FORCAR
Go Pro
VIN

Decoding VIN…

Reading VIN 3VW217AU4GM035015 live from the NHTSA database…

Decoded · NHTSA vPIC · VIN 3VW217AU4GM035015 · Checked Aug 20, 2026
…
Year
…
Horsepower
…
Recalls
…
MPG
…
NHTSA
Save this as a full VIN report (PDF) Specs, recalls, complaints & value — one clean, shareable file.
PROGet the PDF report

Full VIN decode

Everything NHTSA's vPIC database knows about this exact vehicle:

Decoding from NHTSA…

Vehicle history — accidents, title & owners

The decode above is what this vehicle is. For what it's been through — accidents, title brands, odometer, theft/total-loss and previous owners — pull a full history report.

Full vehicle history report

What has this car been through?

  • Accidents & damage
  • Title brands — salvage, flood, lemon
  • Odometer rollback check
  • Theft & total-loss records
  • Previous owners & usage
  • Open liens
Get the full report →

ForCar's decode, recalls, safety & MPG are always free.

What's this worth?

Market value for this exact year, from real US listings — free.

Estimated market value
$—
PROUnlock exact value →
$—Trade-in $—Dealer
Full value breakdown →
No market data for that exact year yet — our listings are still building.

This VIN, character by character

How 3VW217AU4GM035015 breaks down:

Open recalls …

Checking recalls…

ForCar Reliability Score

Scoring…

Complaints on this exact build 2

NHTSA publishes the first 11 characters of the VIN with every complaint — that identifies the plant, model year, body and engine. So these are reports from cars built exactly like this one, not an average across the whole model.

3VW217AU4GM•••••• 2016 Volkswagen GOLF

That is about average for the 2016 Volkswagen GOLF — 2 complaints per build across 44 builds.

2on this build
81on the model
44builds in total
Most reported Structure 1 Fuel/propulsion System 1

What owners of this build wrote

Fuel/propulsion System Apr 2025
I was driving my vehicle on the highway when a driver stopped me and warned me that my vehicle was leaking a huge amount of gasoline. I had a technician inspect the car to see if it might be a fuel line, the technician told me the fuel.lines were good and there were no signs of…
Structure Apr 2019
Sunroof frame leaks water into the car. The water drips on to the center console hardware/electronics and hardware/electronics located on the windshield. The leak is a known defect for vw golf 2016, as vw previously sent out a recall for the sunroof frame. The leak occurs after…

Owner complaints …

Now the whole model — all 44 builds of it, not just this build. Same NHTSA reports, wider net:

Loading owner complaints…

Upgrade to Pro

You know what it is. Find out what it's worth.

  • Exact value for this VIN, adjusted for mileage
  • The original window sticker and factory options
  • Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
  • Decode a whole list of VINs at once
  • No ads, no tracking — and much more
See plans → Start free →
Free plan available — no credit card needed
Save this as a full VIN report (PDF) Specs, recalls, complaints & value — one clean, shareable file.
PROGet the PDF report

More free ForCar tools

A VIN opens the door — here's the whole map. Every decoder, calculator and ranking runs free on official NHTSA & EPA data:

VIN CheckHistory, title brands & theft records→ License Plate LookupPlate to VIN by state→ Browse by BrandEvery make, recalls & reliability→ Best MPG CarsMost fuel-efficient cars, ranked by class & budget→ MPG & Fuel-Cost CalculatorReal yearly fuel cost for any car→ Depreciation CalculatorHow fast a model loses value→ Car Insurance CostEstimate premium by car & state→ Safest CarsTop NHTSA crash-test scores→
Decoded via NHTSA vPIC. Recalls, complaints and safety from NHTSA; MPG from EPA fueleconomy.gov. Full history reports from our partner. VIN 3VW217AU4GM035015 · decoded Aug 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.