VinFast VIN Decoder: Reading a VF 8 or VF 9 VIN Position by Position

A US-market VinFast VIN starts with RLL, the manufacturer code NHTSA's vPIC database assigns to VinFast Trading and Production Joint Stock Company in Vietnam. In our October 15, 2026 decodes, a fifth character of 1 meant VF 8 and 2 meant VF 9, the tenth character gave the model year (P for 2023, R for 2024), and the eleventh, H, pointed to the Cat Hai plant in Haiphong. Here is how to read the rest, and where vPIC and VinFast's own spec sheet disagree.

Everything below comes from NHTSA's free vPIC API, which we ran this morning against one publicly posted VF 8 VIN and a set of partial patterns where we changed one character at a time. That method has limits. vPIC only knows what VinFast filed with NHTSA, and a few positions came back as "unable to provide information," so we only describe what actually decoded.

Positions 1-3: the WMI

The vPIC WMI lookup for VinFast returns a single code, RLL, country Vietnam, vehicle type multipurpose passenger vehicle, added November 30, 2021. Under 49 CFR 565.15, those first three characters identify the maker and vehicle type. So if a "VinFast" in front of you starts with anything else, ask where it was originally sold before you go further. A car built for Vietnam or Canada can still be legitimate, but the US recall and warranty paperwork may not line up with it. If VIN structure is new to you, our how to decode a VIN guide covers the basics.

Positions 4-8: model, drive, power

Federal rules let the maker pick what these five characters mean, as long as NHTSA can decode them, and for an MPV that has to include body, engine type, GVWR and restraints. The rule also says position 7 must be a letter on vehicles like these. This is what vPIC returned for VinFast:

• Position 4: V on every pattern that decoded. Changing it made the model drop out entirely.
• Position 5: 1 decoded as VF 8 (Series 8). 2 decoded as VF 9 (Series 9), with "3 rows" in the restraint field.
• Position 6: on the VF 8, A decoded as all-wheel drive and B as front-wheel drive. Our VF 9 pattern used C and decoded as AWD.
• Position 7: F on the VF 8 patterns and J on the VF 9, both letters as the rule requires.
• Position 8: on the VF 8, A returned 300 kW, B 260 kW, C 150 kW and D 130 kW. The VF 9 pattern with A also returned 300 kW.

The power codes line up with VinFast's US VF 8 page, which lists 349 hp / 260 kW and 402 hp / 300 kW versions, both shown as "Motor x 2." The 150 and 130 kW codes are in vPIC but not on that US spec page, so we would treat them as a reason to ask questions. One odd mismatch: vPIC fills the EV drive unit field with "Single Motor" even on AWD patterns, while VinFast's spec page says two motors. Trust the window sticker or VinFast over that one vPIC field.

Position 9: check digit

Position 9 is a math check on the other 16 characters. Our sample, RLLV1AFA5PH003390, came back from the vPIC decode as "VIN decoded clean. Check Digit (9th position) is correct": a 2023 VinFast VF 8, AWD, battery electric, 300 kW, GVWR Class 2E (6,001 to 7,000 pounds), built in Cat Hai Town, Haiphong, Vietnam. A correct check digit only means the VIN is internally consistent. A cloned VIN copied off a real car passes too.

Positions 10-17: year, plant, serial

Holding everything else steady and changing position 10, vPIC returned N for 2022, P for 2023, R for 2024, S for 2025 and T for 2026. The 2022 pattern is a small surprise. It decoded with series "VFe35" and trim "Plus 35," which looks like the VF 8's earlier name. We kept H in position 11 throughout, and it decoded to the Dinh Vu - Cat Hai Economic Zone plant. Positions 12 through 17 are the production serial; our sample's was 003390.

Our VF 9 example is a partial pattern, RLLV2CJA*RH, decoded as a 2024 VF 9, AWD, 300 kW, GVWR Class 2F (7,001 to 8,000 pounds), same plant. That weight class difference is a quick sanity check when a listing mixes up the two.

What the decode does not tell you

Decoding confirms what the car is supposed to be. It says nothing about open recalls, accidents or battery health. Run the same VIN through our VinFast recall check by VIN walkthrough, and read our notes on EV battery health and CARFAX before you trust a range estimate. CARFAX says its reports draw on title, odometer, accident and service records. As of mid October 2026, a CARFAX report through CarVins runs about $5.50 as a guest or $4.50 as a member, and a CARFAX plus AutoCheck bundle about $6.75, against roughly $39.99 to $44.99 retail. Confirm at checkout. We are a licensed reseller, not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck, or Experian. If a seller sends a screenshot of a decode instead of the VIN itself, run it yourself.

Sources

• NHTSA vPIC: WMIs for VinFast
• NHTSA vPIC: decode of a 2023 VF 8 VIN
• eCFR: 49 CFR 565.15 VIN content
• VinFast US: VF 8
• CARFAX: Vehicle History Reports