Hyundai VIN Decoder: Free VIN Lookup

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

Enter a 17-character Hyundai VIN

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A Hyundai VIN is a 17-character code whose first three characters identify the builder and country, KMH/KM8 for South Korea, 5NP/5NM for the Montgomery, Alabama plant. Decoding a Hyundai VIN is free, but a decode shows only build data; it will not show title brands, theft records, or accident history.

Example: decoding a Hyundai VIN

Sample pattern: 5NPEB4AC•MH••••••

Positions	Characters	Meaning
1–3	5NP	US-built Hyundai passenger car (HMMA Montgomery)
4–8	EB4AC	Model/body/engine/restraint code
9	•	Check digit
10	M	Model year (M = 2021)
11	H	Montgomery, Alabama plant
12–17	••••••	Production sequence

Structure per NHTSA 49 CFR Part 565.

Hyundai WMI codes: where your Hyundai was built

WMI	Country	Detail
KMH	South Korea	Hyundai passenger cars, Ulsan/Asan (Elantra, Accent, Ioniq)
KM8	South Korea	Hyundai SUVs/MPVs, Tucson, Palisade, Santa Fe (Korea-built)
5NP	USA	Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (Montgomery) passenger cars, Sonata, Elantra
5NM	USA	HMMA Montgomery SUVs, Santa Fe, Tucson (US-built), Santa Cruz

Source: NHTSA vPIC WMI registry.

How to read each position of a Hyundai 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.

Hyundai assembly plant codes (position 11)

Code	Plant	Models
H	Montgomery, Alabama (HMMA)	Sonata, Elantra, Santa Fe, Tucson, Santa Cruz
U	Ulsan, Korea	Various Korea-built models
A	Asan, Korea	Sonata, Grandeur

Where to find the VIN on a Hyundai

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.

Hyundai 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.

Theft-wave history (2021–2024)

By late 2023, theft claim frequency for 2003–23 Hyundai/Kia models hit 11.7 claims per 1,000 insured vehicle years versus 1.4 for all other makes, roughly 8x. Many stolen cars were recovered damaged and resold; a theft-and-title check shows whether a specific VIN was reported stolen or branded after recovery.

Missing immobilizer models

Only 17% of 2011 Hyundai/Kia models had standard immobilizers vs 92% of other brands; the ~9 million affected 2011–2022 vehicles were the subject of a $200M class settlement. Pre-purchase, verify the anti-theft software upgrade was applied.

Theta II engine replacements and buybacks

Connecting-rod bearing failures triggered recalls and settlements covering well over 3 million Hyundai/Kia vehicles; some became manufacturer buybacks or salvage cars after engine fires. Title records reveal lemon-law buyback and salvage brands.

Fire-recall ("park outside") vehicles

Hyundai's share of the September 2023 ABS-module recall (3.3M combined with Kia) involved at least 21 US vehicle fires; unrepaired examples trade hands at auction.

Vandalism/recovery damage resales

HLDI found Hyundai/Kia vandalism claim frequency in H2 2023 ran 5x other brands (broken windows, stripped columns); cars totaled for theft damage can resurface with rebuilt titles.

Hyundai recalls: check before you buy

Theta II GDI engine (2015 and 2017 campaigns; ~1.2M US Hyundai/Kia initially, later settlements covering 2.2M+ more vehicles for rod-bearing failure and stall/fire risk). ABS module fire / "park outside", September 2023, 3.3M Hyundai+Kia vehicles (2010–2017 era), brake-fluid leak causing electrical shorts and engine-compartment fires. Anti-theft software service campaign, free immobilizer-logic upgrade for millions of 2011–2022 vehicles lacking immobilizers; HLDI measured 53–64% lower theft claims on upgraded cars.

Run a free Hyundai 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.

Buying an electric Hyundai?

Hyundai's Ioniq 5/6 and Kona Electric were not part of the immobilizer theft wave (they have proper immobilization), but EV salvage economics still apply, a branded title usually means battery or structural damage. Korea-built EVs carry KMH/KM8 prefixes; check the live decode for the Ulsan or Montgomery plant.

What to check on a used Hyundai

A used Hyundai 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 Hyundai before you pay for it.

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Looking at safety campaigns? Read Hyundai 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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Hyundai VIN decoder: frequently asked questions

Driver-side dashboard at the windshield base, driver-door jamb label, engine bay, and your title/registration/insurance card. Confirm all match, theft-wave Hyundais are a known cloning and VIN-swap risk.

KMH identifies a passenger car built by Hyundai in South Korea, typically at the Ulsan or Asan plants, Elantras, Accents and Korea-built Sonatas. US-built Hyundais use 5NP (cars) or 5NM (SUVs) instead.

Generally, 2011–2022 models with a physical key-turn ignition lacked an engine immobilizer. Hyundai offers a free anti-theft software upgrade; dealers can confirm by VIN. A TitlePull theft-record check shows whether that specific VIN was ever reported stolen.

Yes. HLDI data shows theft claims for these models ran about 8 times other makes in late 2023, and thousands of stolen cars were recovered with damage. Always run a title and theft-record check before buying a 2011–2022 Hyundai.

Yes, model, engine, plant and year decode free at TitlePull. Title history is different: salvage/rebuilt brands, theft records and odometer readings come from an NMVTIS-backed report, which costs a flat $9.99 with no subscription.

Manufacturing debris could restrict oil flow to connecting-rod bearings in 2.0L/2.4L Theta II engines, causing knock, seizure or fires. Recalls and class settlements cover millions of 2011–2019 Sonatas, Santa Fes and Tucsons, with extended 15-year/150,000-mile warranties.

Both indicate Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama in Montgomery: 5NP for passenger cars like the Sonata and Elantra, 5NM for SUVs like the Santa Fe, Tucson and Santa Cruz. Position 11 will typically show H for Montgomery.

No, a decode only reads build data. Theft and recovery records live in NMVTIS and insurance databases. A $9.99 TitlePull report checks the VIN against theft records, title brands and salvage/insurance total-loss data.

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).