Hyundai VIN decoder for USA

Free Hyundai VIN Decoder to check car history and specifications for Hyundai USA.

What is a Hyundai VIN?

The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique 17-character code that identifies each vehicle. It is necessary for vehicle registration, completing an MOT test, checking the vehicle’s history, and other processes.

The current VIN number format became standard in 1981, making Hyundai and most car manufacturers implement it. Current VIN numbers are long, but they contain lots of information and are easy to decode, thanks to a globally accepted standard.

Hyundai is a South Korean automotive giant known for its diverse range of vehicles, including cars, SUVs, and commercial vehicles. Hyundai is very popular for its affordable and innovative cars, allowing people to own reliable and modern vehicles without spending a fortune.

As of 2022, Hyundai is the world's third-largest car manufacturer in terms of production, and its lineup is expanding with electric and hybrid models.

Where to search for the VIN on your Hyundai?

A vehicle’s VIN number is located in multiple places and can depend on the brand. However, there are specific common locations where the VIN is usually found in most vehicles.

Where to find VIN - location Hyundai USA

Here’s where you can find it in Hyundai cars:

  • On the dashboard near the windshield
  • On the driver’s side door pillar
  • In the engine bay, on the firewall
  • In front of the front passenger’s seat

Remember that a VIN plays an important role in a car’s ownership, therefore, it should be printed on a sticker or stamped into metal. Make sure the numbers in each location match, and there are no signs of tampering.

What is Hyundai VIN decoder?

A key aspect of a VIN number is its ability to reveal vital details about a car's history. A simple VIN lookup can help you uncover important historical data, such as mileage discrepancies, damage records, and information about its ownership flow.

You can perform a VIN number lookup using a Hyundai VIN decoder – just enter a car’s VIN and you’ll find specifications, historical facts, and other information about the car.

How accurate is the information provided by the Hyundai VIN decoder?

carVertical’s Hyundai VIN decoder collects data only from reliable sources, such as governmental registries, vehicle inspection centers, law enforcement databases, dealerships, and insurance companies. Our vehicle history reports always contain up-to-date and legitimate information, so getting one is a great way to evaluate a car when buying it or provide more information when selling.

However, sometimes there’s very little information about particular vehicles, making some reports a bit scarce. In that case, customers receive their spent credits back.

How to decode a VIN number - Hyundai VIN breakdown

VIN numbers can be divided into four main sections: World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI), Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS), Check Digit, and Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS).

Most sections hold specific information, such as model, body style, year of manufacture, etc. Only the Check Digit section consists of a single number. However, different car makers choose different meanings for each letter and number.

VIN breakdown (Hyundai USA)

Theoretically, you can decode an entire VIN, but it’s inconvenient compared to the Hyundai VIN decoder. Nevertheless, identifying a few characters can help you reveal essential information about the car at a glance.

World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI)

The first 3 characters of a VIN number create a WMI section. The 1st character reveals the geographic zone of manufacture. The 2nd one shows the manufacturer, while the 3rd is the vehicle type.

Here’s the list of possible WMI combinations in a Hyundai VIN:

WMIMeaning
AC5Hyundai Automotive South Africa (cars)
KMCHyundai South Korea (commercial vehicle)
KMEHyundai South Korea (commercial vehicle - semi-tractor truck)
KMFHyundai South Korea (commercial vehicle)
KMHHyundai South Korea (passenger & multi-purpose vehicle)
KMJHyundai South Korea (bus & minibus)
KMTGenesis Motors South Korea (passenger vehicle)
KMUGenesis Motors South Korea (multi-purpose passenger vehicle)
KMXHyundai South Korea (no longer used)
KMZHyundai South Korea (no longer used)
KM8Hyundai South Korea (multi-purpose passenger vehicle, for North America)
KNDHyundai (multi-purpose vehicle made by Kia South Korea)
LBEBeijing Hyundai Automotive Co Ltd.
MALHyundai Motors India Ltd.
MB2Hyundai Motors India Ltd. (multi-purpose vehicle)
MF3Hyundai Motor Indonesia (HMID)
NLHHyundai Assan (passenger cars)
NLJHyundai Assan (minibus, van)
PFDHyundai Motor Group Innovation Center in Singapore (HMGICS) (multi-purpose passenger vehicle)
TMAHyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech
TMCHyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech
U5YKia Motors Slovakia (ix35 only)
X7MHyundai made by TagAz
XWEHyundai made by Avtotor
Z94Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Rus
2HMHyundai Auto Canada (Passenger Vehicle)
3KPHyundai (Passenger Vehicle made by Kia Motor Manufacturing Mexico)
5NMHyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (Hyundai & Genesis Multi-Purpose Passenger Vehicle)
5NPHyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (Hyundai Passenger Vehicle)
5NTHyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (Hyundai Truck)
5XYHyundai (Multi-Purpose Passenger Vehicle made by Kia Motor Manufacturing Georgia)
8LGHyundai made by Aymesa in Ecuador
95PCaoa Montadora de Veículos SA (Tucson, ix35, & HR truck)
9BHHyundai Motor Brasil (HB20 & Creta)

These combinations are mostly found in vehicle identification numbers of later Hyundai models, therefore, sometimes WMI sections can be different for older cars.

Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS)

The second section (VDS) consists of 5 characters, revealing information about the car’s model, engine, body type, trim levels, restraint system, and engine type. For instance, each model has its own representing character in a VIN number, helping you ensure the model is correct.

