AssemblyAlertassemblyalert.com · United States

VIN decode · Tax years 2025–2028

US final assembly · UNITED STATES

Was it assembled in the US?

The car-loan interest deduction needs US final assembly and original use that starts with the taxpayer. Paste the VIN. This page scores plant country and a model-year / new-vehicle signal — not whether any loan is deductible.

The free report also lists extra vPIC specs plus public NHTSA recalls, safety ratings, and complaint themes. It does not include accident, wreck, title, or salvage history.

Don't get caught with your pants down. Check that VIN first.

Demo US plant

Point at the dash plate or door sticker. Door sill vertical? Rotate in the scanner, or turn the phone. Scan and upload run on this device — the photo is not sent to AssemblyAlert. Glare and dirty stickers can miss; you can still type the VIN.

Looks like a VIN. Decode reads PlantCountry from NHTSA vPIC.

17 / 17

US assembly passes · year/new-vehicle signal does not

PlantCountry is UNITED STATES (USA), so the US-assembly test passes. The year/new-vehicle signal does not: used vehicles do not qualify. This is not a determination that any loan is deductible.

Separate data checks

Plant-country and year are data checks. Other IRS gates remain. This page does not say the loan is deductible or that you qualify.

VIN

1FTYR14D88PA60171

Plant country

UNITED STATES (USA)

Plant

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

Make / model / year

2008 FORD Ranger

Series / trim

—

Body class

Pickup

Drive type

4x2

Fuel

Gasoline

Engine

2.3L · 4-cyl · 143 hp

Doors

2

Transmission

—

GVWR class

Class 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg)

Manufacturer

FORD MOTOR COMPANY

Open recalls

6 campaigns for this MY / make / model

Campaigns are published for this model year / make / model. Completion on this VIN can lag or be missing — confirm with a dealer and safercar.gov.

  • 21V158000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after lo…

    Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford c…

  • 21V081000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air…

    Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for…

  • 21E013000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain air bag inflator and/or module replacement service parts that may have been used as part of a collision repair. The parts include certain driver-side air bag inflators and/or modules, designed to fit 2005-2014 Ford Mustang and Musta…

    Remedy. Ford will notify dealers that purchased the affected parts, and dealers will provide replacement parts to purchasers, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.

  • 17V024000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam…

    Remedy. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began…

  • 16V384000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Ford Ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles, and 2005-2011 Ford Mustang vehicles originally s…

    Remedy. Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Ford mailed interim letters informing owners that parts are not yet available on July 15,…

  • 11V352000EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS

    FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 RANGER TRUCKS BUILT FROM JANUARY 25, 2011, THROUGH APRIL 25, 2011 AT THE TWIN CITIES ASSEMBLY PLANT, AND SERVICE PARTS DISTRIBUTED TO DEALERS FOR CERTAIN 2004 THROUGH 2011 MODEL YEAR RANGER TRUCKS, 2002 THROUGH 2005 MODEL YEAR EXCURSION…

    Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SWITCHES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 15, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.

Sample certificate · not a record

Unlock the AssemblyAlert window sticker — $4.00

Generic preview only. Pay to mint this VIN’s vehicle spec sheet — richer fields, recall PDF, serial, and a verify page. Terms · Refunds

Window sticker style

Vehicle Spec Sheet

Assembly Alert · Sample — not issued

Serial

AA-0000-SAMPLE

Sample — not issued

Generic preview of the Assembly Alert vehicle spec sheet. It is not tied to your VIN and is not a record.

Vehicle identification number

1HG••••••••••4352

2003 Example Sedan

US-assembly test

Sample

Generic preview — not this VIN’s verdict.

Year / new-vehicle

Sample

Year / new-vehicle is a separate data check.

Open recalls

2

SAMPLE01, SAMPLE02

Manufacturer-reported specs

Plant city
Example Plant
Plant state
OH
Plant country
UNITED STATES
GVWR class
Class 1C (example)
Body class
Sedan (example)
Drive type
FWD (example)
Fuel
Gasoline
Engine
3.0L · 6-cyl
Doors
4
Series / trim
EX (example)
Transmission
Automatic
Safety ratings
Sample rating line — not a real NHTSA score.
Complaints (MY/make/model)
12 · AIR BAGS (example)
Support
publisher@noticenearby.com

Sample QR

Title & salvage history

Title & salvage history — coming / paid add-on. Not in this report.

This free check does not include accident, wreck, title, or salvage history (NMVTIS).

Not tax advice. Not affiliated with the IRS or NHTSA. Plant-country and year are data checks. Does not certify that any loan is deductible. Manufacturer-reported Part 565 data plus public NHTSA recall, rating, and complaint feeds.

