VIN Decoder · Chevrolet
Chevrolet VIN Decoder: 1G1, 1GC, 1GN and Korean KL1
A Chevrolet in Europe has one of two very different VINs. Corvettes, Camaros, Tahoes and Silverados come from North America with a 1, 2 or 3 up front and a check digit that must compute. The Cruze, Captiva, Aveo and Spark sold here before GM pulled the brand were built by GM Korea. They start KL1 and carry a fixed 9, E or J in position 9 instead.
- WMI set: 12 codes, 1G1 to KL8
- Plant codes: 4 letters, two sources each
- Last verified: 8 October 2026
Decode a Chevrolet VIN
Scope: Chevrolet 1G1 · 1GC · 1GN · 2G1 · 2GC · 2GN · 3G1 · 3GC · 3GN · KL1 · KL7 · KL80 / 17
Chevrolet VINs never use I, O or Q. A round character on a Korean-built Cruze is a zero, a vertical stroke is a 1.
What a Chevrolet VIN actually tells you
Character one is the country that issued the code: 1 for the USA, 2 for Canada, 3 for Mexico, K for South Korea. The third sorts the vehicle type. 1G1 is a Chevrolet car built in the USA, 1GC a truck, 1GN an SUV such as the Tahoe or Suburban. A 2015 Camaro from Oshawa begins 2G1, a Silverado from Silao 3GC.
Position 9 depends on where the car was meant to be sold. GM computes the ISO 3779 check digit on every North American VIN: all 119 US, Canadian and Mexican Chevrolet VINs we recomputed passed, and so did 11 Korean-built Trax and Spark VINs made for the US under KL7 and KL8. The European KL1 cars behave differently. Across 50 real VINs from 2004 to 2016, position 9 was a fixed 9, E or J, and 44 of them failed the formula.
Position 10 is the model year on both kinds. B on a KL1 Cruze means 2011, as it does on a Detroit-built Volt. Position 11 names the plant: 5 is Bowling Green, home of the Corvette, R is Arlington, where the Tahoe is assembled. On the Korean cars B stands for Bupyeong, K for Kunsan and C for Changwon.
Chevrolet WMI codes
| WMI | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1G1 | Chevrolet, USA: passenger cars such as Corvette, Camaro from 2016, Volt, Bolt, Cruze |
| 1GC | Chevrolet, USA: trucks such as the Silverado from Fort Wayne |
| 1GN | Chevrolet, USA: SUVs and MPVs such as Tahoe and Suburban |
| 2G1 | Chevrolet, Canada: cars, e.g. the 2010–2015 Camaro from Oshawa |
| 2GC | Chevrolet, Canada: trucks |
| 2GN | Chevrolet, Canada: SUVs such as the Equinox from CAMI, Ingersoll |
| 3G1 | Chevrolet, Mexico: passenger cars |
| 3GC | Chevrolet, Mexico: trucks such as the Silverado from Silao |
| 3GN | Chevrolet, Mexico: SUVs such as Suburban (Silao), Equinox and Trax (San Luis Potosí) |
| KL1 | GM Daewoo / GM Korea: Chevrolet cars for Europe and other markets, e.g. Aveo, Cruze, Captiva, Orlando, Spark |
| KL7 | GM Korea: Chevrolet SUVs for North America, e.g. Trax |
| KL8 | GM Korea: Spark for North America, built in Changwon |
Each code is confirmed by NHTSA's vPIC register and by the Wikibooks GM VIN tables or the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt manufacturer list. GMC (1GT, 1GK) and Cadillac (1G6, 1GY) have pages of their own; none of the codes above is shared with them.
US imports and Korean Chevrolets: two VIN systems
Which Chevrolet are you looking at? GM announced in December 2013 that the brand would leave the European mass market, and the BBC noted at the time that most Chevrolets sold here were built in South Korea. The Corvette stayed on sale. A used Chevrolet in Germany, Poland or Sweden is therefore usually one of two things: a Korean car from before the exit, or an American one that crossed the Atlantic.
North America: 1G1, 1GC, 1GN, 2G1, 2GN, 3GC, 3GN
- The check digit is required by law there, so a failing position 9 shows red.
- Position 7 settles the year cycle: a letter means 2010 or later, a digit 1980 to 2009.
