Coverage: Free decode for most 1981-and-later vehicles; original MSRP and option prices when the window sticker is on file
Where does the original MSRP come from?
Federal law (the Automobile Information Disclosure Act, 15 U.S.C. 1232) requires every new car sold in the U.S. to carry a window sticker, also called the Monroney label. It lists the base price, every factory-installed option with its price, the destination charge and the total suggested retail price. That makes the sticker the one document that shows the original MSRP and options together.
A VIN decoder like NHTSA’s vPIC reads only what’s encoded in the 17 characters: model year, make, model, body, engine, drivetrain and assembly plant. Packages, wheels, paint and their prices aren’t in the VIN.
A real example: 2025 Ford F-150 XLT
This is what the Full Report reads from Ford’s own sticker for our sample VIN, 1FTFW3L5XSKD97239, which you can open in full for free:
| Line on the sticker | Value |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | 2025 F-150 4x4 SuperCrew, XLT series |
| Equipment Group 302A | $7,440 |
| 5.0L V8 engine | $2,060 |
| Destination and delivery | $1,995 |
| Total MSRP | $61,410 |
| Options listed | 11, including 18-inch wheels, all-terrain tires and a 36-gallon fuel tank |
| Exterior paint | Agate Black Metallic (paint code UM) |
| Transmission | 10-speed automatic |
| EPA fuel economy | 16 city / 24 highway / 19 combined mpg |
| Assembly plant | Kansas City (Claycomo, Missouri) |
NHTSA’s free decode for the same VIN gets the year, model, XLT trim, 5.0L V8, 4WD and the plant right. It can’t tell you about the 302A package, the price of anything or the color.
How do I check a car’s options and MSRP by VIN?
- Enter the VIN above. The free check decodes it with NHTSA, counts recalls and tells you whether the original window sticker is on file.
- If it is, the $9.99 Full Report gives you the original sticker, the MSRP, every option with its price, the paint code and the recall details on one page.
- If it isn’t, we say so before you pay. The build sheet guide explains other ways to see how a car was built.
Ford and Lincoln stickers come straight from Ford. Other brands come from a licensed sticker-data partner, so coverage varies by model and year. See the Monroney label guide for which brands publish their own.
What to compare against the listing
- Trim and packages: a seller’s “fully loaded” should match the packages on the sticker. Badges can be added later; the sticker can’t.
- Engine and axle: the sticker names the engine and, on trucks, the axle ratio and towing package.
- Price new: a higher original MSRP helps explain a higher asking price. Use it with current market prices, not instead of them.
- Recalls: check open recalls on the exact VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Last updated November 5, 2026.
