Most Land Rover LR3 VINs open with SAL (the United Kingdom, 2005–2009). Position 11, the plant, reads A; a 2009 LR3 carries 9 in position 10. Decoding one also brings up 7 recall campaigns and 144 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 Land Rover LR3 VIN
Here is a real 2008 Land Rover LR3 VIN from our database, split into its parts:
VIN SALAE25458A444549 — 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. |
Land Rover LR3 VIN prefixes, and when each one was used
Every Land Rover LR3 we have on record, from 2005 to 2009, opens with the same three characters, SAL:
| VIN starts with | Years seen | Built in | Vehicle type | VINs on record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAL | 2005–2009 | United Kingdom | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
Counted from 143 dated Land Rover LR3 VINs attached to NHTSA complaints, each code checked against the NHTSA manufacturer registry.
Model-year codes for the Land Rover LR3
Position 10 carries the model year, skipping I, O, Q, U and Z. The alphabet comes round every 30 years, which the Land Rover LR3 has not yet outlived: its 5 years still map one-to-one. All 5 model years of the Land Rover LR3, 2005 to 2009, with the character each one carries:
| Model year | VIN character (position 10) | Same character as |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 9 | — |
| 2008 | 8 | — |
| 2007 | 7 | — |
| 2006 | 6 | — |
| 2005 | 5 | — |
Body and engine characters we see on Land Rover LR3 VINs
Positions 4–8 are the maker's own build code. Across 6 VINs the Land Rover LR3 uses 4 different characters in positions 4, 5 and 8:
| Position | Characters seen on real VINs | Variety |
|---|---|---|
| 4 — body | A (100%) | 1 distinct |
| 5 — series | E (83%) · G (17%) | 2 distinct |
| 8 — engine | 4 (100%) | 1 distinct |
What a decoded Land Rover LR3 VIN gets you
Behind a Land Rover LR3 VIN: 144 owner complaints and every recall campaign NHTSA has on record:
| Data | For this model | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Recall campaigns | 7 campaigns | NHTSA |
| Owner complaints | 144 filed | NHTSA |
| Fuel economy | 14 mpg combined (avg) | EPA |
| Model years covered | 5 years | ForCar catalog |
Where to find the VIN on a Land Rover LR3
A Land Rover LR3 VIN normally opens with SAL; 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 Land Rover LR3 VIN decoder free?
Yes, with no account. Besides the year, plant and build characters it shows 7 recall campaigns and 144 owner complaints NHTSA holds on the Land Rover LR3.
What year is my LR3 by its VIN?
Read position 10: a 2009 LR3 carries 9, a 2008 LR3 carries 8, a 2007 LR3 carries 7.
Where was my LR3 built?
Position 11 names the plant. Across 144 dated Land Rover LR3 VINs it reads A 97%.
What does position 4 mean on a Land Rover LR3 VIN?
It is part of the maker's own build code, so read it against this model, not a generic chart. On 6 Land Rover LR3 VINs here, A is the most common character in position 4, on 100% of them.
What if the VIN on the dashboard doesn't match the door jamb?
On a Land Rover LR3 check the prefix first: most genuine ones open with SAL. 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.