Where is the VIN in the Mercedes-Benz CLA?

This guide covers the VIN (chassis number) locations for the Mercedes-Benz CLA (C178/X174) produced between 2021–2021.

Chassis Number Locations

1) Door Pillar (B-Pillar Label / Door Jamb Sticker)

• Where to look: Open the front door and look on the B-pillar face for a black manufacturer label with the VIN, paint codes, and weight ratings. (On LHD cars it’s typically on the driver-side pillar; on RHD markets it may appear on the opposite side.)
• Access: Easy access with the door fully open; lighting is usually good. On a 2021 car the label should be clean and readable unless it’s been replaced/peeled.
• Note: Side can swap between LHD/RHD markets—if you don’t see it on the left side of the car (LHD driver side), check the other front door jamb.
• Tip: If you want to avoid transcription errors, use your phone to scan it directly with ScanVin.app—the high-contrast label is ideal for OCR.

2) Engine Bay (Bulkhead/Firewall VIN Stamp)

• Where to look: In the engine bay, the VIN is stamped into the metal firewall/bulkhead, directly behind the engine, on the upper firewall area slightly off-center (passenger side on many LHD examples).
  In the AMG setup shown, it sits behind turbo heat shielding and under/near a plastic cowling/trim piece marked “VIN” close to the base of the windshield.
• Access: Harder. You’ll be peering into a recessed, shadowy pocket. Expect dust, tight angles, and heat shielding blocking a straight-on view—especially on AMG variants.
• Note: Firewall stamp position is generally consistent relative to the chassis; the view angle is what changes between trims/engine packages.
• Tip: Because it’s dark and awkward to read, use a flashlight and capture it with your phone using ScanVin.app so you’re not trying to write down characters from an uncomfortable angle.

3) Windshield (Dashboard VIN Plate)

• Where to look: From outside the car, check the bottom corner of the windshield where the dashboard meets the glass, near the A-pillar.
• Access: Quick visual check, but sunlight glare/reflections can make it look “blank” until you change your angle.
• Note: Best viewed in shade or with your body blocking direct sun.
• Tip: If glare is fighting you, use ScanVin.app to grab the VIN instantly instead of squinting through reflections and mistyping characters.

4) MBUX System (Digital VIN in Infotainment)

• Where to look: On the MBUX screen, enter the Vehicle / Info style menu (menu names vary slightly by region/software) and look for vehicle identification information.
• Access: Easy if the car powers up and the screen is working; not helpful if the battery is dead or the system is locked.
• Note: Treat this as verification, not your only source—physical VINs are what inspectors and authorities rely on.
• Tip: When you’re cross-checking numbers, scan the physical VIN with ScanVin.app to ensure the digits you compare are exact.

Video Guide

Video Tutorial: MERCEDES CLA A45 2021 VIN CHASSIS NUMBER LOCATION

▶ Watch Mercedes-Benz CLA VIN Location Guide

• Walk-around that shows the firewall VIN area under the “VIN”-marked trim and highlights how obstructed it is behind AMG heat shielding.

Video Tutorial: 2021 mercedes CLA45s vin and engine number locations

▶ Watch Mercedes-Benz CLA VIN Location Guide

• Clear footage showing the B-pillar label and an excellent close-up of the firewall VIN stamp for character shape/reference.

Common Problems & Troubleshooting

• Firewall stamp too dark / too deep to read: Use a flashlight, wipe dust off the stamping area, and view from slightly different angles—the hood and turbo shielding create heavy shadows.
• Windshield VIN unreadable due to glare: Move the car into shade or change your viewing angle; clean the glass inside/out in that corner.
• Door jamb label concerns: A missing, peeling, or mismatched door sticker can happen after door replacement/repaint—always cross-check the sticker VIN with the firewall stamp and windshield VIN.

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This guide shows you where to find the VIN (chassis number) on the Mercedes-Benz CLA (C118/X118) produced between 2019–2021, including the most reliable “everyday” cabin locations and the hidden stamped chassis VIN.

Chassis Number Locations

Passenger-side B-Pillar Sticker (Manufacturer Plate)

• Where to look: Open the front passenger door and look on the lower section of the B-pillar (the pillar between front and rear doors). The VIN is printed on a black sticker near the door striker/lock area, often alongside paint code and weight ratings.
• Access: Easy reading and scanning—flat surface, high contrast (white text on black), usually clean.
• Note: For LHD (EU/US) cars, this is typically on the right side of the vehicle (passenger side). On some markets/trims, label placement can vary slightly—still stay on the B-pillar area.
• Tip: Because it’s crisp and flat, you can usually scan it directly with your phone instead of typing the VIN character-by-character.

Under Front Passenger Seat (Stamped Chassis VIN Under Carpet Flap)

• Where to look: In the front footwell area under/near the front passenger seat rails, locate a pre-cut flap in the carpet/floor mat. Lift the carpet flap, then unclip/lift the secondary plastic cover underneath to expose the VIN stamped into the metal floor cross-member.
• Access: Medium difficulty. You must lift the carpet flap and remove/unclip a plastic cover. It can be dark down there, and you’ll be aiming the camera downward into the footwell.
• Note: This stamped floor VIN is commonly found in the front footwell floor (commonly on the passenger side for LHD vehicles, but check the driver side footwell if not found)—do not assume it’s always on the driver’s side.
• Tip: Since shadows hide the stamping, use your phone light and scan it with flashlight + OCR so you don’t have to twist yourself into an awkward position and hand-write it.