Here’s what each character represents in the 4th position of a Hyundai’s VIN:

4th characterModel line
Ai10, Grand i10, Xcent
BSonata 1989-1994, Grand i10, Aura, i20, Casper, Bayon
CSonata 1995-1998, Accent 2000–2022, Ioniq 2017-2022, HB20, Creta
DElantra 2001-2020, Elantra Touring 2009-2012, Elantra GT 2013-2017, i30 (FD & GD)
ESonata 2006- (US built), Sonata 2006-2019 (Korean built)
FXG300, XG350, Azera 2006-2017, Genesis G80 2019-2020 (KMT), Genesis G90 2019- (KMT), H100
GGenesis sedan 2009–2016, Equus 2011-2016, Genesis G80 2017-2019 (KMH), Genesis G90 2017-2019 (KMH), Genesis G70 2019-, Genesis G80 2021-
HTiburon 2003-2008, Genesis Coupe 2010-2016, i30 (PD), Elantra GT 2018-2020, Kona 2024-, Genesis GV80
JElantra 1992-2000, Tiburon 1997-2001, Tucson 2005-, Santa Cruz 2022-, Nexo 2019-
KKona 2018-2023, Ioniq 5 2022-, Genesis GV60
LExcel 1986-1989, Sonata 2020- (Korean built), i40, Elantra 2021-, Cantus 16 -
MEntourage, Ioniq 6, Genesis GV70
NVeracruz 2007-2012
PPony, Matrix, ix20, Creta, Grand Creta
RVenue, Palisade
SSanta Fe 2001-2010, Santa Fe LWB (XL) 2013-2019, Santa Fe 2019-
TVeloster
VExcel 1990-1994, Accent 1995-1999, Scoupe
WSonata 1999-2005
ZSanta Fe 2011-2012, Santa Fe Sport 2013-2018

Security Check Digit

The 9th character of a VIN is a Check Digit, which helps verify that the VIN is valid. The number varies in different VINs because it’s a result of the special U.S. Department of Transportation formula that uses all of a VIN’s characters.

The Check Digit can’t be the same if one or more characters of the VIN are changed.

Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS)

The last section has 8 characters, but only 2 of them can be useful when decoding VIN manually.

The 10th character of VIN always reveals the model year, while the 11th represents the assembly plant.

The 10th character can help you reveal the model year at a glance:

CodeYearCodeYearCodeYearCodeYearCodeYearCodeYear
A1980L1990Y2000A2010L2020Y2030
B1981M199112001B2011M202112031
C1982N199222002C2012N202222032
D1983P199332003D2013P202332033
E1984R199442004E2014R202442034
F1985S199552005F2015S202552035
G1986T199662006G2016T202662036
H1987V199772007H2017V202772037
J1988W199882008J2018W202882038
K1989X199992009K2019X202992039

The 11th character can reveal where the car was manufactured. Here are the possible manufacturing plant codes with respective plants:

11th characterManufacturing plant
AAsan, South Korea
BBromont, Quebec, Canada (2HM) / Gabarone, Botswana (KMH) / Anapolis, Goiás, Brazil (Caoa Montadora plant)
CCheonju, South Korea
EPesqueria, Nuevo Leon, Mexico (Kia plant)
FJurong, Singapore (PFD)
GWest Point, Georgia, USA (Kia plant)
HMontgomery, Alabama, USA
JNošovice, Czech Republic (TMA) /Benoni, South Africa (AC5) or Cikarang, Indonesia (MF3)
LŽilina, Slovakia (Kia plant)
MChennai, Tamil Nadu, India
PPiracicaba, São Paulo state, Brazil (Hyundai Motor Brasil plant)
RSaint Petersburg, Russia
UUlsan, South Korea
WGwangju, South Korea (Gwangju Global Motors Co. Ltd. plant)
Zİzmit, Turkey (Hyundai Assan)
6Sohari plant, Gwangmyeong, South Korea (Kia plant)

The last 6 characters are always digits, forming a sequential production number.

Is a Hyundai VIN decoder available for a free VIN check in the USA?

Hyundai VIN decoder is free if you want to decode a VIN, revealing a car’s model, specs, and other basic information. However, if you want to learn about a car’s history, you’ll have to buy a full history report.

History reports aren’t free because raw data is taken from various reputable sources, processed, and provided in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

List of Hyundai models in the USA

Current models:

  • Hyundai HB20
  • Hyundai i10
  • Hyundai i20
  • Hyundai i30
  • Hyundai Accent/Verna
  • Hyundai Elantra
  • Hyundai Grandeur
  • Hyundai Ioniq 6
  • Hyundai Sonata
  • Hyundai Alcazar
  • Hyundai Bayon
  • Hyundai Creta
  • Hyundai Ioniq 5
  • Hyundai Kona
  • Hyundai Nexo
  • Hyundai Palisade
  • Hyundai Santa Fe
  • Hyundai Tucson
  • Hyundai Venue
  • Hyundai Santa Cruz

Former models:

  • Hyundai Genesis
  • Hyundai Galloper
  • Hyundai Ioniq
  • Hyundai i40
  • Hyundai ix20
  • Hyundai ix25
  • Hyundai ix35
  • Hyundai Terracan
  • Hyundai Tiburon/Coupe
  • Hyundai Veloster

FAQ

Can I use a Hyundai VIN decoder to determine the car's manufacturing date and location?

Yes, the 10th character of a VIN number represents the model year, while the 11th or 1st character indicates the country in which the vehicle was manufactured.

Can the VIN decoder tell me about the car's previous accidents or damage history?

While the Hyundai VIN decoder can only provide a brief check, you can buy a full history report, which reveals data about previous damage, mileage, ownership changes, and legal status.

How often is the data in a VIN decoder updated?

Regularly – each carVertical history report comes with up-to-date information collected from official and reliable sources.