Mazda Paint Code: Where to Find It and How to Read It
The exact label to look for on a Mazda, how the code is printed, what people mistake it for, and 12 verified Mazda colour codes.
NHTSA vPIC has no colour field, so no VIN decoder returns one. The label on the vehicle is the reliable route.
On almost every Mazda the paint code is on the Color ID Tag inside the driver's door jamb — on the B-pillar, the door edge, or near the latch. The field is labelled COLOR or COLOR CODE. The code is three characters, two digits and a letter, like 46G or 25D. A 17-character VIN does not contain it.
Where is the paint code on a Mazda?
- Driver-side door jamb. The primary location on effectively every Mazda. Open the driver's door and check the B-pillar, the door's own edge, and the area near the latch striker. PaintScratch calls this plate the Color ID Tag — a small rectangular sticker or foil plate carrying the VIN, weight and tyre data, barcodes and a colour row. PaintScratch and AutomotiveTouchup independently give this location for every Mazda model they list, from the 323, 626, 929 and B-series pickups through Protegé, RX-8, Miata, Tribute and the current CX-30, CX-50, CX-70 and CX-90. Neither source narrows it to a shorter year range.
- Firewall / under-hood label. The documented alternate. AutomotiveTouchup lists the firewall alongside the door jamb for all Mazda models, and PaintScratch states that on some models and years the tag sits on an under-hood label on the firewall instead, at the back of the engine bay near the windshield. Neither source names the specific model years this applies to, so treat it as a fallback rather than a rule: check the door jamb first and the firewall only if the jamb plate is absent or unreadable.
- Radiator support, hood sides and strut tower. Secondary fallbacks on older and rarer Mazdas, listed by PaintScratch. The radiator support is the metal crossbar at the front of the engine bay, visible with the hood open; the tag can also appear on the inner sides of the engine compartment or on the driver's-side strut tower, occasionally the passenger side. Strut-tower stickers are frequently obscured by dirt or oil and may need cleaning to read.
How to read the Mazda paint code
Three characters on any Mazda from roughly the 1990s onward: two digits then a letter (46G, 25D, 47C, 51F), or letter-digit-letter for Mazda's A-series basic colours (A4A, A4D, A3F). Older and grey-import Mazdas can carry a two-character code such as G9 or P7. The field is printed as COLOR or COLOR CODE; PaintScratch reports also seeing it as "BODY Color Code", so the exact wording varies by plant and year. A TRIM code usually sits beside it on the same plate — that is the interior, not the paint. Ignore the VIN, the model/type code, the axle and transmission letters, the GVWR and tyre-pressure block, and the build date.
- Open the driver's door and look at the jamb: the B-pillar the door latches into, the door's own edge, and the area around the striker. You are looking for a small sticker or foil plate with barcodes and dense alphanumeric text — refinish suppliers call it the Color ID Tag.
- Find the row labelled COLOR or COLOR CODE. The value beside it is three characters: two digits and a letter (46G, 25D, 47C) or letter-digit-letter on Mazda's A-series basic colours (A4A, A4D).
- Ignore the TRIM code next to it — that is the interior. Ignore the VIN, the model/type code, and the axle, transmission, GVWR and build-date fields, which are the things most often copied down by mistake.
- If the jamb plate is missing, painted over or unreadable, check the under-hood label on the firewall at the back of the engine bay, then the radiator support and the strut towers.
- Verify the code before you buy paint: look it up and check it returns the colour name you expect — 46G should come back Machine Gray Metallic, 25D Snowflake White Pearl Mica. If the name does not match the car in front of you, you read the wrong field. A Mazda dealer parts desk can confirm the code against your VIN's build record.
Common Mazda paint codes
| Code | Mazda colour name | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|
| 46G | Machine Gray Metallic | 2016 to present, across CX-3, CX-5, CX-9, CX-30, CX-50, CX-70, CX-90, Mazda3, Mazda6, MX-5 and MX-30. |
| 25D | Snowflake White Pearl Mica | Tri-coat. Long-running — paintref lists it from the 2002 Millenia through the current Mazda3, CX-30 and MX-5. |
| 46V | Soul Red Crystal Metallic | Tri-coat, 2017 onward across most of the range. Replaced 41V and is not interchangeable with it. |
| 41V | Soul Red Metallic | The earlier red, roughly 2012-2018 on Mazda3 and CX-3. A different formula from 46V. |
| 41W | Jet Black Mica | 2013 to present on most models. A plain two-coat mica, single formula per supplier. |
| 42M | Deep Crystal Blue Mica | Long-running blue on CX-5, CX-30, CX-90, Mazda3, Mazda6 and MX-5. |
| 45P | Sonic Silver Metallic | CX-5, CX-9, CX-90 and Mazda3, mid-2010s to present. |
| 47A | Ceramic Metallic | CX-3, CX-30, Mazda3, MX-5 and MX-30, 2017 onward. |
| 47C | Polymetal Gray Metallic | CX-5, CX-30, CX-50, CX-70, Mazda3 and MX-30, 2019 onward. |
| 45B | Eternal Blue Mica | CX-3, CX-5, Mazda3 and MX-5, mid-2010s. |
| 48T | Zircon Sand Metallic | CX-30, CX-5, CX-50, CX-70 and Mazda3, 2021 onward. paintref spells the name "Zicron Sand". |
| 51K | Rhodium White Metallic | CX-5, CX-70 and CX-90, 2023 onward. Listed as a multi-coat white; PaintScratch catalogues it as a tricoat. |
This list is not every colour Mazda has sold. Always confirm against the label on your own vehicle before ordering paint.
