France · VIN notes & WMI codes
Citroën VIN decoder
Most Citroën VINs start with VF7 or VR7, two French codes: VF7 belongs to Automobiles Citroën, and VR7 is registered to its parent group. Citroën is part of Stellantis, formed in January 2021 when PSA merged with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The brand builds passenger cars such as the C3, C4 and C4 X, the C5 Aircross SUV, vans including the Berlingo, Jumpy and Jumper, and the small electric Ami.
Enter all 17 characters. For vehicles built for other markets, expect the maker and region rather than full specifications.
- origin: France
- no U.S. recall or complaint data (not sold there since 1995)
| Country of origin | France |
|---|---|
| Region | Europe |
| NHTSA recall and complaint data | None: not sold in the U.S. under its own name since 1995 |
| WMI codes in NHTSA vPIC | None decode to this brand |
Production is spread across Europe. The C5 Aircross is built in Rennes in France, and the current C3 in Trnava, Slovakia, and Kragujevac, Serbia. Because the international VIN standard ties the WMI to the country where the manufacturer is headquartered, a Citroën built in Slovakia or Serbia can still carry a French V-prefix code.
Citroën withdrew from North America in 1974 and has not sold cars in the United States since. As a result, this page has no NHTSA recall or complaint statistics, and our decoder, which relies on NHTSA's vPIC database, does not recognise Citroën's WMIs at all. The notes below cover what a Citroën VIN tells you on its own, where to find it and where to check recalls in Europe.
NHTSA’s vPIC database has no WMI records that decode to Citroën, so this page has no WMI table; the VIN notes below explain which codes Citroën uses.
Which WMI codes appear on Citroën VINs?
NHTSA's vPIC database has no Citroën entry, so the table uses the manufacturer list of Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), dated 15 January 2026. French government recall notices confirm the codes in use: they show VR7 on the Berlingo, C3, C4, C4 X and C5 Aircross, and VF7 on the Jumpy and Jumper.
| WMI | Manufacturer (KBA) | Country | Vehicle type |
|---|---|---|---|
| VF7 | Automobiles Citroën, Poissy | France | Not stated |
| VR7 | Stellantis Auto SAS, previously PSA Automobiles SA, Poissy | France | Not stated |
| VS7 | Citroën Hispania SA (Citroën), Madrid | Spain | Not stated |
VR7 sits in a block of group codes (VR1, VR3, VR7 and others) that KBA lists under Stellantis Auto SAS. In recall notices VR3 appears on Peugeots and VR1 on DS models, so the code narrows the brand but the rest of the VIN and the registration document confirm the model. Our WMI code guide explains how these prefixes are assigned.
Do Citroën VINs have a check digit?
Often not, at least on older cars. Until July 2022, EU rules mirrored ISO 3779, which does not require a check digit and makes a year code optional; the check digit in position 9 was a U.S. requirement under 49 CFR Part 565. EU Regulation 2021/535 changed that for vehicle types approved from 6 July 2022, and from 7 July 2026 vehicles without a valid check digit can no longer be registered in the EU. To see what real Citroën VINs look like, we tested every VIN quoted in vehicle recall notices on RappelConso, the French government recall site, published between September 2018 and August 2026:
| WMI | Distinct VINs | Pass the check digit | Letter other than X in position 9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| VF7 | 80 | 11 | 57 |
| VR7 | 46 | 28 | 17 |
A letter other than X can never be a valid North American check digit, so most VF7 VINs in these notices do not use one, and even the newer VR7 series is mixed. On a Citroën from a model line approved before July 2022, a failed check-digit test is normal. Treat any year inferred from position 10 as a hint and confirm it on the registration certificate; see the model-year code guide and the European VIN decoding guide.
Where is the VIN on a Citroën?
Citroën's handbook for the C5 Aircross gives three locations: engraved on the bodywork under the bonnet, on a label on the dashboard visible through the windscreen, and on the tamper-proof manufacturer's label on the right-hand door aperture, which also shows the European type-approval number and weights. Other models may vary, so check your handbook or our guide to where to find your VIN.
How do you check Citroën recalls?
NHTSA's recall data, which powers our recall lookup, covers vehicles sold in the United States, so it has nothing for modern Citroëns; its recall search lists Citroën only for a handful of old model years such as 1971 and 1972. For a European Citroën, use these services instead:
- France: RappelConso (rappel.conso.gouv.fr), the government recall site. Many Citroën notices there quote the first and last VIN of the affected range.
- United Kingdom: the GOV.UK service Check if a vehicle, part or accessory has been recalled, which looks cars up by registration number or by make, model and year.
- Germany: the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt recall database (Rückrufdatenbank), linked from kba.de.
- Anywhere: a Citroën dealer can check open campaigns against the full VIN.
Citroën's Stellantis sister brands include Peugeot, Opel, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge and Ram.
Can this site decode a Citroën VIN?
Only partly. Our decoder relies on NHTSA's vPIC database, which does not list VF7 or VR7. You will get the region and country from the first characters and a check-digit result, but not the model, engine or trim.
Is a Citroën VIN that fails the check-digit test fake?
Not on that evidence. Until July 2022, EU rules did not require a check digit, and in our analysis of French recall notices only 11 of 80 VF7 VINs passed the North American formula. Compare the VIN on the car with the registration document instead.
Where can I check recalls for my Citroën?
Use RappelConso in France, the GOV.UK recall checker in the UK, the KBA recall database in Germany, or a Citroën dealer, who can check the full VIN. NHTSA data does not cover modern Citroëns because the brand has not been sold in the U.S. since 1974.
Does a Citroën VIN show accident or ownership history?
No. A VIN identifies the vehicle and how it was built. Ownership, accident and mileage records are held by registration authorities and history providers, and this site does not include them.
Brands mentioned in the notes above, each with its own VIN notes and WMI list.
- Peugeot (no NHTSA model pages) France · 1 WMI code
- Opel (no NHTSA model pages) Germany · 6 WMI codes
- Fiat (5) Italy · 24 recall campaigns
- Alfa Romeo (6) Italy · 34 recall campaigns
- Maserati (14) Italy · 50 recall campaigns
- Jeep (31) United States · 307 recall campaigns
- Chrysler (37) United States · 208 recall campaigns
- Dodge (58) United States · 436 recall campaigns
- Ram (11) United States · 194 recall campaigns