Factory build sheet
1998 Volkswagen Golf GL
Build 3VWFA81H-W · 2L 4cyl · Hatchback
VIN positions 1 through 8 read 3VWFA81H and position 10 reads W. Those nine characters define this build. Position 9 and positions 11 through 17 differ on every car.
Every Golf whose VIN starts 3VWFA81H and carries W in position 10 left the plant with the same engine, transmission, drivetrain and equipment listed below. We know of 47 of them.
- Decoded Jul 7, 2026
- 47 known VINs
- 1 listed for sale now
Factory specification
As filed by Volkswagen with NHTSA for this build. Fields the filing does not record are left out entirely — a missing row means no recorded value, not a missing feature.
Engine
- Displacement
- 2 L
- Cylinders
- 4
- Engine model
- TDI
- Engine manufacturer
- Volkswagen
- Turbocharged
- Yes
- Horsepower
- 115 hp
- Fuel type
- Gasoline
Body & chassis
- Body class
- Hatchback/Liftback/Notchback
- NHTSA body type
- PASSENGER CAR
- Doors
- 4
- Manufacturer
- VOLKSWAGEN DE MEXICO SA DE CV
Weight rating
- GVWR class
- Class 1
- GVWR
- 6,000 lb or less
Gross vehicle weight rating is the loaded ceiling set by the manufacturer, not the car's own weight.
The same build, other model years
Volkswagen used the VIN pattern 3VWFA81H for 3 model years. Nothing but the year changes between these pages, so the price gap between them is depreciation on an identical car.
- 1996 GL 2L 4cyl Hatchback · 45 vehicles code T
- 1997 GL 2L 4cyl Hatchback · 29 vehicles code V
-
1998 You are here code W
How this VIN pattern is read
A 17-character VIN carries two kinds of information: what was built, and which one it is. This page is the first kind — the nine highlighted positions.
| Positions | Characters | What they encode |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | 3VW | VOLKSWAGEN DE MEXICO SA DE CV · World manufacturer identifier |
| 4–8 | FA81H | Model, body style, engine and restraint system |
| 9 | × | Check digit — computed per vehicle, not part of the build |
| 10 | W | Model year — 1998 |
| 11 | × | Assembly plant |
| 12–17 | ×××××× | Production sequence number, unique to each vehicle |
47 vehicles carry this build
Every VIN we have decoded to 3VWFA81H-W shares the specification above.
- 47 Known VINs
- 1 Listed for sale now
- 3VWFA81H XWM245367
- 3VWFA81H 5WM231344
- 3VWFA81H 5WM276817
- 3VWFA81H 0WM251078
- 3VWFA81H 8WM231435
- 3VWFA81H 2WM140466
- 3VWFA81H 3WM251043
- 3VWFA81H 2WM281585
- 3VWFA81H 6WM119460
- 3VWFA81H 4WM214308
- 3VWFA81H 1WM277060
- 3VWFA81H 8WM245318
- 3VWFA81H XWM123169
- 3VWFA81H 4WM214468
- 3VWFA81H 8WM260045
- 3VWFA81H 5WM143264
- 3VWFA81H 7WM226842
- 3VWFA81H 4WM151761
- 3VWFA81H 5WM276932
- 3VWFA81H 7WM281436
- 3VWFA81H 0WM143172
- 3VWFA81H XWM245515
- 3VWFA81H 7WM140575
- 3VWFA81H 6WM231384
- 3VWFA81H 6WM272341
- 3VWFA81H 0WM214676
- 3VWFA81H 3WM207320
- 3VWFA81H 3WM214221
- 3VWFA81H 2WM151628
- 3VWFA81H 8WM281395
- 3VWFA81H XWM245420
- 3VWFA81H 0WM231784
- 3VWFA81H XWM276781
- 3VWFA81H 3WM140539
- 3VWFA81H 7WM276883
- 3VWFA81H 7WM226856
- 3VWFA81H 6WM231496
- 3VWFA81H 1WM276877
- 3VWFA81H 4WM231559
- 3VWFA81H 7WM114865
- 3VWFA81H 8WM251233
- 3VWFA81H 7WM245388
- 3VWFA81H 4WM105881
- 3VWFA81H 4WM231495
- 3VWFA81H 9WM276951
- 3VWFA81H 4WM105864
- 3VWFA81H 3WM219015
Keep going
Where this data comes from
Specification fields are decoded from the manufacturer's filings in the NHTSA vPIC database, keyed on VIN positions 1–8 and 10. We publish the filed values as they stand and leave out anything the filing does not record.
Vehicle counts come from the 47 VINs of this build we have seen in dealer inventory. They are a sample of the road population, not a production figure.