GM VIN decoder
GM VIN decoder
General Motors sells four brands in the US: Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac. They share platforms and engines, and all GM VINs follow the same pattern: 1G for US-built, 2G for Canada, 3G for Mexico and KL for GM Korea.
GM WMI codes
The first three VIN characters. Verified against the NHTSA vPIC database.
| WMI | Manufacturer | Vehicle type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1G1 | General Motors LLC | Cars | United States |
| 1GB | General Motors LLC | Chassis cabs & incomplete | United States |
| 1GC | General Motors LLC | Trucks | United States |
| 1GN | General Motors LLC | SUVs, vans & crossovers | United States |
| 2G1 | General Motors LLC | Cars | Canada |
| 2GC | General Motors LLC | Trucks | Canada |
| 2GN | General Motors LLC | SUVs, vans & crossovers | Canada |
| 3G1 | General Motors LLC | Cars | Mexico |
| 3GC | General Motors LLC | Trucks | Mexico |
| 3GN | General Motors LLC | SUVs, vans & crossovers | Mexico |
| KL1 | General Motors LLC | Cars | South Korea |
| KL7 | General Motors LLC | SUVs, vans & crossovers | South Korea |
| KL8 | General Motors LLC | Cars | South Korea |
| 1GD | General Motors LLC | Chassis cabs & incomplete | United States |
| 1GK | General Motors LLC | SUVs, vans & crossovers | United States |
| 1GT | General Motors LLC | Trucks | United States |
| 2GK | General Motors LLC | SUVs, vans & crossovers | Canada |
| 2GT | General Motors LLC | Trucks | Canada |
| 3GK | General Motors LLC | SUVs, vans & crossovers | Mexico |
| 3GT | General Motors LLC | Trucks | Mexico |
| 1G4 | General Motors LLC | Cars | United States |
| 2G4 | General Motors LLC | Cars | Canada |
| 5GA | General Motors LLC | SUVs, vans & crossovers | United States |
| KL4 | General Motors LLC | SUVs, vans & crossovers | South Korea |
| 1G6 | General Motors LLC | Cars | United States |
| 1GY | General Motors LLC | SUVs, vans & crossovers | United States |
What to know about GM VINs
- GM uses the 8th character of the VIN as the engine code across Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac.
- The third character often identifies the brand and vehicle type: for example 1G1 is a Chevrolet car, 1GT a GMC truck and 1G6 a Cadillac car.
- Twin models such as the Silverado and Sierra share most parts, so the VIN is the quickest way to confirm the exact brand and engine.
GM models you can decode
- Chevrolet Silverado
- GMC Sierra
- Chevrolet Tahoe
- GMC Yukon
- Cadillac Escalade
- Chevrolet Equinox
- GMC Terrain
- Buick Enclave
- Buick Encore GX
- Cadillac XT5
- Chevrolet Malibu
- GMC Hummer EV
Any 17-character GM VIN from the 1981 model year onwards can be decoded. Check open recalls for free on NHTSA.
How a GM VIN is built
All 17-character VINs for vehicles sold in the US follow the same structure.
Example: 5NPD74LF5LH611542
| Position | What it means | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Country / region | Where the manufacturer is registered: 1, 4, 5 and 7 = United States, 2 = Canada, 3 = Mexico, J = Japan, K = South Korea, W = Germany. |
| 2–3 | Manufacturer | Positions 1–3 together form the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI), assigned to one maker and vehicle type. |
| 4–8 | Vehicle descriptor | Manufacturer-coded details such as model line, body style, restraint system, engine and gross weight rating. |
| 9 | Check digit | A 0–9 or X calculated from the other 16 characters. It catches typos and many fake VINs. |
| 10 | Model year | A letter or number for the model year. The codes repeat every 30 years (see the table below). |
| 11 | Assembly plant | The factory that built the vehicle. Plant codes are defined by each manufacturer. |
| 12–17 | Serial number | The production sequence number that makes the VIN unique. |
VIN model year chart (10th character)
Codes repeat every 30 years. On cars and light trucks, a letter in position 7 means the later year.
A
1980 · 2010
B
1981 · 2011
C
1982 · 2012
D
1983 · 2013
E
1984 · 2014
F
1985 · 2015
G
1986 · 2016
H
1987 · 2017
J
1988 · 2018
K
1989 · 2019
L
1990 · 2020
M
1991 · 2021
N
1992 · 2022
P
1993 · 2023
R
1994 · 2024
S
1995 · 2025
T
1996 · 2026
V
1997 · 2027
W
1998 · 2028
X
1999 · 2029
Y
2000 · 2030
1
2001 · 2031
2
2002 · 2032
3
2003 · 2033
4
2004 · 2034
5
2005 · 2035
6
2006 · 2036
7
2007 · 2037
8
2008 · 2038
9
2009 · 2039
The letters I, O, Q, U and Z and the number 0 are never used as year codes.
Where to find the VIN on a GM
- Lower corner of the windshield on the driver’s side, readable from outside the car
- Sticker or plate on the driver’s door jamb (open the door)
- Title, registration card and insurance card
- Engine bay, often on the firewall or the front of the frame on trucks
- Seller’s listing or the dealer’s window sticker
The VIN on the car, the title and the listing must all match. If they do not, do not buy.
VinCode report · $5.99
Before you buy a used GM, check its history
Title brands, accidents, total-loss events, odometer readings, owners and service records for the VIN, scored with the VinCode Score.
- Title brand check
- Accidents & damage
- Odometer chart
- Owners & usage
- Service records
- VinCode Score
Does a GMC VIN decode the same way as a Chevy VIN?
Yes. Both follow GM’s VIN pattern; the WMI identifies the brand and the 8th character the engine.
Which GM VINs come from Korea?
VINs starting with KL were built by GM Korea, including recent Chevrolet Trax, Trailblazer and Buick Encore models.
Is the GM VIN decoder free?
Yes. Decoding a GM VIN is free. A full VinCode report with title brands, accidents, odometer readings and owners costs $5.99.
Does a GM VIN show accident history?
No. The VIN only encodes how the vehicle was built. Accident, damage and title history come from records reported for the VIN, which is what the VinCode report shows.