What to know before you order paint
- A 17-character VIN does not encode the paint code. Decoding a Mazda VIN through NHTSA's vPIC API returns 140 fields — plant, engine, body class, trim level — and not one of them is exterior colour. PaintScratch says the same in its own Mazda FAQ: the VIN does not contain the paint colour code. Any service advertising "Mazda paint code by VIN" is either querying a manufacturer build record behind the scenes or guessing from the model. This site does not return a paint code from a VIN.
- A tri-coat prints as one code but mixes as two formulas. paintref lists 25D Snowflake White Pearl with paired supplier numbers — PPG 5955 and 5956, DuPont P4552 and P4577, Martin Senour 64256 and 64257 — a basecoat plus a pearl midcoat under the single Mazda code. A plain mica like 41W Jet Black shows one number per supplier. Tell the shop the finish is a tri-coat, or you will be sold the base alone and the colour will not match.
- The code is stable across models; the colour name is not. paintref's cross-reference shows 46G carrying Machine Gray across eleven Mazda models in the same years. But refinish suppliers rename colours in their own catalogues: PaintScratch lists 46V as "Bright Red Tricoat" and 51K as "White Tricoat" rather than Mazda's Soul Red Crystal and Rhodium White. Order by code, never by name.
- Published Mazda code lists are frequently wrong. One competing paint-code lookup page checked in August 2026 listed 46V as Machine Gray Metallic, 41V as Soul Red Crystal Metallic, 42B as Jet Black Mica and 47A as Polymetal Gray — four codes, four incorrect names, contradicted by both paintref and PaintScratch. Cross-check any code against two independent sources before buying paint.
- Ford-era Mazdas mix Ford colour names with Mazda-format codes. paintref's Tribute listing shows Ford names such as Oxford White and Toreador Red appearing under Mazda-style codes 14L and 14A. On those vehicles, searching the colour name alone can land you on a Ford formula that is not what was sprayed on the panel — read the code off the jamb plate instead.
Mazda and refinish sources
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
- Mazda paint code cross-reference (code 46G, model years and supplier formulas)PaintRef.com
- Find Your Mazda's Color CodePaintScratch
- How to Find Mazda Paint Codes (per-model label locations)AutomotiveTouchup
- Product Information Catalog and Vehicle Listing (vPIC) VIN decoder APINHTSA (U.S. Department of Transportation)
- Machine Gray Metallic 46G colour listingPaintScratch
Mazda paint code questions
How do I find the exact paint code for Mazda Machine Gray Metallic?
Mazda Machine Gray Metallic is code 46G. Check the Color ID Tag in your driver's door jamb and confirm the COLOR row reads 46G before ordering anything. paintref's cross-reference and PaintScratch's catalogue both give 46G as Machine Gray Metallic, appearing on the CX-3, CX-5, CX-9, CX-30, CX-50, CX-70, CX-90, Mazda3, Mazda6, MX-5 and MX-30 from 2016 onward.
How can I find the exact colour code for my Mazda 3?
Open the driver's door and read the Color ID Tag on the B-pillar or the door edge. The row labelled COLOR or COLOR CODE holds a three-character value such as 46G, 25D or 47A. PaintScratch and AutomotiveTouchup both give the driver's door jamb for every Mazda3 generation they list. Do not use the VIN — it carries no colour field.
How can I identify the exact Mazda Snowflake White Pearl paint code?
Snowflake White Pearl Mica is code 25D. It is a tri-coat, so a shop needs a white basecoat plus a pearl midcoat: paintref lists paired supplier formulas under the single Mazda code, including PPG 5955 and 5956 and Martin Senour 64256 and 64257. The code has been in use since at least the 2002 Millenia and still appears on the current Mazda3, CX-30 and MX-5.
Can I get my Mazda paint code from the VIN?
No. A 17-character VIN does not encode paint. Running a Mazda VIN through NHTSA's free vPIC decoder returns 140 fields — plant, engine, body class, trim level — with no exterior colour among them. Sites promising a paint code from a VIN are either reading a manufacturer build record behind the scenes or guessing from the model. The label on the car is the reliable route.
Are Mazda colour codes consistent across different models?
Within a model year, yes. paintref shows 46G carrying Machine Gray on eleven different Mazda models in the same years, using one formula. Across years, no: Mazda replaced 41V Soul Red Metallic with 46V Soul Red Crystal Metallic in 2017, and the two are different reds. Match on the code, and check which model year that code belongs to.
Can I use a generic paint code from another brand on a Mazda?
No. A paint code only means something inside its own manufacturer's numbering. Toyota's 1F7 or Nissan's KH3 are not readable by a Mazda formula book, and a similar-looking three-character code from another make will mix a different colour. Give the supplier the make, the model year and the Mazda code together — refinish catalogues index formulas by all three.
How do I match a Mazda paint code to the right colour for my vehicle?
Read the code off the door jamb, then confirm it resolves to the colour name you expect before buying. 46G should come back Machine Gray Metallic and 25D Snowflake White Pearl Mica. Suppliers rename colours, though: PaintScratch sells 46V as Bright Red Tricoat rather than Soul Red Crystal. The code is the constant; the name is marketing and changes between catalogues.
Does Mazda print more than one code for two-tone, pearl or tri-coat finishes?
Mazda prints one exterior colour code, not two. Neither paintref's Mazda listings nor PaintScratch's 492-colour Mazda catalogue contains a separate roof or two-tone code, including for the MX-30 with its contrasting roof and pillar panels. What changes is the number of layers: tri-coats such as 25D, 46V, 34K, 48K and 51F need a midcoat, so one code buys two products.