MINI VIN Decoder: How to Read a MINI Cooper VIN (WMW, WMZ)

A MINI VIN starts with WMW on most cars (Hardtop, Clubman, the first Countryman) and WMZ on the later Countryman. Positions 4-8 carry the model, body and engine, position 9 is the check digit, 10 is the model year, and 11 is the plant: in our decodes that was 2 or T for Oxford, England, W for Graz, Austria, and 3 for a plant in the Netherlands. vPIC lists BMW AG as the maker on every one. Decode first, then run recalls and history before you hand over money.

We decoded MINI patterns in NHTSA's free vPIC decoder on October 13, 2026, with real check digits, from a 2012 Countryman to a 2022 Cooper SE electric. Used MINI listings have one recurring problem: "Cooper S" gets slapped on plain Coopers, and the hood scoop is not proof. The engine field in the VIN usually is. New to the 17 positions? Read how to decode a VIN first.

Positions 1-3: WMW, WMZ and the BMW connection

Every pattern we ran came back with BMW AG as the manufacturer, and the U.S. recall filings for MINI are made by BMW of North America. Car and Driver also notes that the current Countryman S uses a 241-hp turbo four lifted from the BMW X1. So the family tie is real, and our BMW VIN decoder is worth a look if you are weighing a Countryman against an X1. The WMI still matters, though. WMW covered the Hardtop, the Clubman and a 2012 Countryman built in Graz. WMZ covered the 2018 Countryman built in the Netherlands. A "2018 Countryman" whose VIN starts WMW deserves a second look at the paperwork.

Positions 4-8: model and engine, where the S shows up

This block is where a fake Cooper S gets caught. A 2016 Hardtop starting WMWXP5C5 decoded as a Cooper with a 1.5-liter three-cylinder. A 2019 Hardtop starting WMWXU1C5 was also a Cooper with the 1.5 three. A 2020 Hardtop starting WMWXR5C0 decoded as a Cooper S with a 2.0-liter four, and a 2013 Hardtop starting WMWSV3C5 was a Cooper S with the older 1.6. On the Countryman, a 2018 pattern starting WMZYT3C3 came back as a front-drive Cooper S with the 2.0, while WMZYV5C3 came back as a Cooper ALL4 with the 1.5 three and all-wheel drive. A 2022 pattern starting WMW13DJ0 decoded as the Cooper SE, a battery electric hardtop.

So if a listing says "Countryman S ALL4" and vPIC returns a three-cylinder Cooper ALL4, you have a pricing conversation to have. Look, badges are cheap online. The VIN is not. One weak spot: our guess at a 2024 Countryman pattern returned no detail at all, so for the newest cars check the door-jamb label and the window sticker if the decoder comes back empty.

Positions 9-11: check digit, year and plant

Position 9 is the check digit defined in 49 CFR 565.15. It catches typos; a cloned VIN copied off a real car still passes. Position 10 is the model year: C was 2012, D was 2013, G was 2016, H was 2017, J was 2018, K was 2019, L was 2020 and N was 2022 in our runs. Position 11 is the plant. T on the 2013 car and 2 on the 2016-2022 cars both decoded to Oxford. W decoded to Graz on the 2012 Countryman, and 3 decoded to the Netherlands on the 2018 Countryman. vPIC spells that last city oddly ("BOM"), so lean on the country, not the town name.

Recalls to run on a used MINI

Run the full VIN; MINI campaigns are often narrow build-date windows, so two cars of the same year can differ. A few we confirmed in NHTSA filings this week. Recall 15V-628 covers about 6,100 2014-2016 Cooper and Cooper S hardtops (plus some BMW i3s) whose passenger front air bag may not deploy properly in a low-speed crash; dealers replace the module. Recall 16V-553 covers about 7,800 2016-2017 Clubmans built from August 2015 to July 2016 whose front side curtain air bags need modified covers. Recall 18V-557 covers about 10,000 2017-2019 Countrymans that may be missing a crash protection plate near the high-pressure fuel pump, which raises fuel-leak risk in a crash.

Newer cars are not immune. Recall 25V-616 covers about 1,600 2025-2026 BMW and MINI models, including the Cooper and Countryman, whose front seat belt retractors may have been damaged in production. Air bag and fuel campaigns are walk-away items until you see a repair order with the VIN on it. Our post on checking recalls by VIN walks through the lookup.

History and what the report costs

Car and Driver's Cooper page notes the hardtop was redesigned for 2025, so a 2024 and a 2025 are different generations. The VIN will not tell you about flood titles, odometer gaps or insurance claims. Those come from DMV, insurer and shop records, which CARFAX describes as its sources. Pull the report yourself. Seller PDFs get edited, and a cropped title section is an easy way to hide a brand. If you are buying from a lot, our dealer buying checklist covers the paperwork. 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.

Sources

• NHTSA vPIC VIN Decoder
• 49 CFR 565.15 VIN requirements
• NHTSA: BMW/MINI recall report 15V-628 (passenger air bag)
• NHTSA: BMW/MINI recall report 16V-553 (Clubman curtain air bags)
• NHTSA: BMW/MINI recall report 18V-557 (Countryman fuel pump plate)
• Car and Driver: MINI Cooper
• Car and Driver: MINI Countryman
• CARFAX: Vehicle History Reports