Where's Your Paint Code? Find It on Any Car | Honda, Toyota, Ford, GM + 9 More

Intro Every car leaves the factory with its color written down as a short code, on a label somewhere on the car. Find that code, and paint can be mixed to match it. Here's exactly where to look, starting with the makes our counter sees most.

What to look for First, know what you're looking for: a short code of letters and numbers, often next to a word like paint, color, or EXT PNT. Toyota marks it C/TR; older GM labels, BC/CC. Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram use PNT. And go by the code, not the color name: one name can cover several different

Where to look paints. On most cars, start at the driver's door jamb: the label on the pillar the door closes against, or on the edge of the door. No label there? Check under the hood, in the trunk or spare-tire well, and in the

Honda & Acura glovebox. Number one, Honda and Acura: the label in the driver's door jamb. There's no word like paint next to it. Look for letters, three numbers, and a finish letter, like NH-731P. P means pearl, M means metallic. Crystal Black Pearl is NH-731P. Rallye Red is R-513.

Toyota, Lexus & Scion Toyota, Lexus and Scion: the same driver's door jamb label. Find C/TR, for color and trim. The first three characters are the paint code. What comes after the slash is the interior trim: don't order that. Super White is 040. Magnetic Gray Metallic is 1G3. And Blizzard Pearl, 070, is a tricoat.

Ford & Lincoln Ford and Lincoln print it on the safety certification label in the driver's door jamb, or on some vehicles, the door edge. Look near the bottom for EXT PNT: exterior paint. It's two characters; older vehicles may have more. Oxford White is YZ. Ingot Silver is UX. Race Red is PQ.

Nissan & Infiniti Nissan and Infiniti: the driver's door jamb or B-pillar. It's sometimes low, so crouch down. Older cars may have it under the hood. It's three characters, often next to the word color. Super Black is KH3. Pearl White, QAB, is a

Chevrolet, GMC, Buick & Cadillac tricoat. GM changed in 2018. On newer Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac models, it's on the label on the driver's B-pillar, printed at the lower left of the QR code. Before 2018, find the service parts label: in the glovebox on most trucks and SUVs, or in the trunk or spare-tire well on many cars. Look for BC/CC, then U and four characters. When you order, swap the U for WA: U8555 becomes WA8555. Black is WA8555. Summit White is WA8624, also listed as GAZ.

Hyundai, Kia & Genesis Hyundai, Kia and Genesis: the driver's door jamb label. On Kia labels, it's at the top right, next to the word paint. Newer codes are three characters, older ones two. Kia's Snow White Pearl is SWP. Hyundai's Abyss Black Pearl is A2B.

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz, from the early two-thousands on: a sticker on the driver-side B-pillar, with the VIN and the paint code. Older cars have a plate on the radiator support. It's usually three digits. If you see four, like 9197, drop the extra digit: that's 197. Obsidian Black Metallic is 197. Polar White is 149. Iridium Silver is 775.

Subaru Subaru: on newer cars, the door jamb label, and check both sides, driver and passenger. Older ones have a plate on a strut tower. Subaru codes are three characters. A number like 9407 is a paint maker's stock number, not Subaru's code. Crystal White Pearl is K1X. Crystal Black Silica is D4S.

BMW BMW: newer cars use the door jamb label next to the VIN. Older ones have a sticker under the hood, near a strut tower. It's three characters, often under a German color name. Ignore anything after a slash. And 490 means a BMW Individual special-order paint. Black Sapphire Metallic is 475. Alpine White is 300. Mineral White is A96.

Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep & Ram Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram, about 2007 and newer: the driver's door jamb or door edge. Older ones: a body code plate under the hood. Find PNT. The code is three characters, usually starting with P. Some lists drop the P: the last two characters are the color. Bright White is PW7. Granite Crystal is PAU. Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl is PXR.

Tesla Tesla: check the touchscreen first. Car Details shows the paint code. Many cars also print PNT and four characters at the lower left of the door jamb label. Pearl White Multi-Coat is PPSW. Midnight Silver Metallic is PMNG.

Mazda Mazda: newer models, the driver's door jamb. Older ones, an ID plate on the firewall. It's two or three characters, now usually three. Soul Red Crystal is 46V. That's not 41V, the older Soul Red: they're different paints.

Volkswagen & Audi Volkswagen and Audi: open the trunk. The vehicle data sticker is on the floor or in the spare-tire well, often under the cover. There's a copy in the service booklet. Find the line marked Lack-Nr., German for paint number. One color has a four-character code starting with L, and a two-character short code. Deep Black Pearl is LC9X, or 2T. Audi's Ibis White is LY9C, or T9.

Before you order Pearl whites and some reds are often tricoats: a base, a tinted mid-coat, then clear. Both colors are mixed to the same code. One code can also come in several shades, called variants, because factories drift. Always spray a test card and hold it against the car before you paint. And if the paint is faded, repainted, or the label is gone, send us a painted part, like the fuel door. We match the part itself, and sample matches carry our color match guarantee.

Get it mixed Got your code? Open the paint finder at autofxmart.com, choose I have my paint code, and type it in. Find color brings up your color, mixed to that code: a ready-to-spray aerosol, or a quart, half gallon or gallon for your spray gun. Can't make out the label? Snap a photo of it. The finder reads the code and shows you the factory colors that use it.

Find your color Find your code, then find your color, at autofxmart.com. Subscribe for more from our counter: touch-up, prep, and spraying, done right.