Where do I find the VIN on a Peugeot?

The vehicle identification number of a Peugeot is found primarily on the windscreen at the bottom left (readable from outside through the glass) and on the type plate in the engine bay — the latter usually on the splash guard or the chassis rail on the right-hand side of the vehicle. On the driver's-side door sill and on the B-pillar there is a type plate with the VIN and further vehicle data. Typical for Peugeot, compact models such as the 208 and the 308 have additional stamped locations under the passenger seat or on the boot floor — a peculiarity that stems from the Stellantis production tradition. The WMI code VF3 stands for Peugeot S.A. with France as the production country and is the first identifying feature of a genuine Peugeot VIN.

Anyone wanting to buy a used Peugeot should check the VIN at a minimum of three locations and compare all three against each other. Deviations — even in a single character — are an immediate warning sign. The windscreen is the easiest and most commonly used point of reference. Along the lower edge of the windscreen, in the corner on the passenger side or driver side depending on the generation, the VIN is etched onto a metal plate and visible from outside through the glass. On the 208 (from 2012) and the 308 (II and III) the plate sits at the bottom left from the driver's position; on the 3008 and 5008 it may be on the passenger side. In the engine bay, the VIN is found on a plate on the right-hand chassis rail or on the splash guard. On some Peugeot diesel models (1.6 BlueHDi, 2.0 BlueHDi) the plate is somewhat obscured by the engine unit or ancillary mounts — but easily accessible with a torch. The driver's-side door pillar carries a type plate with the full VIN, vehicle type and further technical details. When you open the driver's door it is clearly visible in the door frame at hip height. On newer models (3008 II, 5008 II) there is a second VIN plate on the B-pillar. The additional location under the passenger seat, characteristic of Peugeot compacts, is especially valuable if tampering is suspected: here the VIN is stamped deep into the metal and cannot be manipulated with simple means. Raising the passenger seat (on seats that slide forward) or removing the seat exposes the spot. In the vehicle documents, the VIN is entered in field E of registration certificate part I (vehicle registration / Fahrzeugschein) and in registration certificate part II (vehicle title / Fahrzeugbrief). When buying a used car, always compare all three physical locations against the document entry.

Peugeot belongs to the Stellantis group and shares platforms, engines and production sites with Citroën, Opel, Vauxhall and other group brands — and that has implications for the VIN check. The WMI code VF3 identifies Peugeot vehicles produced in France. Peugeot models built in other countries for other markets — such as Argentina or Brazil — carry different WMI codes and should not be traded as European vehicles. Anyone buying a Peugeot on the German market should expect VF3 as the standard WMI. A practical peculiarity: because Peugeot and Citroën were built on the same platforms for a long time (EMP2, CMP), the VIN structures of the two brands are very similar. Buyers should therefore pay deliberate attention to the WMI — VF3 for Peugeot, VF7 for Citroën — and not rely on similar-looking numbers. The model year in position 10 of the Peugeot VIN is not reliably coded to the ISO standard for European vehicles. The free VIN decoder displays a notice with the explicit caveat that the actual year of manufacture may differ from the decoder result. The date of first registration in the registration certificate is the authoritative figure. Anyone wanting to buy a Peugeot should consistently take the next step after the VIN decoder check: a digital VIN report from international vehicle databases (€25 with us, €29 directly from our data partner carVertical) reveals theft reports, total-loss entries and odometer anomalies. The digital report is a sensible addition — for the current technical condition, the on-site check by checkdenwagen.de from €289 incl. VAT and travel remains the only reliable verdict.