Decoding the Fiat 500 VIN

When it comes to ordering parts for your Fiat 500, knowing the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is vital. The Fiat 500 VIN is located on the top left side of the instrument panel and viewable through the windshield. The VIN on the Fiat 500 follows the standardized seventeen character format implemented in the United States in 1981.

Along with the VIN, another piece of information that comes in handy is knowing the MDH on your Fiat 500. The initials MDH stand for Month-Day-Hour and corresponds to the exact day and time your car rolled off the assembly line. Knowing your Fiat's MDH is necessary when you are looking at Technical Service bulletins (TSB), recall information and will also assist when ordering parts. Nowadays, without these two important bits of information, you have a very good chance of not getting the correct parts, so it is worth taking a moment or two to jot them down. To find your Fiat's MDH, look for the vehicle certification label attached to the driver's door. Below is how to decipher the Fiat 500 VIN and MDH.

Here is a how the Fiat 500 VIN breaks down and what each character stands for.

Characters 1, 2, 3 WMI (World Manufacturer Identifier

3C3 - Chrysler Mexico
ZFB - Fiat Group Automobiles S.P.A.

Character 4 Restraint System
A = Active Belts (ASP) Front Air Bags (OSP) Without Side Inflatable Restraints

B = Active Belts (ASP) Front Air Bags (OSP) With Side Inflatable Restraints Front Row

C = Active Belts (ASP) Front Air Bags (OSP) With Side Inflatable Restraints All Rows

(ASP) = All Seating Positions
(OSP) = Outboard Seating Position

Characters 5, 6, 7 Vehicle Line, Series, Body Type
FFA = 500 Pop, Left Hand Drive, Front Wheel Drive, 2 Door Hatchback

FFB = 500 Sport, Left Hand Drive, Front Wheel Drive, 2 Door Hatchback

FFC = 500 Lounge, Left Hand Drive, Front Wheel Drive, 2 Door Hatchback

FFF = 500 Abarth, Left Hand Drive, Front Wheel Drive, 2 Door Hatchback

FFD = 500 Pop, Left Hand Drive, Front Wheel Drive, 2 Door Convertible

FFE = 500 Lounge, Left Hand Drive, Front Wheel Drive, 2 Door Convertible

FFJ = 500 Abarth Cabrio, Left Hand Drive, Front Wheel Drive

FFG = 500e, Left Hand Drive, Front Wheel Drive, 2 Door Hatchback

FAA = 500L Pop, Left Hand Drive, Front Wheel Drive, Compact Minivan (Short WB)

FAB = 500L Easy, Left Hand Drive, Front Wheel Drive, Compact Minivan (Short WB)

FAC = 500L Lounge, Left Hand Drive, Front Wheel Drive, Compact Minivan (Short WB)

FAD = 500L Trekking, Left Hand Drive, Front Wheel Drive, Compact Minivan (Short WB)

Character 8 Engine
E = 83 KW Electric Motor (E99)
H = 1.4L 4 CYL Gasoline Turbo (EAF)

R = 1.4L 4 CYL Gasoline Non-Turbo (EAB, EAC, EAE, EAJ, EAK)

Character 9 Check Digit
0 through 9 or X

Character 10 Model Year
C = 2012
D = 2013
E = 2014
F = 2015

Character 11 Assembly Plant
T = Toluca Assembly
Z = Kragujevac - Serbia

Characters 12 thru 17 Vehicle Build Sequence
6 Digit Number Assigned by Assembly Plant

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Fiat 500 Engine Codes

• 1.4L 4 CYL 16V Gasoline Turbo (EAF)
• 1.4L 4 CYL 16V Gasoline Non-Turbo (EAB)
• 1.4L 4 CYL 16V Non-Turbo using E22 ethanol/gas (EAC)
• 1.4L 4 CYL 16V Non-Turbo using E100 ethanol/gas (EAK)

The Fiat 500 MDH is found on a sticker in the driver's door jamb. Here is how it breaks down:

The MDH format is MMDDHH where MM is the month, DD is the day, and HH is the hour.

Month - Two digit representation of the month produced
01 - January
02 - February
03 - March
04 - April
05 - May
06 - June
07 - July
08 - August
09 - September
10 - October
11 - November
12 - December

Day - Two digit representation of day on month produced
01 - First day thru 31 - thirty first day

Hour - The hour your Fiat 500 was made expressed in Military time
01 = 1 AM thru 24 = 12 PM

Update 4/25/2019: Added Fiat 500 Engine Codes