Most BMW M440i VINs open with WBA (Germany, 2021–2025). Position 11, the plant, shows 2 codes, most often C (83%); a 2026 M440i carries T in position 10. Decoding one also brings up 7 recall campaigns and 6 owner complaints from NHTSA.
Got a VIN from another make? The free VIN decoder reads any 17-character VIN, whatever built it.
How to read a BMW M440i VIN
Here is a real 2027 BMW M440i VIN from our database, split into its parts:
VIN WBA73DB04VCY19252 — decoded free on its own report page.
| Position | Section | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | WMI | World Manufacturer Identifier — country, manufacturer and vehicle type. |
| 4–8 | VDS | Vehicle Descriptor Section — body style, engine, restraint system, series. |
| 9 | Check digit | A calculated digit that validates the whole VIN. Wrong digit = wrong VIN. |
| 10 | Model year | One character for the model year. Letters skip I, O, Q, U and Z. |
| 11 | Plant | The assembly plant that built the car. |
| 12–17 | Serial | Sequential production number of this exact vehicle. |
BMW M440i VIN prefixes, and when each one was used
Every BMW M440i we have on record, from 2021 to 2025, opens with the same three characters, WBA:
| VIN starts with | Years seen | Built in | Vehicle type | VINs on record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBA | 2021–2025 | Germany | Passenger Car |
Position 11 names the plant. On the BMW M440i it is not one number either — assembly moved between 2 of them over the years:
| Plant code | Years active | VINs on record | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 2021–2021 | 5 | |
| F | 2025–2025 | 1 |
Counted from 6 dated BMW M440i VINs attached to NHTSA complaints, each code checked against the NHTSA manufacturer registry.
Model-year codes for the BMW M440i
Position 10 carries the model year, skipping I, O, Q, U and Z. The alphabet comes round every 30 years, which the BMW M440i has not yet outlived: its 6 years still map one-to-one. All 6 model years of the BMW M440i, 2021 to 2026, with the character each one carries:
| Model year | VIN character (position 10) | Same character as |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | T | — |
| 2025 | S | — |
| 2024 | R | — |
| 2023 | P | — |
| 2022 | N | — |
| 2021 | M | — |
Body and engine characters we see on BMW M440i VINs
Positions 4–8 are the maker's own build code. Across 55 VINs the BMW M440i uses 7 different characters in positions 4, 5 and 8:
| Position | Characters seen on real VINs | Variety |
|---|---|---|
| 4 — body | 1 (51%) · 5 (18%) · 6 (15%) · 8 (11%) · 7 (5%) | 5 distinct |
| 5 — series | 3 (100%) | 1 distinct |
| 8 — engine | 0 (100%) | 1 distinct |
What a decoded BMW M440i VIN gets you
Behind a BMW M440i VIN: 6 owner complaints and every recall campaign NHTSA has on record:
| Data | For this model | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Recall campaigns | 7 campaigns | NHTSA |
| Owner complaints | 6 filed | NHTSA |
| Fuel economy | 28 mpg combined (avg) | EPA |
| Model years covered | 6 years | ForCar catalog |
Where to find the VIN on a BMW M440i
A BMW M440i VIN normally opens with WBA; the full number sits in four places, and all four must match.
| Where | How to see it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Dashboard, driver side | Through the windshield, bottom corner | Easiest to check before you touch anything |
| Driver door jamb | Open the door, sticker on the pillar | Also lists tire pressures and build date |
| Under the hood | Firewall or strut tower plate | Survives a windshield replacement |
| Title and insurance | Paper documents | Must match the car — a mismatch means fraud or a swapped panel |
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
Frequently asked questions
Is this BMW M440i VIN decoder free?
Yes, with no account. Besides the year, plant and build characters it shows 7 recall campaigns and 6 owner complaints NHTSA holds on the BMW M440i.
What year is my M440i by its VIN?
Read position 10: a 2026 M440i carries T, a 2025 M440i carries S, a 2024 M440i carries R.
Where was my M440i built?
Position 11 names the plant. Across 6 dated BMW M440i VINs it reads C 83%, F 17%.
What does position 4 mean on a BMW M440i VIN?
It is part of the maker's own build code, so read it against this model, not a generic chart. On 55 BMW M440i VINs here, 1 is the most common character in position 4, on 51% of them.
What if the VIN on the dashboard doesn't match the door jamb?
On a BMW M440i check the prefix first: most genuine ones open with WBA. A plate that starts with anything else, or disagrees with the other copies of the number, needs documents checked before any money changes hands.
Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.