Buick VIN Decoder: Free VIN Lookup

Decode any 17-character Buick VIN to see year, model, engine, and build plant, instantly, free, no signup.

Enter a 17-character Buick VIN

For full vehicle history (title brands, salvage, recalls, market value), get the report for $9.99

Buick VINs are unusually international: 1G4 means a U.S.-built car, 5GA the U.S.-built Enclave, 2G4 Canadian-built Regals, KL4 South Korea (Encore, Encore GX, Envista), LRB China (Envision), and W04 Europe (Regal Sportback, Cascada). Decoding is free, but it does not show title or accident history.

Example: decoding a Buick VIN

Sample pattern: KL4MMBS2•NB••••••

Positions	Characters	Meaning
1–3	KL4	Buick built by GM Korea
4–8	MMBS2	Encore GX line; body/trim/engine detail
9	•	Check digit
10	N	2022 model year
11	B	Plant code (verify via live decode)
12–17	••••••	Serial number

Structure per NHTSA 49 CFR Part 565.

Buick WMI codes: where your Buick was built

WMI	Country	Detail
1G4	USA	Buick cars, LaCrosse, Lucerne, Verano
5GA	USA	Enclave (Lansing Delta Township, MI)
2G4	Canada	Regal (Oshawa, ON, 2011–2017)
KL4	South Korea	Encore, Encore GX, Envista (GM Korea)
LRB	China	Envision (SAIC-GM joint venture)
W04	Germany/Poland	Regal Sportback (Rüsselsheim), Cascada (Gliwice)

Source: NHTSA vPIC WMI registry.

How to read each position of a Buick VIN

Positions 1–3, WMI: World Manufacturer Identifier. Identifies the maker and country of origin.
Positions 4–8, VDS: Vehicle Descriptor Section. Encodes body style, engine, restraint system, and model line.
Position 9, Check digit: Math-derived validator. A failed check digit can indicate a typo or a cloned VIN.
Position 10, Model year: Single character; see the table below.
Position 11, Assembly plant: Manufacturer-specific code for the factory.
Positions 12–17, Sequence: Sequential production number unique to that car.

Model-year code table (position 10)

Code	Year	Code	Year
A	1980 / 2010	S	1995 / 2025
B	1981 / 2011	T	1996 / 2026
C	1982 / 2012	V	1997 / 2027
D	1983 / 2013	W	1998 / 2028
E	1984 / 2014	X	1999 / 2029
F	1985 / 2015	Y	2000 / 2030
G	1986 / 2016	1	2001 / 2031
H	1987 / 2017	2	2002 / 2032
J	1988 / 2018	3	2003 / 2033
K	1989 / 2019	4	2004 / 2034
L	1990 / 2020	5	2005 / 2035
M	1991 / 2021	6	2006 / 2036
N	1992 / 2022	7	2007 / 2037
P	1993 / 2023	8	2008 / 2038
R	1994 / 2024	9	2009 / 2039

The position-7 rule: year codes repeat every 30 years. If position 7 is a letter the vehicle is 2010 or newer; if a digit it's 2009 or older. Letters I, O, Q, U, Z are never year codes.

Plant codes vary by model line, the decoder above returns the registered plant for your exact VIN.

Where to find the VIN on a Buick

On a metal plate at the base of the windshield on the driver's side (visible from outside).
On a sticker on the driver's door jamb.
Stamped on the engine block or firewall on many models.
On the title, registration, and insurance card, always confirm the paperwork matches the physical VIN. Mismatches are a serious red flag.

Buick title & history red flags to check before you buy

Decoding a VIN tells you how a vehicle was built. To see what happened to it, you need a full vehicle history report, which surfaces title brands, odometer readings, theft records, and more.

ARC airbag inflator recall

GM recalled 994,763 vehicles (2014–2017 Buick Enclave, Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia) in 2023 after an ARC driver-side inflator rupture, verify completion on any used Enclave from those years.

Country-of-origin surprises

Since 2016 the Envision has been imported from China (production moves to Kansas City around 2028) and the Encore family from South Korea, the VIN's first character is the fastest way to verify a listing's build-origin claims.

Odometer rollback on "low-mileage" older Buicks

Buick's older sedans are frequently marketed as low-mile estate cars; NHTSA estimates 450,000+ vehicles annually carry false readings, costing buyers over $1B. Recorded NMVTIS odometer readings expose mismatches.

Aging discontinued models

With LaCrosse, Regal, and Verano discontinued in the U.S., parts cars and rebuilt examples circulate; check for salvage/junk brands before buying a cheap discontinued Buick.