Record seal SAMPLE

VOID UNLESS THIS SERIAL RESOLVES AT ASSEMBLYALERT.COM/V · NOT A GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT

Unlock the AssemblyAlert window sticker — $4.00

The sample above is generic. Payment mints a unique serial for this VIN, a dated open-recall PDF, and a printable window-sticker style spec sheet. Not tax advice. Plant-country Pass is not a deduction. Terms · Refunds

VIN recall check · free

Don't get caught with an open recall.

Same VIN box. Open NHTSA campaigns lead the report. We list what is on file for the model year, make, and model — we do not close recalls.

Check open recalls

Milder cut. Watch the edgy set →

SFW · 60-second Pathé film

The First Digit

assemblyalert.com

Nigel from Accounts calls the gold import a bald eagle with cupholders. Margaret checks the plant. Germany. FAIL. The first digit is a rumour. Fully clothed. Captions on every shot.

Play The First Digit

More commercials · 18+

Don't get caught with your pants down.

The loop above is the milder cut. The 18+ gallery is the pants-down VIN set — posters first, age gate before any of those spots play. Not tax advice.

Built for America? window-sticker stillThe Best VIN Checker Ever boardroom stillHigashi Motors showroom stillWatch the 18+ set

Tax years 2025–2028

A plant-country record for filing season.

People file the One Big Beautiful Bill Act car-loan interest deduction for tax years 2025–2028, up to $10,000 of interest. AssemblyAlert does not decide if a loan is deductible.

A Form 1098-VLI and similar broker statements will show up for many filers around January 2027. This site is a dated NHTSA vPIC plant-country record you can keep for a preparer. It is not an IRS form.

US assembly pass or fail is PlantCountry === UNITED STATES (USA) only. Puerto Rico is not a pass. VIN first character 1, 4, or 5 is a screen, not the test — a BMW VIN that starts with 5 (5UX) can still be Germany.

The report shows separate checks. Assembly-check copy stays Passes the US-assembly test, Fails the US-assembly test, or Could not determine. Vehicle year is scored on its own. Plant-country Pass is not the deduction. Used vehicles do not qualify.

Decode stays free. The optional $4 card is a printable Assembly Alert vehicle spec sheet — window-sticker style fields, recall count, serial at /v/{serial}. It is a filing record for your folder, not a government certificate and not a deduction.

Not tax advice. Not affiliated with the IRS, NHTSA, or the Treasury. Not a government document.

Also on this site

Calculators, facts, and guides

The VIN box above scores US assembly and a model-year / new-vehicle signal. Recalls is the same decode with open NHTSA campaigns first. Español is a Spanish recall page. These pages do not bury the checker — they are extra tools and IRS-cited explainers. Lease payments do not qualify.

Safety

Open recalls

Tools

Car loan calculators

Cards

Fact cards

Reading

Guides

The homepage spot stays the milder loop. The First Digit is the SFW Pathé film. Commercials (18+) is the edgier set — crude VIN / OBBBA pants-down jokes, not porn.

How the test works

Plant country and vehicle year.

Paste a 17-character VIN. The free decode reads manufacturer-reported plant fields and ModelYear from NHTSA vPIC. Those are separate data checks for the OBBBA car-loan interest deduction, tax years 2025–2028.

  • First-character VIN myth

    1, 4, or 5 in position 1 is a WMI screen only — never the verdict. A BMW VIN that starts with 5 (5UX) can still be assembled in Germany.

  • PlantCountry is exact

    Pass only if NHTSA PlantCountry is exactly UNITED STATES (USA). Canada, Mexico, and Germany fail. Puerto Rico is not a pass. Empty is unknown.

  • GVWR class, not pounds

    Classes 1 and 2 (including 1A–1D and 2E–2H) pass the weight screen. Class 3 is uncertain — check the door jamb. Class 4 and above fail.

  • Vehicle year is a separate check

    Used vehicles do not qualify. Older VIN model years usually fail original-use even when the plant is in the United States. A current year is not proof you are the first owner. There is no IRS purchase-price / MSRP cap.

  • Not IRS. Not a deduction.

    AssemblyAlert is not affiliated with the IRS or NHTSA. This page never says your loan is deductible. Plant-country Pass is not the deduction.

How it works

Two VIN checks. The rest stays on you.

  1. 01

    Paste the 17-character VIN

    No I, O, or Q. Incomplete or starred VINs get no tax verdict.

  2. 02

    This page calls NHTSA vPIC first

    DecodeVinValues sets canonical make, model, and year. The free report then adds public NHTSA recalls, safety ratings, and complaint themes. Title and salvage history is not included.

  3. 03

    PlantCountry and ModelYear

    US assembly passes only if PlantCountry is exactly UNITED STATES (USA). Model year is a separate new-vehicle signal. Used vehicles do not qualify. VIN year is not proof of first owner.

