How to Read the VIN on a Mercedes Ml320

1. Read the first three characters of the VIN number. These are the World Manufacturer's Identification. The first character identifies the country in which the Mercedes was manufactured. Most Mercedes sold in America were made in America, Germany or Canada. The second character in your VIN will identify the manufacturer. On a Mercedes, this should always be a 'D.' The third character identifies the type of Mercedes it is, specifically an MI320.
2. Read characters four through eight. These are codes which will tell you attributes of the car as originally manufactured, such as body style, engine type, model and series level among other attributes. What these numbers mean differ among different manufacturers, so you must look specifically at Mercedes decoding to understand what they mean on your MI320.
3. View the ninth character. This is a check digit that manufacturers and regulatory officials can use to confirm the accuracy of the first eight characters.
4. Examine the tenth character. This identifies the model year of your Mercedes. This is particularly useful when buying a used car, as it allows you to confirm that the year of the vehicle is as represented by the seller.
5. Look at the eleventh character. This identifies the plant at which your MI320 was manufactured. This is another of the numbers that has different meanings, depending on the manufacturer, so you need to use a specific Mercedes decoding key to accurately identify the manufacturing plant.
6. Check characters 12 through 17. This is called the Vehicle Identifier Section and is purely a serial number.