W1K — Mercedes-Benz
A VIN that begins with W1K was built by Mercedes-Benz Group AG in Germany. Decode a full W1K VIN below to get the exact make, model, engine and origin.
What W1K means
W1K is the World Manufacturer Identifier — the first three characters of every VIN, which identify who built the vehicle and where.
Current Mercedes passenger cars (post-2021 WMI).
How the W1K prefix is built
Under ISO 3780, the three WMI characters break down like this:
“W” places the manufacturer in Europe.
“W1” identifies the assigning country: Germany.
“K” narrows it to Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
Where Mercedes-Benz W1K vehicles are built
Vehicles with a W1K VIN are associated with Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Germany. Note that a single carmaker uses different WMIs for different plants, so the W1K prefix points to this specific origin — not simply to the Mercedes-Benz brand.
Real decoded W1K VINs
Live examples already decoded on VinSpecify:
More about Mercedes-Benz VINs
See how Mercedes-Benz structures its VINs, every common WMI prefix and where to find the number.