0-liter V8, W1K6X7KB came back as "S680 MAYBACH" with a 6.0-liter V12, and the ordinary S580 4MATIC pattern was W1K6G7GB. One letter, X versus G, is what separates a Maybach from a regular S-Class at the VIN level. Only the original Maybach 57 and 62 sedans decode with Maybach as the make.
We ran every sample through the free vPIC decoder and then pulled recall campaigns the same afternoon. If you have never split a VIN into its sections, start with how to decode a VIN. Our Mercedes VIN decoder covers the WDD, W1K and Alabama 4J codes across the whole lineup; this page sticks to the Maybach cars and the ways people misrepresent them.
Maybach versus a regular S-Class, position by position
Positions 1-3 identify Mercedes-Benz, and vPIC listed Sindelfingen, Germany as the plant on every Maybach sedan we tried. Positions 4-8 carry the model, body and engine. On the 2018-2020 car, WDDUX8GB decoded as a Maybach S560 4MATIC (2018 and 2019 samples), while the regular S550 4MATIC pattern was WDDUG8FB. On the current car the same X shows up: W1K6X for Maybach, W1K6G for the Benz-badged sedan. Position 9 is the check digit defined in 49 CFR 565.15, and position 10 is the year: H for 2017, J 2018, K 2019, N 2022, P 2023, R 2024, S 2025.
The older Maybach 57 and 62 are a different animal. WDBVF78J decoded as a 2006 Maybach 57 and WDBVG78J as a 2006 Maybach 62, both with a 5.5-liter V12 and Make listed as MAYBACH. Under 565.15 a numeric seventh character puts the year code in the 1980-2009 cycle, which is why the 6 in position 10 reads as 2006 there and not 2036. That same rule trips people who try to read a 2010s car with an old chart.
Where the decoder gets vague
Do not treat the trim field as proof either way. A 2025 W1K6X7GB pattern came back as plain "S580 4MATIC," with the word Maybach gone, and a 2017 WDDUX7GB pattern listed "Mercedes-benz S600" with a 6.0-liter V12 and nothing else. Several other WDDUX guesses returned error 14, meaning vPIC could not read every character from the factory submission. We also tried a stack of patterns for the Maybach GLS 600 SUV and never got a clean decode, so we are not printing one here. Honestly, the window sticker settles this faster than any decoder; our window sticker lookup by VIN piece explains where to find one.
Car and Driver notes the Maybach S-Class rides on a wheelbase about seven inches longer than the Benz version and offers the S580 with a twin-turbo V8 or the S680 with a 621-hp V12. That stretch gives you a physical check with a tape measure and the published wheelbase figures if the paperwork is thin.
Recalls to clear by VIN
Some campaigns touch only a handful of Maybach cars, which makes them easy to miss. 22V-215 covers 15 Maybach S580s from 2021-2022 whose front seat trim parts can detach during a rear air bag deployment, and 23V-554 covers 73 Maybach S580 and S680 cars with a 12-volt ground in the trunk that may not be secured, which can upset the stability system or overheat. On the earlier car, 18V-407 lists 2018 Maybach S560s with loose power bars in the trunk pre-fuse box, and 26V-216, filed in April 2026, covers 2018-2020 Maybach S560 4MATIC cars whose drive shaft universal joint may break. As of the interim letters mailed May 22, 2026, the final remedy was still pending.
The newest one landed this month. 26V-638, received October 2, 2026, covers front brake hoses that may rupture on 2022-2025 Maybach S580 and S680 4MATIC sedans, expands the earlier 25V-116, and says owner letters are expected November 27, 2026. A car on a dealer lot right now may not have a letter on file yet. GLS 600 owners have 22V-680 for rear door window trim bars and 24V-207 for a 48-volt ground under the passenger seat. The post-2010 recall file we searched had no campaigns for the old 57 or 62, which only means nothing was filed in that window. Run the real VIN through our NHTSA recall check by VIN walkthrough.
History traps on a chauffeur-class car
A Maybach that spent years as a hired car can show commercial registration or a fleet owner, and rear-seat wear tells the same story the odometer might not. The bigger risk is badge work: a regular S-Class with Maybach grille, wheels and trunk lettering costs a fraction of the real thing, and the X in position 5 is what exposes it. CARFAX describes its reports as covering title, odometer, ownership and accident records. A screenshot from the seller is not a report, and on a car at this price we would not accept one.
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 because prices move. We are a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller and are not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck, or Experian. Comparing Stuttgart's flagship with Goodwood? Our Rolls-Royce VIN decoder runs the same checks on the Ghost and Phantom.
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!
Log in to leave a comment.