Bentley VIN Decoder & VIN Check — Models, Recalls, Specs, MPG & Safety
“Driven by Dreams”
Bentley Motors Limited is a British luxury automaker headquartered in Crewe, England, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen Group through Audi AG. Founded by W.O. Bentley in 1919, Bentley won the 24 Hours of Le Mans five times in the 1920s, was acquired by Rolls-Royce in 1931, and was sold to Volkswagen Group in 1998 in a transaction that gave VW the Bentley factory and brand while BMW received Rolls-Royce.
Bentley's modern lineup centers on the Continental GT grand tourer (since 2003), the Flying Spur sport sedan, the Bentayga SUV (the brand's first SUV, launched 2016) and the Mulsanne (discontinued 2020 but historically the brand's flagship). Bentley produces approximately 14,000-15,000 hand-finished vehicles per year, all built in Crewe by craftspeople who hand-stitch leather upholstery in patterns named after British landscapes.
Bentley's parent Volkswagen Group trades on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange as VOW3. Recall data for every Bentley VIN sold in the US is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org decodes any Bentley VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original delivery price.
Bentley at a glance
- Founded
- 1919
- Founder
- Walter Owen (W.O.) Bentley
- Headquarters
- Crewe, England, UK
- Parent
- Volkswagen Group (since 1998)
- Le Mans wins
- 5 (1924-1930) + 2003
- Iconic model
- Continental GT (since 2003)
- First SUV
- Bentayga (2016)
- Annual production
- ~14,000-15,000 vehicles
- Basic warranty
- 3 years / unlimited miles
- Powertrain warranty
- 3 years / unlimited miles
Decode any Bentley VIN
Enter a 17-character VIN below to retrieve the trim, factory options, original window-sticker MSRP and any open NHTSA recall affecting that specific vehicle. ForCar.org pulls the same dataset that Bentley dealers use to notify owners of safety recalls.
VIN Decoder
Signature Bentley technology
Bentley heritage
W.O. Bentley founded Bentley Motors in 1919 with a focus on motorsport — the Bentley Boys Le Mans victories in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930 established the brand's reputation. Financial struggles forced sale to Rolls-Royce in 1931, and Bentley operated as a Rolls-Royce sub-brand for 67 years. Volkswagen acquired the company and the Crewe factory in 1998, while BMW separately acquired the Rolls-Royce name. The 2003 Continental GT, the first independent Bentley product since 1931, redefined the modern grand tourer.
Market position
Bentley competes in the ultra-luxury segment against Rolls-Royce (its former parent and now corporate sibling under different ownership), Mercedes-Maybach, Aston Martin and (for the Bentayga SUV) Lamborghini Urus and Range Rover SVAutobiography. Bentley positions on craftsmanship and performance simultaneously — Continental GT Speed and Flying Spur Speed compete with sports sedans on track times while delivering hand-built interiors that take 100+ hours per car to complete.
New-vehicle warranty
BENTLEY VIN Decoder — Free VIN Check Video Guide
Watch our quick BENTLEY VIN decoder walkthrough. Learn how to decode any BENTLEY VIN number to get full vehicle history, recall alerts, specifications, fuel economy (MPG), safety ratings, and known problems — completely free on ForCar.org.
All Bentley models (15)
Frequently asked questions
When was Bentley founded and by whom?
Bentley was founded in 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley and is headquartered in Crewe, United Kingdom.
Where is the VIN on a Bentley vehicle?
The 17-character VIN appears in four standard locations: dashboard at the windshield base (driver side), driver-side door jamb sticker, the engine bay (firewall or engine block stamping), and the vehicle's title, registration and insurance documents.
How many Bentley models can ForCar.org decode?
ForCar.org indexes 15 Bentley nameplates. Any 17-character Bentley VIN is decoded against the NHTSA dataset to return trim, factory options, open recalls and original window-sticker MSRP.
What is the Bentley warranty?
Basic: 3 years / unlimited miles. Powertrain: 3 years / unlimited miles.
How to check Bentley recalls by VIN?
Enter your VIN in the decoder above. ForCar.org queries NHTSA's open-recall dataset for that specific VIN and returns any safety recalls or Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) that affect your vehicle.
Disambiguation: This page covers Bentley Motors Limited, the Volkswagen Group brand — not the W.O. Bentley engineering company (a separate post-1935 venture) or any unrelated Bentley surname uses.
← All brands