Engine Number Check: Find the Engine Number and Engine Code by Reg or VIN

Our engine number check works by reg or VIN: enter the car's registration in the search box above, or choose "VIN / Chassis No." and enter the 17-character VIN. The free check shows the engine size in cc from the DVLA record straight away. The full report shows the engine number held for the car and the engine description, which for many makes includes the manufacturer's engine code (for example N47D20 on a BMW, OM651 on a Mercedes or G4FJ on a Hyundai), and a separate engine type code where one is recorded. On the car itself, the engine number is stamped on the engine block, and it is printed on the V5C log book.

How to find my engine number or engine code by reg or VIN

1. Enter the registration in the box at the top of this page. If you only have the VIN (chassis number), choose "VIN / Chassis No." and type the 17 characters.
2. Check it's the right car with the free check: make, model, colour, year and engine size.
3. Open the full report for the engine number, the engine description and any engine type code on record, with the car's full specification.
4. Compare the engine number with the number stamped on the engine and the one on the V5C log book. All three should match.

What our engine number check shows

Of the 4,438 cars our customers checked with a full report between March 2023 and October 2026, the engine number was on record for 97.9%, the engine description for 89.6% and a separate engine type code for 54.9%.

Source: CarCheckUp full reports, March 2023 to October 2026, one report per car, vehicle data from Experian and DVLA. These are cars people chose to check, not every car on UK roads, and what is recorded varies by make, age and vehicle type.

Engine number by VIN: what the VIN can and can't tell you

You can't work out the engine number from the VIN, but you can find it with the VIN. The VIN identifies the car and the engine number identifies the engine: they are two separate numbers, and no part of the VIN contains the engine number. Enter the VIN in the box above (choose "VIN / Chassis No."): we find the car's UK registration from its DVSA record and run the same check, and the full report shows the engine number held for that car. This works for vehicles registered in the UK; if a VIN isn't found, search by the registration instead.

Characters 4 to 8 of a VIN, the vehicle descriptor section, carry the manufacturer's own codes for the model, body, engine and trim. On some makes one of those characters marks the engine type, but every manufacturer uses its own scheme and few publish it, so there is no single rule for reading an engine code from a VIN. Our VIN decoder reads the maker, country, model year where the VIN records it, the factory where it can be identified and the serial number, and names the model from characters 4 to 8 when we have seen that code on UK vehicles we've checked. It shows the descriptor characters as they are rather than guessing an engine. A franchised dealer for the make can look up the car's build data, including the engine, from the VIN.

Can I find a car by its engine number?

No, there is no public lookup from an engine number to a car. DVLA's free online vehicle enquiry works from the registration, not the engine number. Our check, like other UK car checks, searches by registration or VIN, not by engine number. What you can do instead:

• Start from the car: use its registration (on the number plate and the V5C) or its VIN (on the windscreen, the door pillar and section E of the V5C), and the full report shows the engine number held for it.
• Check an engine number matches a car: compare the number stamped on the engine with the V5C log book and the engine number in the full report. If they match, the engine is the one recorded for that registration.
• A loose or second-hand engine: ask the seller for the donor car's registration or VIN and check that car, including whether it was written off or recorded as stolen. If you think an engine or car is stolen, report it to the police on 101.

What engine code is my car?

The engine code is the manufacturer's name for the engine design. The same model is often sold with several engines, and each has its own code. Mechanics and parts suppliers use it to identify the right parts, oil and timing belt kits, because two cars with the same badge and engine size can have different engines. Enter the registration above: the full report shows the engine description and, where recorded, the engine type code. You can also find the code on the car itself or in its paperwork (see below).

The full report also lists the car's power, torque, fuel economy and dimensions. To find out what engine is in your car with its full specification, see our car spec check; for the engine size alone, see the engine size check. The sample full report shows the layout.

Engine code, engine number and VIN: the difference

On many makes the engine number starts with the engine code, so the number on the block tells you both. Read more about the VIN in our VIN check and our guide to where to find the VIN on a car.

Where is the engine number on my car?

