Hyundai VIN decoder
Enter a Hyundai VIN to see the model, year, engine, factory and open safety recalls. Free, with official NHTSA data.
About Hyundai VINs
Hyundai cars built in Korea start with KMH and SUVs with KM8. Many US Hyundais come from Montgomery, Alabama: the Sonata and Elantra start with 5NP, the Santa Fe and Tucson with 5NM, and the Santa Cruz pickup with 5NT.
Hyundai is part of Hyundai Motor Group.
Good to know
- The 8th character is the engine code, which matters for the engine recalls and warranty extensions Hyundai has run.
- Kia belongs to the same group but uses its own codes.
- Hyundai's own recall lookup with the full VIN shows whether recall work was done on that car.
Hyundai manufacturer codes (WMI)
The first three characters of a VIN are the World Manufacturer Identifier. NHTSA lists 10 codes for Hyundai. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5NM | Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama LLC (Hmma) | United States (USA) | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Genesis |
| 5NP | Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center Inc (Hatci) | United States (USA) | Passenger Car | – |
| 5NT | Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama LLC (Hmma) | United States (USA) | Truck | – |
| 7YA | Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America | – | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Kia |
| KM8 | Hyundai Motor Co | South Korea | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| KME | Hyundai Motor Co | – | Truck | – |
| KMH | Hyundai Motor Co | South Korea | Passenger Car | Genesis |
| KMU | Hyundai Motor Co | South Korea | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Genesis, Hmc |
| PFD | Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre In Singapore | Singapore | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| U5Y | Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center Inc (Hatci) | United States (USA) | Passenger Car | Kia |
Some codes are shared by several brands of the same group. The full decode shows the brand.
How to read a Hyundai 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 Hyundai VIN is the model year. Letters I, O, Q, U, Z and the number 0 are never used. The codes repeat every 30 years.
Hyundai models in the NHTSA database
NHTSA lists 38 model names under Hyundai. Decode a VIN to see which one yours is, with its exact trim and engine.
Hyundai models with years and recalls
- Hyundai Ioniq 9 2026–2027
- Hyundai Ioniq 6 N 2026–2027
All Hyundai model names
- Accent
- Azera
- Elantra
- Elantra GT
- Elantra N
- Elantra Touring
- Entourage
- Equus
- Excel
- Genesis
- Genesis Coupe
- Ioniq
- Ioniq 5
- Ioniq 5 N
- Ioniq 6
- Ioniq 6 N
- Ioniq 9
- Kona
- Kona N
- Nexo
- Palisade
- Pony
- Santa Cruz
- Santa Fe
- Santa Fe Sport
- Santa Fe XL
- Scoupe
- Sonata
- Stellar
- Tiburon
- Tucson
- Veloster
- Veloster N
- Venue
- Veracruz
- Xcient
- XG300
- XG350
Vehicle types NHTSA lists for Hyundai
Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV), Passenger Car, Truck
Where to find the VIN on a Hyundai
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.
Hyundai recalls by VIN
Every decoded Hyundai 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 Hyundai dealer or use Hyundai's own recall lookup with the VIN.
Most recalled Hyundai models
- Hyundai Ioniq 9 3 recalls, 2026–2027
Hyundai VIN decoder questions
How do I decode a Hyundai 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 Hyundai 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 Hyundai VIN mean?
They are the manufacturer code (WMI): maker, brand and country of manufacture. NHTSA lists 10 codes for Hyundai; the table on this page shows them.
Does a Hyundai 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.