Kia VIN Decoder
Enter a Kia VIN to see its model year, model, trim, engine and assembly plant, decoded from NHTSA's official vehicle database. Below: how Kia VINs are built and which codes identify Kia.
Kia manufacturer codes (first 3 characters)
A VIN starting with one of these world manufacturer identifiers (WMI) was registered to Kia's manufacturer with NHTSA.
| WMI | Registered to | Vehicle type | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| KNA | KIA CORPORATION | Passenger Car | SOUTH KOREA |
| 5XX | KIA GEORGIA, INC | Passenger Car | UNITED STATES (USA) |
| U5Y | HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INC (HATCI) | Passenger Car | UNITED STATES (USA) |
| 5NP | HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INC (HATCI) | Passenger Car | UNITED STATES (USA) |
| KNJ | KIA MOTORS (FORD IMPORTS) | Passenger Car | SOUTH KOREA |
| 3KP | KIA MEXICO S.A. DE C.V. | Passenger Car | MEXICO |
| KND | KIA CORPORATION | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | SOUTH KOREA |
| 5XY | KIA GEORGIA, INC | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | UNITED STATES (USA) |
| 3KM | KIA MEXICO S.A. DE C.V. | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | MEXICO |
What each character of a Kia VIN means
| Position | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | World manufacturer identifier (WMI): country, manufacturer and vehicle type |
| 4–8 | Vehicle descriptor: model, body, engine and restraint system, as defined by the manufacturer |
| 9 | Check digit, calculated from the other 16 characters to catch typos |
| 10 | Model year code |
| 11 | Assembly plant |
| 12–17 | Production sequence (serial) number |
Kia models: problems and recalls
- Kia Sorento (10,197 complaints, 40 recalls)
- Kia Optima (7,524 complaints, 22 recalls)
- Kia Soul (5,563 complaints, 15 recalls)
- Kia Sportage (4,703 complaints, 36 recalls)
- Kia Forte (2,556 complaints, 18 recalls)
- Kia Sedona (2,411 complaints, 23 recalls)
- Kia Telluride (2,039 complaints, 19 recalls)
- Kia Sephia (1,687 complaints, 7 recalls)
- Kia RIO (1,292 complaints, 11 recalls)
- Kia Spectra (906 complaints, 2 recalls)
- Kia Seltos (560 complaints, 4 recalls)
- Kia EV6 (544 complaints, 5 recalls)
WMI data from NHTSA vPIC. Not affiliated with Kia.