The engine number is stamped into the engine block, usually on a flat, machined area. Its exact place depends on the engine, and it can differ between models of the same make, so treat these as places to look first:

• Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT and Skoda: on many engines it is stamped on the block near the joint between the engine and the gearbox. The number begins with the three or four letter engine code (such as CAYC), followed by a serial number.
• Toyota and Honda: stamped on the block, usually as the engine model (for example 1ZZ or R18A) followed by the serial number.
• Mercedes-Benz: stamped on the crankcase. The first digits give the engine type, for example 651 for the OM651 diesel.
• BMW, MINI, Ford, Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroën, Renault and others: the place varies by engine. Look for a machined pad on the block, often towards the gearbox end, or a label on the engine.

You may need a torch and a cloth to wipe away dirt. The car's handbook, or a franchised dealer for the make, can tell you exactly where the number is on your engine. If you can't reach it, the V5C log book and the full report both show the engine number on record.

Is the engine number on the V5C log book?

Yes. The V5C log book shows the engine number in its vehicle details, along with the engine size in cc and the VIN. GOV.UK's checks when buying a used car tell you to check the VIN and engine number and make sure they match the log book. The V5C doesn't show the manufacturer's engine code. If the engine is changed, the keeper must update the V5C with DVLA, so a replacement engine should show on the log book. DVLA's free online vehicle enquiry shows the engine size but not the engine number.

Where else to find the engine code

• Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT and Skoda: the vehicle data sticker, usually in the boot near the spare wheel well and often copied into the service book, lists the engine code with the gearbox and paint codes.
• The service book and invoices: garages often write the engine code on service records and parts invoices.
• The engine description: for many makes, such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan and Peugeot, the engine description in the full report includes the manufacturer's code.

Engine number verification: why check it matches before you buy

• It proves the engine belongs to the car. The engine number on the block should match the V5C and the number held on record. If it doesn't, ask why before you pay.
• Engine swaps must be recorded. If an engine is replaced, the keeper should tell DVLA so the log book shows the new engine number, and the insurer should be told too.
• Stolen engines and cloned cars. A mismatched engine number, or a number that looks filed or re-stamped, can be a sign of stolen parts or a cloned car. Check the car's stolen record too.
• The right parts first time. Ordering parts by engine code avoids buying the wrong part for a car whose model was sold with several engines.

An engine check or a full car history check?

The engine number tells you the engine matches the car. A full car history check also tells you what has happened to the car: whether there is finance still owed, whether it has been written off or stolen, how many previous keepers it has had and whether its mileage adds up. The full report includes the engine number, the engine description and all of those checks in one report.

Engine number and engine code FAQs

Can I find my engine code by reg for free?
The free check shows the engine size in cc. The engine number and engine code are in the full report. For free, you can look on the engine, in the service book, or on the V5C, which lists the engine number.

Can I find the engine number from the VIN?
Not from the VIN's characters: the engine number is a separate number and isn't part of the VIN. Enter the VIN in the box above instead: we find the UK registration from the DVSA record, and the full report shows the engine number on record.

Can I search for a vehicle by its engine number?
No. There is no public search from an engine number to a registration or keeper: DVLA's free vehicle enquiry needs the registration. Search by the registration or VIN instead, then check the engine number in the full report matches the one on the engine.

Is the engine number the same as the engine code?
No. The engine code identifies the engine type, which many cars share. The engine number identifies that one engine. On some makes the engine number begins with the engine code.

Is the motor number the same as the engine number?
Yes. Motor number is another name for the engine number, the serial number stamped on the engine.

Where is the engine number on the V5C?
In the vehicle details section of the V5C log book, with the engine size and the VIN. The V5C shows the engine number, not the manufacturer's engine code.

Can I check an engine number with the DVLA?
DVLA's free online vehicle enquiry shows the engine size, not the engine number. The engine number is on the V5C log book, and the full report shows the number held on record.

What if the engine number doesn't match the V5C?
Don't buy the car until the seller explains it. A replacement engine is legal if it was declared to DVLA and the insurer, and the seller should have the paperwork. A number that looks tampered with is a reason to walk away.

Can I check the engine number of a van or motorbike?
Yes. Enter the registration of any UK car, van or motorbike. How much engine data is recorded varies by vehicle.