The Volkswagen Factory Plate is a small but important feature of every Volkswagen vehicle, providing valuable information about the car’s history and specifications. By understanding the significance of the Factory Plate and knowing how to identify a genuine plate, car buyers and collectors can ensure that they are purchasing an authentic and high-quality Volkswagen vehicle.
What is The Volkswagen Factory Plate?
The Volkswagen Factory Plate is a metal plate that is attached to the body of every Volkswagen vehicle. It contains important information about the car’s specifications and production details, including the car’s model, year of manufacture, body type, engine type, transmission, and other important specifications.
The Factory Plate also contains information about the factory where the car was manufactured, which can be helpful for car enthusiasts who are interested in the history and origins of their Volkswagen vehicle. The Factory Plate is a unique identifier that distinguishes one Volkswagen vehicle from another and is an important feature for car owners and mechanics who need to know the exact specifications of the car for proper maintenance and repair.
Volkswagen Factory Plate Location
Possible locations
1. On the upper side of the right suspension strut dome, for example, Passat (3B)
2. On the subframe, right of the middle, for example, Lupo
3. On the radiator yoke, on the right, for example Golf III, LT
4. On the radiator yoke, on the left, for example, volkswagen Polo (6N)
5. On the front side of the right suspension strut dome, for example, Golf IV, Fox, Polo 9N
Touran, Sharan (old), Polo 6R, Caddy III, Golf V/VI, Golf V/VI Plus, Golf V/VI Variant, Jetta 1K, Eos, Passat (3C), Scirocco, Tiguan, Touareg (7P) and volkswagen Amarok:
The Volkswagen factory plate is stuck to the left B-spar. Depending on the model, it is attached to the front side of the B-pillar or underneath the edge plate of the door.
Older vehicles exported to Austria do not normally have a type plate as they are not mandatory in Austria. For reasons of simplicity during production however, some vehicles exported to Austria may have factory plates..
Composition of the Volkswagen Factory Plate (old version)
Type plate of the 1960s and 1970s
Factory plate of the 1980s and 1990s
Length: 89 mm
Width: 44 mm
The plates consist of blackened or browned aluminium, with the lettering ‘burned on’ by laser.
Replacement plates are exclusively manufactured at the Hanover plant, using a laser.
Some vw type plates have been produced which used a different typography from the examples shown above. In this case, the figure “3” was round at the top and did not have sharp corners. There was an upstroke on the figure “7” on the left.
- Volkswagen VIN Number
- Tear-off edge: On each genuine type plate in the ‘raw state’ there is a small plate on the right (see No 7 for an explanation), on which the key number is engraved. This small plate is broken off before it is installed, producing a sharp edge.
- Notch: Every genuine volkswagen type plate has a notch in its bottom edge (approx. 0.5 – 1 mm deep).
- Production line number: The small, one digit number must always be present. It may, however, be partly hidden.
- 7-digit production identification number. See point 3 for further details.
- Sort number: The sort number has four characters. It may be missing from genuine plates, but this is seldom the case.
- Key tag: (see also No. 2).
VW Sharan Factory plate
The factory plate is made of adhesive metal foil. Any attempt to remove this foil destroys it.
The adhesive foil on the new model is black.
The 7-digit number on the extreme right on Sharan plates keine a production identification number (PKN) !!!!
New version of the Volkswagen Factory Plate (adhesive plate)
The type plate exists with vehicles for the European market from a black Klebefolie. This goes out of shape while departing. VW uses (partially within of the same model and model year) foils of different manufacturers, so that the so-called “fingernail test” are differently strong can.
Also become with newer models often already foils with in Sloping light visible VW logo uses, however, partially also come still purely black foils for the application.
Nevertheless, with the signs for the European market must type sign, visible VIN and the glue with the Volkswagen Factory Plate ending from the same foil kind exist, because these signs together on a foil curve gelasert become.
