Chevrolet VIN decoder
Enter a Chevrolet VIN to see the model, year, engine, factory and open safety recalls. Free, with official NHTSA data.
About Chevrolet VINs
Chevrolet is General Motors' biggest brand, and its VINs follow the GM pattern shared with GMC and Cadillac. Cars usually start with 1G1, trucks with 1GC and SUVs with 1GN, while Chevys built in Canada and Mexico start with 2G or 3G.
Chevrolet is part of General Motors.
Good to know
- GM uses the 8th character as the engine code on most cars and light trucks, so it is the quickest way to tell a V6 from a V8.
- The VIN does not list options. GM prints them as three-character RPO codes on the Service Parts Identification label, usually in the glove box or on the spare tire cover.
- Older Chevrolet trucks (C/K, Silverado) use the 4th character for the gross weight class and the 5th-6th for series and cab.
Chevrolet manufacturer codes (WMI)
The first three characters of a VIN are the World Manufacturer Identifier. NHTSA lists 29 codes for Chevrolet. The first character shows the region where the vehicle was built (1, 4, 5 USA; 2 Canada; 3 Mexico; J Japan; K Korea; W Germany; Z Italy).
| Code | Manufacturer | Country | Vehicle type | Also used by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1G1 | General Motors LLC | United States (USA) | Passenger Car | – |
| 1GA | General Motors LLC | United States (USA) | Bus | – |
| 1GB | General Motors LLC | United States (USA) | Incomplete Vehicle | – |
| 1GC | General Motors LLC | United States (USA) | Truck | – |
| 1GN | General Motors LLC | United States (USA) | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| 2C1 | General Motors LLC | United States (USA) | Passenger Car | Geo |
| 2CN | General Motors LLC | United States (USA) | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Geo |
| 2G1 | General Motors LLC | Canada | Passenger Car | – |
| 2G5 | General Motors LLC | Canada | Truck | Brightdrop |
| 2G8 | General Motors LLC | Canada | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| 2GA | General Motors LLC | Canada | Bus | – |
| 2GB | General Motors LLC | Canada | Incomplete Vehicle | – |
| 2GC | General Motors LLC | United States (USA) | Truck | – |
| 2GN | General Motors LLC | Canada | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| 3G1 | General Motors LLC | Mexico | Passenger Car | – |
| 3GB | General Motors LLC | Mexico | Incomplete Vehicle | – |
| 3GC | General Motors LLC | Mexico | Truck | – |
| 3GM | General Motors LLC | United States (USA) | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| 3GN | General Motors LLC | Mexico | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| 4G1 | General Motors LLC | United States (USA) | Passenger Car | – |
| 4G3 | General Motors LLC | United States (USA) | Passenger Car | – |
| 4KB | General Motors LLC | United States (USA) | Incomplete Vehicle | – |
| 4W1 | General Motors LLC | United States (USA) | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| 6G1 | General Motors LLC | Australia | Passenger Car | – |
| 6G3 | General Motors LLC | – | Passenger Car | – |
| JG1 | General Motors LLC | United States (USA) | Passenger Car | Geo |
| KL1 | General Motors LLC | South Korea | Passenger Car | – |
| KL7 | General Motors LLC | – | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| KL8 | General Motors LLC | – | Passenger Car | – |
Some codes are shared by several brands of the same group. The full decode shows the brand.
How to read a Chevrolet VIN
| Position | Meaning | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Manufacturer code (WMI) | Maker, brand and country, as in the table above. |
| 4-8 | Vehicle descriptor | Model, body, engine and safety equipment. Each maker sets its own layout here. |
| 9 | Check digit | A calculated digit that catches typing errors and fake VINs. |
| 10 | Model year | A letter or number for the year (see the table below). |
| 11 | Assembly plant | The factory code, set by the maker. |
| 12-17 | Serial number | The production number of that vehicle. |
Model year codes
The 10th character of a Chevrolet VIN is the model year. Letters I, O, Q, U, Z and the number 0 are never used. The codes repeat every 30 years.
