WMI codes by vehicle class
NHTSA assigns every code one of nine vehicle types. Trailers dominate the count because thousands of small trailer builders hold six-character codes; passenger cars account for a few hundred codes.
| Vehicle class | Three-character | Six-character | Six-character share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trailers | 1,588 | 8,051 | 84% |
| Motorcycles | 478 | 1,103 | 70% |
| Low-speed vehicles | 138 | 345 | 71% |
| Passenger cars | 255 | 93 | 27% |
| Trucks | 208 | 104 | 33% |
| Multipurpose passenger vehicles | 214 | 27 | 11% |
| Incomplete vehicles | 186 | 39 | 17% |
| Buses | 78 | 86 | 52% |
| Off-road vehicles | 18 | 1 | 5% |
Source: NHTSA vPIC, October 2026 release (database updated October 17, 2026). How the figures are counted: How the catalog is read.