- One model, two codes: a Silverado can start 1GC (Fort Wayne) or 3GC (Silao).
Korea for Europe: KL1
- Position 9 is a fixed 9, E or J rather than a check digit, so amber is the normal result.
- Position 10 still carries the model year: B 2011, C 2012, G 2016.
- Plant letters: B Bupyeong (Captiva, Aveo), K Kunsan (Cruze, Orlando), C Changwon (Spark).
Korea for North America: KL7, KL8
- The Trax (KL7) and Spark (KL8) sold in the US and Canada carry a computed check digit.
- A mismatch on these two codes shows red, like any American VIN.
- The European Trax and Spark VINs we checked start KL1 instead.
A Lacetti or Aveo starting Y6D is not from GM Korea
Some Lacettis, Aveos and Epicas were assembled by ZAZ in Ukraine and carry ZAZ's own WMI, Y6D, instead of KL1. This page then reports another manufacturer, and that is correct: the code belongs to ZAZ. Use the universal decoder for those. Their position 9 is an E and does not compute either.
Green means position 9 computes. Red marks a North American or KL7/KL8 VIN that fails, which usually points to a typo or a number that doesn't belong to the car. Amber appears on KL1 cars, because GM Korea's European VINs never carried a check digit in the first place.
Model year: position 10 on a Chevrolet
Every Chevrolet code on this page stores the model year in position 10, Korean KL1 cars included. On a US-built Tahoe position 7 tells the decoder which 30-year cycle applies: 1GNSKDKC with a K in seventh place and an L in tenth is a 2020, while 1GNEK13R with a V is a 1997. A European Cruze gives no such clue, so its B could mean 1981 or 2011. A 1981 Cruze? Hardly, but the VIN cannot prove it. Its first registration date, in field B of a German registration certificate or on a UK V5C, is the safer guide.
| Code | Model year | Code | Model year |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2010 | M | 2021 |
| B | 2011 | N | 2022 |
| C | 2012 | P | 2023 |
| D | 2013 | R | 2024 |
| E | 2014 | S | 2025 |
| F | 2015 | T | 2026 |
| G | 2016 | V | 2027 |
| H | 2017 | W | 2028 |
| J | 2018 | X | 2029 |
| K | 2019 | Y | 2030 |
| L | 2020 |
Frequently asked questions
What do the Chevrolet WMI codes 1G1, 1GC, 1GN and KL1 mean?
1G1 is a Chevrolet passenger car built in the USA, 1GC a truck such as the Silverado, 1GN an SUV such as the Tahoe. 2G1, 2GC and 2GN are the Canadian equivalents, 3G1, 3GC and 3GN the Mexican ones. KL1 is GM Korea's Chevrolet car code, found on the Aveo, Cruze, Captiva and Spark sold in Europe. KL7 and KL8 are its codes for the Trax and Spark sold in North America.
Why does my European Chevrolet Cruze fail the check digit?
Because GM Korea never put one there. On European KL1 VINs position 9 is a fixed character: 9 on most cars from 2010, E on many older Lacettis and Epicas, J on some Aveos and Captivas. We found 44 failures in 50 real VINs; the six that passed did so by chance, roughly the one in eleven you would expect. A Corvette or Silverado that fails is another matter. Compare it with the windscreen plate character by character.
Where is the VIN on a Chevrolet?
On an American-built Chevrolet, US rules require the VIN to be readable through the windscreen from outside, next to the left pillar. A second label sits in the door frame. Your documents carry the same 17 characters too: on a British V5C next to the make and model, on German papers (Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I) under the letter E. Buying a US import? Make sure all three match before you pay.
My Camaro starts 2G1, a friend's starts 1G1. Which one is right?
Both. The fifth-generation Camaro, built from 2010 to 2015, came from Oshawa in Canada, so its VIN starts 2G1 and position 11 is a 9. From 2016 production moved to Lansing Grand River in Michigan: 1G1, with a 0 in position 11.
What can't a Chevrolet VIN tell you?
Paint, trim level, options and service history are not part of the 17 characters. The VIN gives you the plant, the model year and, on North American cars, an engine code in position 8. For anything else, ask for the original order, the window sticker or the service records.