Chevrolet models in the NHTSA database
NHTSA lists 124 model names under Chevrolet. Decode a VIN to see which one yours is, with its exact trim and engine.
Chevrolet models with years and recalls
- Chevrolet Bolt 2027
All Chevrolet model names
- 3 ton
- 3500
- 3500/4500
- 3500HD
- 3500HG
- 4500
- 4500HD
- 4500HG
- 4500XD
- 5500HD
- 5500HG
- 5500XD
- 5500XG
- 6500XD
- 7500XD
- Alero
- Aluminum Tilt
- Astro Van
- Avalanche
- Aveo
- B7
- Beretta
- Blazer
- Bolt
- Bolt EUV
- Bolt EV
- Bolt Incomplete
- BrightDrop
- Bus Chassis
- C/K Pickup
- C4
- C5
- C6
- C7
- C8
- Camaro
- Caprice
- Caprice Police Vehicle
- Captiva Sport
- Cavalier
- Celebrity
- Chevette
- Citation
- City Express
- Cobalt
- Colorado
- Corsica
- Corvette
- Cruze
- Cruze Limited
- Cutaway Chassis
- Cutaway Van
- D7
- El Camino
- Epica
- Equinox
- Express
- Forward Control
- FTR
- G-Series
Show all 124 models
- Geo Prizm
- Geo Spectrum
- Geo Sprint
- GMT-400
- Hearse/Limo
- Hearse/Limo Commercial Chassis
- Heavy Conventional
- HHR
- Hi-Cube
- Impala
- Impala Limited
- Kalos
- Lumina
- Lumina APV
- LUV
- Malibu
- Malibu Classic
- Malibu Limited
- Matiz
- Metro
- Military Truck
- Monte Carlo
- Motorhome Chassis
- Nova
- Onix
- Optra
- Orlando
- P - Series
- P6S
- P Truck Forward
- R Conventional
- S-10 Blazer
- S-10 Pickup
- S6
- S7
- Silverado
- Silverado HD
- Silverado LD
- Silverado LTD
- Sonic
- Spark
- SS
- SSR
- Suburban
- Suburban HD
- T-Series
- Tahoe
- Tracker
- Trailblazer
- Traverse
- Traverse Limited
- Trax
- U100
- Uplander
- V Conventional
- Venture
- Volt
- W3
- W4
- W5
- W6
- W7
- W3500/W4500
- W5500/W5500 HD
Vehicle types NHTSA lists for Chevrolet
Bus, Incomplete Vehicle, Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV), Passenger Car, Truck
Where to find the VIN on a Chevrolet
Windshield
At the bottom of the windshield on the driver side, readable from outside.
Driver door frame
On the label on the door pillar, with tire pressures and weights.
Papers
On the title, registration and insurance card.
Chevrolet recalls by VIN
Every decoded Chevrolet VIN on VinGear shows the safety recalls NHTSA lists for that model and year. To know whether the repair was already done on your vehicle, ask a Chevrolet dealer or use Chevrolet's own recall lookup with the VIN.
Chevrolet VIN decoder questions
How do I decode a Chevrolet VIN?
Type the 17-character VIN in the box at the top of this page and press Decode VIN. You get the model, year, engine, factory and safety recalls from NHTSA, free.
Is this Chevrolet VIN decoder free?
Yes. Decoding and recall checks are free with no sign-up. The data comes from NHTSA, the US vehicle safety agency.
What do the first three characters of a Chevrolet VIN mean?
They are the manufacturer code (WMI): maker, brand and country of manufacture. NHTSA lists 29 codes for Chevrolet; the table on this page shows them.
Does a Chevrolet VIN show options or the owner?
No. The VIN codes the model, body, engine and factory, not options or colour. It never shows the owner, and VinGear does not look up owners.