Kia VIN decoder
NHTSA has 8 world manufacturer identifiers on file for Kia cars, SUVs and trucks, registered in 3 countries. Enter a Kia VIN to decode it, or check the table to see what the first three characters mean.
What a Kia VIN starts with.
The first three characters of a VIN are the world manufacturer identifier (WMI). These are the ones NHTSA lists for Kia passenger cars, SUVs, trucks and incomplete vehicles.
8 Kia WMIs
| WMI | Registered to | Country | Vehicle type | Makes on this WMI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3KM | Kia Mexico S.A. de C.V. Mexico · SUV / MPV Shared: Hyundai, Kia | Mexico | SUV / MPV | Hyundai, Kia |
| 3KP | Kia Mexico S.A. de C.V. Mexico · Passenger car Shared: Hyundai, Kia | Mexico | Passenger car | Hyundai, Kia |
| 5XX | Kia Georgia, Inc United States · Passenger car | United States | Passenger car | Kia |
| 5XY | Kia Georgia, Inc United States · SUV / MPV Shared: Hyundai, Kia | United States | SUV / MPV | Hyundai, Kia |
| 7YA | Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America SUV / MPV Shared: Hyundai, Kia | — | SUV / MPV | Hyundai, Kia |
| KNA | Kia Corporation South Korea · Passenger car | South Korea | Passenger car | Kia |
| KND | Kia Corporation South Korea · SUV / MPV Shared: Hyundai, Kia | South Korea | SUV / MPV | Hyundai, Kia |
| U5Y | Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center Inc (HATCI) United States · Passenger car Shared: Hyundai, Kia | United States | Passenger car | Hyundai, Kia |
Reading a Kia VIN.
After the WMI, positions 4–8 hold Kia’s own coding for model, body, engine and restraints; position 9 is the check digit, 10 the model year and 11 the plant. The last six are the serial number.
Kia VIN questions.
What does a Kia VIN start with?
NHTSA lists 8 world manufacturer identifiers (WMIs) for Kia road vehicles. The ones registered for passenger cars and SUVs are 3KM, 3KP, 5XX, 5XY, 7YA, KNA, KND and U5Y. The first three characters of the VIN are the WMI.
Where are Kia vehicles built, according to their VINs?
Kia WMIs are registered to manufacturers in Mexico, South Korea and United States. The WMI shows the registering company and country; position 11 identifies the exact assembly plant, which the decoder shows for each VIN.
How do I decode a Kia VIN?
Enter the 17-character VIN above. We decode it with NHTSA’s vPIC database, which uses the coding Kia files with NHTSA for positions 4–8, then show the model year, trim, engine, transmission, plant and reported safety equipment.
Does a Kia VIN show recalls?
After decoding, we list every NHTSA recall for that Kia model and model year. Whether one specific vehicle has been repaired can only be confirmed with its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or by a Kia dealer.