In VW T5 became for a short time (2003 – 2004) – a precise time containment is not right possibly – a types adhesive plate with break places (wavy lines like the carpenter’s foil in BMW). This types adhesive plate read relatively easily depart.
A 7-character production identification number is normally located on the right edge.
The 3 engine identification letters on newer vehicles are in the second, right-hand vertical row. The letters behind represent a sub-classification of the engine. The Fox is an exception. The Fox does not have any vertical entries on its type plate.
Caution: The corners of the foil plates must all have been made precisely round by laser. If not: Forgery suspicion!!!
Spare types sign:
If an original type plate or sticker has been lost or damaged, a replacement type plate can be ordered from an authorised VAG dealer. These stickers are centrally produced in Kassel on behalf of the entire VAG concern in the central spare parts organisation. They are also registered there.
This spare types sign in the PKW which begins against the norm with the number “8” is recognizable.
Factory plate for VW Passats produced in Bratislava
The identification plate below was used in VW Passats produced in Bratislava. According to information provided by VW, these are replacement factory plates, which were being used up. Although production occurred in Bratislava, the 11th character of the VIN has an “E” for Emden.
Similar plates were also used on the VW Golf (plant letter ‘W’), which was produced in Sarajevo before the war in Yugoslavia.
Volkswagen Factory plates for North America
Volkswagen Factory plates intended for use on the North American market also use silver as well as black foil (see above). The entries are also made by laser. As on the black foil, silver foil with a VW logo visible in slanting light is used on
Pursuant to US and Canadian legislation, the type plates are stuck on in the area of the driver’s door, i.e. on the B-spar.
How to Identify a Genuine Volkswagen Factory Plate?
The Volkswagen Factory Plate is an important feature of every Volkswagen vehicle, but it is also a target for counterfeiters and fraudsters. Many car buyers and collectors have been duped into purchasing fake Volkswagen Factory Plates, which can lead to legal and financial problems down the line.
Fortunately, there are ways to identify a genuine Volkswagen Factory Plate and avoid purchasing a counterfeit. One of the first things to look for is the Volkswagen logo, which should be prominently displayed on the plate. The logo should be clear and well-defined, with no smudging or blurring.
Another way to identify a genuine Volkswagen Factory Plate is to check the serial number. The serial number should be unique to each car and should match the serial number on the car’s registration documents. If the serial number on the Factory Plate does not match the car’s registration documents, it may be a fake.
Volkswagen PKN Number
The production identification number is an internal control number stamped onto the body shell before it comes to the assembly line.
This number can be used in the FADA system to trace the VIN. Enter the numbers corresponding to the assembly plant (see VIN breakdown/Point 6 Assembly plant) and the year of production (not the model year) and the PKN to obtain the VIN.
Example: PKN 35 1 5168 taken from an EOS.
Use the logical sequence to determine the date of construction – here parts of 07/2008 and 08/2008 – thus 2008 is the year of construction.
The EOS was assembled at the Setubal/Palmela works in Portugal – according to the table the internal works code is 43.
Submit: 4320083515168
The production identification number contains 7 characters broken down as follows:
e.g.: 42-5-0087
42 = Week of the year
5 = Day of the week
0087 = Serial number
Week of year:
The 1st and 2nd digits of the production identification number represent the week of the current year (not the week of the model year). Numbers higher than 52 are found on duplicate plates.
Another difference is found in specially manufactured cars. In this case, the production identification number begins with “59-0-….”.
Day of the week:
1 = Monday until 6 = Saturday
0 = (or also 8 on older versions of the Polo) exact production day not given
7 = Vehicle planned at a later stage
The year of construction cannot be deduced from the production identification number.
It can be found in a number of different places inside the vehicle:
– oon the type plate
– on the technical service sticker (see also Section 8.2/Technical service sticker for possible exceptions)
– on a separate data carrier
The production identification numbers on both data carriers inside the vehicle must be identical!