A VIN number is a 17 character alpha/numeric serial number unique to each vehicle, by manufacturer, make, model and year. Each character in the VIN number can be decoded to determine where the car was built, what year, which automotive features are included and more. Together, all the VIN numbers create a history about your GMC General Motors.

It is the tenth digit that gives you the model year for GM. Ive been working at a Chevy dealer for years running codes/vins.For example ( my examples only apply to 2001-2015 gm vehicles)Remember 10th digit from the beginning, (left to right).2001.. 12002..22003..3.etc.2009..9After 09 the tenth digit was given a letter2010.. A2011..B2012..C2013..D2014..E2015..FEtc..We have another 20 years worth of lettersThanks for reading.You can always check your model year by looking in your drivers side door jamb and it will give you model year. If it was assembled in July or later it's probably a model year later than listed.

American GM[edit]

American VIN format[edit]

GM has traditionally encoded the platform as the fourth character of the VIN. Other content includes an engine code and manufacturing plant. GM's VIN format is as follows:

Platform codes[edit]

GM used a lettered system of automobile platform codes for three decades. These letters were used as the fourth position of the VIN. Though today's GM platforms use Greek characters, they are still encoded with Latin characters in the fourth position. Position five encodes the specific model and trim level of the vehicle.

Body style codes[edit]

The Body type is specified as character six of the American GM VIN for passenger cars.

American restraint types[edit]

The restraint type is specified as character seven of the American GM VIN for passenger cars.

Missing Entry: Corvette Z06, vin code S 5.7L LS6 2001-2204 and vin code E 7.0L LS7 2005-2010 and later. 2010 Impala vin code K is a 3.5L MFI

American engine codes[edit]

GM encodes the engine type in character 8 of the VIN. The following table outlines the various engines encoded there:

Engine codes for passenger cars[edit]

2010 Chevy Malibu engine code B, 2.4LMistake on the engine code M, this M code comes out on the 1995 - 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and the engine is an RPO L82 3.1 SFI engine. This engine made it's first appearance on the A-Body sisters Buick Century and Oldsmobile's Cutlass Ciera 'S', the 1994 L-Body Chevrolet Beretta/Corsica, and it's N-Body siblings, which include the Buick Skylark, Oldsmobile Achieva, and Pontiac Grand Am, but Oldsmobile also had offerings of this engine offering in the 'Late' 1993 W-Body Cutlass for the engine to also incorporate into the 1994 model year W-Bodies, which included the Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, with the aforementioned Monte Carlo and it's sedan equivalent, the revised Lumina to follow suit the next model year, 1995. It continued it's second iteration, the LG8 3.1 in 2000 (VIN code 'J'), which finally ceased production in the 2005 model year W-Body version of the Century.

VIN code T also designates a 3.1 V6, the base engine in the 1990-92 Camaro/Firebird platform, and VIN code 8 is much better known as the L98 5.7 V8 TPI, standard in the 1985-91 Corvette and optional in the 1987-92 Camaro/Firebird platform .

Missing Entry: 1985-1988 Pontiac Fieros have a 9 engine code for the 2.8L L44 V6. Free daz 3d model kids.

Missing Entry: The 2009 Corvette and 2011 Camaro SS use a W engine code for the 6.2L LS3 V8.

Missing Entry: Vin Code V for 2.4 L LE9 2.4L MFI I4

Warning: Issues with the decoding are related to year/model combinations. Such as the 4.1 V6 is not included in the list, however it was used on El Dorada and some Cadillac models. Each Year has different break down for each code, a complete list would be a subject of its own. Along with Plants and some model break downs over years.

Missing Entry: 1991 Limo with engine code 7, is not listed. According to one source the limo engine is a 5.7L.

Missing Entry: Corvette Z06, vin code S 5.7L LS6 2001-2204 and vin code E 7.0L LS7 2005-2010 and later

LY7; 3.6; v6 Comparar o autocad lt vs. autocad lt for mac.

Engine codes for light trucks[edit]

There is a mistake for 2012. The engine code for 4.8 L Flexfuel engine is an A and is not listed.

American GM factories[edit]

List of GM Factories2gcec13y881332689

GM WMIs[edit]

Also mistake on Country codes..GMC light trucks are not listed. The code is 1GT which indicates Ft Wayne, IN.Missing 2G6 on Country Codes.

What is a VIN Number?

VIN stands for Vehicle Identification Number. This is a unique number made up of 17 characters used to describe a vehicle. You can decode a VIN to find out more about your car or truck.

Even though the N represents the word number, a lot of people still refer to it as the VIN Number.

Every vehicle since 1981 (except some imports) have VIN Numbers. Each one consists of a code of 17 digits. This code of digits is different for each and every vehicle on the planet (unless there are aliens somewhere with vehicles, I’m not sure about them).

Dealerships, insurance companies, parts suppliers, authorities, and potential buyers all use a VIN. This brings up the information needed to identify the vehicle. It is usually used as the base information to evaluate a car or truck too. CARFAX and Autocheck will also have information related to the VIN number of each vehicle, such as accident reports.

Find your vehicle’s VIN

This VIN sticker is on the driver’s door jamb of a Ford pickup truck

The easiest place to find a vehicle identification number is on the outside bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side. Look to the very bottom of the windshield to read it. There will also be a sticker on the side of the driver’s door, or on the inside of the driver’s side pillar or bulkhead.

VIN’s are also be stored within electronic devices within newer cars and trucks for security reasons.

How to decode a VIN?

WMI

Digits 1 through 3 combined is the WMI, (World Manufacturer Identifier).

The first digit of the VIN number is the country of origin or final processing plant. For example, numbers, 1, 4 and 5 represent the U.S. 2 is Canada and the number 3 represents Mexico. The Society of Automotive Engineers are the ones who assign WMI’s to countries and manufacturers. Next is the digit that represents the manufacturer, for example, ‘G’ is for General Motors, ‘C’ can be Chrysler and ‘B’ for BMW.

The third digit combined with the first two may identify the type of vehicle, such as whether it is a truck, SUV or car. For example, a Chevrolet truck VIN would start as ‘1GC’. 1 for the US as the country of origin, G for General Motors and C for Truck.

Vehicle Descriptor

Digits 4 through 8 represent the vehicle descriptor section.

This is information such as model type, restraint types, body type, engine, and transmission.

Check Digit

Digit 9 is a check digit.

The 9th digit is like a security code, called a check digit. It is a code number/letter the manufacturer generates to verify authenticity of the whole number.

Vehicle Identification Section (VIS)

Digits 10 through 17 is the Vehicle Identifier Section.

The 10th digit is the model year. This table below is a good quick guide to years. So if the 10th digit is a ‘D’ this means the vehicle is a 2013 model.

https://support.alldata.com/alldata-repair-online-article/vin-to-year-chart

Plant Code

The 11th digit is the manufacturer’s plant code.

Vehicle manufacturers all have their own unique codes for which plant the car, truck, or SUV’s are built.

Production Number

Digits 12 through 17 digits are numbers the vehicle gets as it rolls through the production line.

These numbers are usually sequential. For example, the very first of that vehicle might end in 000001.

Letters not used in a VIN

The letters I, O and Q are not used.

Can you now decode a VIN number, find out anything interesting? Let us know in the comments below!

Lauren has been working in the automotive industry both in the U.K and in the U.S. for over 10 years. She has driven hundreds of vehicles, not only new cars but beaters without heaters, fast cars on fire, slow cars in snow, off-road trucks in the mucks, and old pickups with pups. She’s driven heaps of Jeeps, miles in muscle and once took her gran in a car from Japan.