Dodge Engine Code by VIN: What the VIN Shows vs. the Build Sheet
On a 17-character Dodge VIN, the eighth character is the engine code. Read together with the characters that identify the model line and model year, it pins down the engine the vehicle was built with, and a standard decode turns it into basics such as displacement, cylinder count and, when published, an engine name. That is usually enough to tell whether a Charger left the factory with a V6 or a HEMI V8. What the VIN does not show is how the factory recorded that engine on the individual vehicle: the engine's sales code and the equipment ordered around it, such as the transmission, axle, cooling and performance or towing hardware. Those details come from the VIN-specific build sheet, when a factory record is available for that VIN.
What the eighth character can tell you
Chrysler, and now Stellantis, assigns engine characters by vehicle line and model year. The character has no fixed meaning on its own: the same letter can stand for different engines on different vehicles or in different years. That is why a decoder reads position 8 alongside positions 4 through 7 (the vehicle line and series) and position 10 (the model year) instead of looking it up in a single universal chart.
On this site, the basic decode shows the engine as displacement, cylinder count and engine name when the public VIN data includes them, for example "5.7L 8-cyl." Some fields come back blank for certain VINs. That reflects what was published for that VIN pattern, not a problem with the vehicle.
Keep in mind what the character represents: the engine the vehicle was built with. It is never updated, so a replacement or swapped engine will not show up in the VIN.
What the build sheet adds
A Dodge build sheet lists installed equipment as sales codes with descriptions, and the engine is one of those lines. On Chrysler-family records, engine codes commonly begin with E. Older entries are not always tidy: the site's sales code navigator lists EBF as "2.0L Dohc 5 Spd Man" and EY8 as "2.4L 5 Spd Man O.D", descriptions that pair an engine with a manual gearbox in a single line. Read the description, not just the prefix.
The record also shows what came with the engine choice. On many Dodges, a different engine changes other lines on the sheet:
- Transmission. Engines were paired with specific gearboxes, which appear as their own lines. See Dodge transmission codes by VIN for how to find them.
- Axle and drivetrain. Rear axle ratio and, on all-wheel-drive models, transfer case entries.
- Performance and towing equipment. Cooling, brake and suspension items that accompany higher-output versions or trailer packages, when they were ordered.
- Emissions and electrified-powertrain entries. Administrative lines such as 5T7, which the navigator lists as "Emission Tracking," and plug-in hybrid items such as BA8, listed as an alternator delete for PHEV models.
Some lines are not parts you can point to under the hood. They are production or tracking entries, so a code you cannot match to hardware is not necessarily missing equipment.
Dodge engine families by model
The table lists widely documented engine families for recent Dodge lines. Availability depends on trim, drivetrain and model year, so treat it as a map of possibilities; the VIN's record shows which engine a specific vehicle received.
| Model | Engine families |
|---|---|
| Charger (2006–2023) and Challenger (2008–2023) | Earlier cars: 2.7L or 3.5L V6 (Charger), 3.5L V6 (Challenger), 5.7L HEMI V8, 6.1L HEMI V8 on SRT8 models. Later cars: 3.6L Pentastar V6, 5.7L HEMI V8, 6.4L HEMI V8, and a supercharged 6.2L HEMI V8 on Hellcat-family models. |
| Charger (2024 onward) | Battery-electric Daytona models; 3.0L twin-turbo Hurricane inline-six on the Sixpack models that followed. |
| Durango (2011 onward) | 3.6L Pentastar V6, 5.7L HEMI V8, 6.4L HEMI V8 on SRT and other higher-performance versions, supercharged 6.2L HEMI V8 on SRT Hellcat. |
| Grand Caravan (2011–2020) | 3.6L Pentastar V6. |
| Journey (2009–2020) | 2.4L four-cylinder; 3.5L V6 in early years, 3.6L Pentastar V6 from 2011. |
| Hornet (2023 onward) | 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder (GT); plug-in hybrid with a 1.3L turbocharged four-cylinder (R/T). |
Using the engine code when buying or servicing
Checking a listing. Compare the decode and the record with the ad before you travel. A car advertised as a V8 model whose VIN decodes to a V6 is a mismatch to raise with the seller. Badges, wheels and hood scoops are easy to add; the eighth character does not change.
Spotting swaps. Neither the VIN nor the build record follows later changes, so a car with a replaced or swapped engine will disagree with its paperwork. That is not automatically a dealbreaker, but the car should be inspected, insured and priced as a modified vehicle. The emissions label under the hood lists the displacement the vehicle was certified with; if the engine in the bay plainly differs, ask for documentation of the swap.
Ordering parts. Spark plugs, filters, belts and cooling parts vary by engine, and the owner's manual specifies fluids by engine. Giving the parts counter your VIN lets them match the engine, and the build sheet settles the questions the VIN cannot, such as which axle or cooling equipment was installed.
Knowing the limits. The record documents how the vehicle was built, not its current condition. Information varies by VIN, model year, market and source availability, and some VINs return no build sheet. To check yours, enter the VIN in the Dodge build sheet lookup. For the meaning of the other sixteen characters, see how to read a Dodge VIN.