Windshield VIN (Dashboard Corner)

• Where to look: From outside the car, look through the windshield at the lower corner of the dashboard on the driver’s side (for LHD vehicles, that’s the left side of the vehicle).
• Access: Easy to see when lighting is right, but glare/reflections can make photos unreadable.
• Note: If sun glare blocks it, try changing your viewing angle, shading the glass with your hand, or checking indoors.
• Tip: When reflections make characters hard to transcribe, capture it cleanly with the VIN scanner to avoid mixing up similar characters like 5/S and 0/O.

Engine Bay (Passenger-side Inner Fender/Strut Area) — Secondary/Trim-Dependent

• Where to look: On some trims, there may be a stamped VIN visible on the passenger-side inner fender/strut area, near coolant/hoses and engine bay bracing.
• Access: Variable. This area is often crowded with covers and hoses, and the stamping may not be obvious depending on engine/trim and cleanliness.
• Note: Treat this as a secondary check—your primary verification points on this generation are typically the B-pillar label and the floor stamped VIN.
• Tip: If the stamp is faint or partially obscured, wipe the area and use High Contrast scanning to pull the characters out without guessing.

Video Guide

Video Tutorial: MERCEDES BENZ CLA200 2019 (WDD118) CHASSIS NUMBER & ENGINE NUMBER LOCATION

▶ Watch Mercedes-Benz CLA VIN Location Guide

• Silent walkthrough: shows the cabin floor VIN under the passenger seat carpet flap (including the plastic cover), then the B-pillar VIN sticker.

Common Problems & Troubleshooting

• “I lifted the carpet flap but there’s no VIN.” On this CLA generation there’s often a second plastic cover under the carpet flap—you must unclip/lift it to see the metal stamping.
• “My camera can’t read the stamped VIN.” The footwell area can be dark with harsh shadows; use a flashlight and shoot straight down, then rescan.
• Sticker warning: The B-pillar sticker is convenient, but for serious verification (imports/theft checks) always cross-check it with the stamped chassis VIN—labels can be damaged or replaced.

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This guide covers where to find the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) on the Mercedes-Benz CLA C117/X117, produced between 2013 and 2018. Use the stamped chassis VIN for the most reliable match, and cross-check it against the label/plate locations.

Chassis Number Locations

Front Right Footwell Floor (Chassis Stamp)

• Where to look: On the interior floor in the front right footwell, directly in front of the front seat. Slide the seat back and locate the pre-cut rectangular flap in the carpet. Lift the flap to reveal the VIN stamped into the metal cross-member underneath.
• Access: The area is naturally dark/shadowed and the carpet flap can be stiff—you may need to pry it up and hold it open while reading. A flashlight helps.
• Note: This is a right-side location. On LHD (US/EU) cars it’s commonly on the passenger-side footwell, but if you don’t find it there, check the driver-side footwell as well.
• Tip: Because it’s dark and you’ll be bent over holding the carpet up, use the flashlight and then scan it directly with your phone so you don’t have to copy the characters by hand.

B-Pillar Manufacturer Label (Door Jamb Sticker)

• Where to look: Open the right-side door and inspect the B-pillar / door jamb area for the black manufacturer/regulatory label that includes the VIN.
• Access: Easy to reach, but the label can be scratched or worn (often from seatbelt hardware) which can make characters hard to read.
• Note: Door-side labels are great for quick checks, but for identity verification you should still match them to the stamped floor VIN.
• Tip: If the sticker is scuffed or low-contrast, use the VIN scanner to capture it cleanly without guessing similar-looking characters (like 8/B or 5/S).

Windshield VIN Tag (Visible Plate Through Glass)

• Where to look: Look through the windshield at the bottom corner (commonly the passenger side on many markets) for the VIN plate visible from outside.
• Access: Fastest “walk-up” check, but glare/reflections and tinted glass can block the view.
• Note: If the windshield has been replaced, confirm the visible VIN matches the stamped chassis VIN.
• Tip: To beat reflections, change your viewing angle and capture it with the ScanVin VIN reader so you don’t transpose digits while squinting through glass.

Engine Bay (Engine Number – Not the VIN)

• Where to look: Deep in the engine bay on the engine block—often viewed with a flashlight or borescope.
• Access: Hard to reach and not designed for quick reading; you may be leaning over hot/dirty components.
• Note: This is typically the engine number, not the VIN. Do not use the engine block number as the VIN—it will not decode the same way and can cause registration/parts-ordering mistakes.
• Tip: If you’re confirming paperwork that references the engine number, avoid writing it down in an awkward position—scan the code with your phone to reduce transcription errors.

Video Guide

Video Tutorial: MERCEDES BENZ CLA 200 ( W117 ) CHASSIS NUMBER LOCATION & M270 ENGINE NUMBER LOCATION

▶ Watch Mercedes-Benz CLA VIN Location Guide

• A valuer demonstrates the hidden floor VIN under the front right carpet flap, then shows a separate engine-number check.

Common Problems & Troubleshooting

• Too dark to read under the carpet flap: Use a flashlight and wipe the metal lightly; shadows make “0/8” and “1/I” easy to mix up.
• Carpet flap won’t stay open: Slide the seat further back and hold the flap up firmly while you read/scan; don’t bend the flap excessively or you’ll crease it.
• Sticker/plate mismatch warning: If the windshield or door-jamb label VIN doesn’t match the stamped floor VIN, treat it as a serious red flag and verify the vehicle’s history before purchase.

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