A Dodge Dakota VIN opens with 1B7 (the United States). Position 11, the plant, shows 8 codes, most often S (92%); a 2012 Dakota carries C in position 10. Decoding one also brings up 58 recall campaigns and 5,126 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 Dodge Dakota VIN
Here is a real 2010 Dodge Dakota VIN from our database, split into its parts:
VIN 1D7RW3BP3AS223405 — 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. |
Where Dodge Dakota VINs say the car was built
The first three characters are the World Manufacturer Identifier. Across 77 Dodge Dakota VINs we have on file, these are the codes that actually show up — and the plants behind them:
| WMI | Built in | Vehicle type | VINs on file | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B7 | United States | — | 38 | |
| 1D7 | United States | — | 38 | |
| 1D3 | United States | — | 1 |
Country and vehicle type come from the NHTSA manufacturer registry. Share is measured across VINs decoded on ForCar, not production volume.
Model-year codes for the Dodge Dakota
Position 10 carries the model year, skipping I, O, Q, U and Z. The alphabet comes round every 30 years, which the Dodge Dakota has not yet outlived: its 26 years still map one-to-one. All 26 model years of the Dodge Dakota, 1987 to 2012, with the character each one carries:
| Model year | VIN character (position 10) | Same character as |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | C | — |
| 2011 | B | — |
| 2010 | A | — |
| 2009 | 9 | — |
| 2008 | 8 | — |
| 2007 | 7 | — |
| 2006 | 6 | — |
| 2005 | 5 | — |
| 2004 | 4 | — |
| 2003 | 3 | — |
| 2002 | 2 | — |
| 2001 | 1 | — |
| 2000 | Y | — |
| 1999 | X | — |
| 1998 | W | — |
| 1997 | V | — |
| 1996 | T | — |
| 1995 | S | — |
| 1994 | R | — |
| 1993 | P | — |
| 1992 | N | — |
| 1991 | M | — |
| 1990 | L | — |
| 1989 | K | — |
| 1988 | J | — |
| 1987 | H | — |
Body and engine characters we see on Dodge Dakota VINs
Positions 4–8 are the maker's own build code. Across 77 VINs the Dodge Dakota uses 15 different characters in positions 4, 5 and 8:
| Position | Characters seen on real VINs | Variety |
|---|---|---|
| 4 — body | H (52%) · G (35%) · F (12%) · R (1%) | 4 distinct |
| 5 — series | G (32%) · L (31%) · W (22%) · E (13%) · R (1%) | 5 distinct |
| 8 — engine | N (44%) · X (22%) · K (18%) · Y (10%) · P (3%) · M (1%) | 6 distinct |
What a decoded Dodge Dakota VIN gets you
Behind a Dodge Dakota VIN: 5,126 owner complaints and every recall campaign NHTSA has on record:
| Data | For this model | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Recall campaigns | 58 campaigns | NHTSA |
| Owner complaints | 5,126 filed | NHTSA |
| Fuel economy | 17 mpg combined (avg) | EPA |
| Model years covered | 26 years | ForCar catalog |
Where to find the VIN on a Dodge Dakota
A Dodge Dakota VIN normally opens with 1B7; 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 Dodge Dakota VIN decoder free?
Yes, with no account. Besides the year, plant and build characters it shows 58 recall campaigns and 5,126 owner complaints NHTSA holds on the Dodge Dakota.
What year is my Dakota by its VIN?
Read position 10: a 2012 Dakota carries C, a 2011 Dakota carries B, a 2010 Dakota carries A.
Where was my Dakota built?
Position 11 names the plant. Across 5,061 dated Dodge Dakota VINs it reads S 92%, 5 4%, W 3%, F 1% and 4 rarer codes.
What does position 4 mean on a Dodge Dakota VIN?
It is part of the maker's own build code, so read it against this model, not a generic chart. On 77 Dodge Dakota VINs here, H is the most common character in position 4, on 52% of them.
Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.