Other tests

The VIN does not finish these.

The VIN scores US final assembly and a model-year / new-vehicle signal. Plant-country Pass is not the deduction, and VIN year is not proof of first owner. The items below stay on you.

  • Original use with the taxpayer (used vehicles do not qualify)
  • VIN year is a signal — not proof you are the first owner
  • Loan originated after December 31, 2024
  • Personal use
  • MAGI phaseout starts at $100,000 single / $200,000 joint
  • Interest cap: up to $10,000 — no IRS purchase-price / MSRP cap
  • Tax years 2025–2028
  • Lease payments do not qualify (IRS)

FAQ

Common questions

Was my car assembled in the US?

Paste the 17-character VIN. This page reads PlantCountry from NHTSA vPIC. It passes only if that field is exactly UNITED STATES (USA). Canada, Mexico, Germany, and Puerto Rico fail. An empty plant country is unknown, not a pass.

How do I check US assembly for the car loan interest deduction?

Use this free VIN checker. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act car-loan interest deduction (tax years 2025–2028) requires final assembly in the United States and original use that starts with the taxpayer. AssemblyAlert scores PlantCountry and a VIN model-year / new-vehicle signal. It does not decide whether any loan is deductible.

Does VIN starting with 1 mean US built?

No. VIN position 1 is a WMI screen only. Characters 1, 4, and 5 are often assigned to the United States, but they are never the verdict. A BMW VIN starting with 5 (for example 5UX) can still be assembled in Germany.

Is this official IRS?

No. AssemblyAlert is not affiliated with the IRS, NHTSA, or the Treasury and is not a government document. This is not tax advice.

What is a 1098-VLI?

A Form 1098-VLI and similar broker statements will show up for many filers around January 2027. This site is a dated NHTSA vPIC plant-country record you can keep for a preparer. It is not an IRS form and does not decide if a loan is deductible.

Does a pass mean I qualify for the deduction?

No. Plant-country Pass is not the deduction. The report shows separate checks: US final assembly (PlantCountry) and a vehicle-year / new-vehicle signal from the VIN model year. Used vehicles do not qualify — original use must start with the taxpayer. Older model years usually fail that gate. A current model year is not proof you are the first owner. Other IRS gates remain: personal use, a loan after December 31, 2024, the VIN on the return, the $10,000 interest cap, and MAGI phaseout. There is no IRS purchase-price or MSRP cap. Leases do not qualify. Assembly-check copy stays Passes the US-assembly test, Fails the US-assembly test, or Could not determine. This site never says you qualify and never says a loan is deductible.

Does vehicle year matter for the deduction?

Yes as a signal, not as a substitute for original use. Used vehicles do not qualify. The VIN model year (NHTSA vPIC ModelYear) is a strong signal: model years through 2023 are usually already in service and fail that gate even when the plant is in the United States. A leftover new 2024 can still have original use start with you if the loan is after December 31, 2024. Model years 2025–2028 sit in the new-purchase window, but VIN year is not proof of first owner. Confirm title and sale documents.

Do auto leases qualify for the OBBBA car loan interest deduction?

No. The IRS Working Families Tax Cuts pages state that lease payments do not qualify. AssemblyAlert does not decide whether any loan is deductible. See the lease article and the lease-vs-buy calculator.

Does the free VIN check include accident or salvage history?

No. The free check does not include accident, wreck, title, or salvage history (NMVTIS). That is a coming paid add-on. After a vPIC decode the report lists extra specs plus public NHTSA recalls, safety ratings, and complaint themes for the model year / make / model. Complaint totals are not proof of wrecks on this VIN. Recall completion on this VIN can lag.

What is the $4 vehicle spec sheet?

After a free decode you can unlock a printable Assembly Alert window-sticker style vehicle spec sheet for $4. It repeats the enriched fields, US-assembly Pass/Fail, the year signal, a recall count, a unique serial, and a dated timestamp. It is not an IRS qualification, not a Monroney label, and not tax advice. Plant-country Pass is not a deduction.

Disclaimer

Read this before you file.

  • AssemblyAlert is not tax advice and is not a determination that any loan is deductible.
  • AssemblyAlert is not affiliated with the Internal Revenue Service or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
  • Decoded plant fields are manufacturer-reported Part 565 data as published by NHTSA vPIC. They can be blank or wrong.
  • The Monroney label and the Part 583 final-assembly point are also valid evidence.
  • The IRS has said taxpayers may rely on the NHTSA VIN Decoder plant of manufacture or the window-sticker final assembly point.
  • The IRS Working Families Tax Cuts pages state that lease payments do not qualify.
  • The free VIN check does not include accident, wreck, title, or salvage history (NMVTIS).
  • AssemblyAlert is owned by Record of Sale, LLC (Oregon).