Buick recalls: check before you buy

ARC driver-airbag inflator recall (NHTSA 23V-334, 994,763 vehicles incl. 2014–2017 Enclave); earlier ARC-related GM campaigns; assorted Encore/Encore GX software and brake campaigns, confirm per VIN.

Run a free Buick recall check →

Recall counts shown by the free tool are model-level context for this model year, not a VIN-specific verdict. VIN-specific recall completion status is in the $9.99 report.

What to check on a used Buick

A used Buick can be an excellent buy, but the condition you can see during a test drive is only part of the picture. Two vehicles with the same year, mileage, and asking price can have completely different histories, and the difference usually lives in the paperwork rather than under the hood.

Start with maintenance evidence. Ask for service records covering oil changes, cooling system work, brakes, tires, and any major repair, and be skeptical of a seller who offers a single recent receipt instead of a history. Inspect for mismatched paint, uneven panel gaps, replacement lights, and fresh undercoating, since all of them can mask prior collision repair. Look for rust on the frame, rocker panels, and brake lines if the vehicle spent time in a salt state.

Flood damage is the pattern buyers miss most often. Storm-damaged vehicles are frequently repaired, moved to another state, and retitled, so check for musty odors, silt under the carpet and in the spare tire well, corroded seat rails and bolts, and moisture inside light housings. A car that smells strongly of air freshener deserves a closer look.

Before money changes hands, verify the four items a visual inspection cannot answer: whether the title carries a brand such as salvage, junk, rebuilt, or flood, whether the recorded odometer readings move forward consistently over time, whether the vehicle was ever declared a total loss or reported stolen, and whether a lien is still open against it. Recall completion on the exact VIN belongs on that list too.

See the history on this exact Buick before you pay for it.

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Looking at safety campaigns? Read Buick recalls: how to check open safety recalls, or run a VIN through the free recall check.

Free VIN decode vs. full vehicle history report

What you learn	TitlePull Report, $9.99 one-time	Free decoder	Other providers
Year, make, model, engine specs	✓	✓	✓ (free)
Title history	✓	No	Varies by provider
Title brands (salvage, flood, lemon)	✓	No	Varies by provider
Odometer readings over time	✓	No	Varies by provider
Theft & total-loss records	✓	No	Varies by provider
Recalls	✓ VIN-specific completion status	Model-level list (free tool)	Varies
Black Book® valuation	✓	No	Often extra
AI summary	✓	No	Rare
Subscription required	Never	Never	Often

Checked the specs? Now check the history.

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Buick VIN decoder: frequently asked questions

KL4 means the vehicle was built by GM Korea, that covers the Encore, Encore GX, and Envista. A Buick VIN starting with L (LRB) means China-built (Envision); 1 or 5 means U.S.-built; 2 means Canada; W means Europe.

Yes, decoding build data is free. But a decode can't tell you if the Buick was totaled, flooded, stolen, or had its odometer rolled back. TitlePull's $9.99 flat-fee report adds NMVTIS title history, brands, odometer records, theft data, recalls, and a valuation.

China, by the SAIC-GM joint venture, since the 2016 model year, its VIN starts with LRB. GM has announced assembly will shift to Kansas City around 2028. The Enclave is built in Michigan, and the Encore family in South Korea.

Yes, 2014–2017 Enclaves were included in GM's 2023 recall of 994,763 SUVs with ARC driver-side airbag inflators that can rupture. Run the VIN to confirm the replacement module was actually installed.

Position 10 encodes the year (e.g., L = 2020, M = 2021, N = 2022, P = 2023). Cross-check it against the title and the listing, a mismatch is a serious red flag for title or VIN-plate tampering.

Older low-mileage-claim Buicks are common rollback targets because the "one elderly owner" story sells. NHTSA estimates more than 450,000 vehicles a year are sold with false readings. NMVTIS odometer records let you verify the mileage trail at each title event.

Both carry the KL4 Korea WMI, but positions 4–8 (the vehicle descriptor) differ by platform and engine. A free decode will identify which model, engine, and trim you're looking at before you ever see the car.

No. A car can be damaged, repaired, and retitled, or title-washed across state lines. NMVTIS-backed reports track brands across all states, plus junk and insurance total-loss records, which is why a $9.99 title check beats trusting the paper title alone.

By the TitlePull Team · Published June 7, 2026 · Last updated July 29, 2026 · Fact-checked against NHTSA vPIC

Sources: NHTSA vPIC & 49 CFR Part 565 · NHTSA recall database · NICB theft data · HLDI (Highway Loss Data Institute) · Mitchell · NMVTIS (U.S. Department of Justice).