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Toyota VIN decoder for Australia and NZ
Toyota is the most common badge on Australian and New Zealand roads, and its VIN tells you first of all where the vehicle was built. A HiLux or Fortuner usually comes from Thailand, a Corolla, RAV4 or LandCruiser from Japan, and Camrys built before October 2017 came from the Altona plant in Victoria.
Toyota manufacturer codes (WMI)
The first three characters of the VIN are the world manufacturer identifier. These are the Toyota codes you will see most often in Australia and New Zealand:
| VIN starts with | Meaning |
|---|---|
JTD / JTK / JTN | Toyota car built in Japan |
JTE / JTL / JTM | Toyota SUV or MPV built in Japan |
JTF | Toyota van or truck built in Japan |
MR0 | Toyota Thailand – HiLux and Fortuner |
MR1 / MR2 | Toyota Thailand – passenger cars and crossovers |
6T1 | Toyota Motor Corporation Australia (Altona) |
AHT | Toyota South Africa |
Model year in a Toyota VIN
Japanese-built Toyotas for this region often carry a filler character instead of a year code in position 10. Read the build date from the build plate or compliance plate instead.
Buying a used Toyota
Popular models here: HiLux, RAV4, Corolla, LandCruiser, Prado, Camry, Yaris.
HiLux and LandCruiser models are among the most stolen and most worked vehicles in the country: many ex-mining, farm and fleet utes have high real mileage, rebuilt panels or modified suspension. In New Zealand, Japanese-market Aqua, Vitz and Prius imports are common – check that the odometer reading at import matches today's.
Toyota VIN questions
Why does my HiLux VIN start with MR0 instead of JT?
MR0 is the code of Toyota's Thai pickup plant, where HiLux and Fortuner models for Australia and New Zealand are built. JT codes belong to Toyota's factories in Japan, and some HiLux utes from South Africa start with AHT.
Does a Japanese-market Toyota have a 17-character VIN?
Usually not. Toyotas built for Japan carry a chassis number made of a model code and a serial. When one is imported – an Aqua or Vitz in New Zealand, for example – it may also receive a local VIN starting with 7AT or 6U9.