Find Hyundai VIN Number Location
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You can find a Hyundai VIN in one of the following locations: on the driver’s side door jamb (sometimes on the passenger’s side), under the windshield on the driver’s side, near the vehicle’s firewall, or on the trunk.
At a Glance
- Easiest spot: through the windshield at the lower driver’s side corner.
- Also on the driver’s door jamb sticker, on the firewall under the hood, and on your title and insurance card.
- All locations should show the same 17 character VIN.
- Korean built Hyundais start with KM; US built Sonata, Elantra and Santa Fe models start with 5N.
- Use the VIN to check open recalls on Hyundai’s site and NHTSA.
Where to Find Hyundai VIN Number
Common places where you will find the VIN on a Hyundai Tucson, Elantra, Sonata, Santa Fe, Accent, Veloster, Palisade, Venue, etc., are:
- Driver’s Side Dashboard.
- Driver’s Side Doorjamb.
- Under the Hood.
- The engine bay on the firewall
- Side Quarter Panel.
- Vehicle’s Title.
- Insurance Card
The VINs in all these locations should match.
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Driver’s Side Dashboard
You can usually locate the Hyundai VIN by looking through your car’s windshield. Look for a spot near the bottom corner of the windshield, on the driver’s side. You should notice a small plate with numbers and letters through the glass.
This is the VIN plate: the characters should be around a quarter of an inch big.
Driver’s Side Doorjamb
Another key location where you can find the VIN is on the driver’s side door jamb: specifically, on the B-pillar’s inner wall. Instead of a slim metal plate, the VIN will be on a sticker that contains other important information about the car.
It may contain the vehicle manufacturer’s name, manufacturing date, various weights and codes, tire and rim sizes, and the VIN barcode.
Trunk
On some models a VIN label is also placed in the trunk, usually around the edges of the opening or under the floor cover.
Not every Hyundai has one there.
Firewall
Hyundai VIN can also be found on the firewall itself. Open the hood and look at the panel behind the engine that separates the engine bay from the cabin. That panel is the firewall, and on many Hyundais the VIN is stamped or labeled there.
Vehicle’s Title Records
You can also find the Hyundai VIN on the vehicle’s registration title records from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or (MVA).
Vehicle’s Insurance Card
You may also find the VIN on your vehicle’s insurance card and insurance policy.
How to Decode a Hyundai VIN?
The first six digits of a Hyundai VIN can tell you a lot about the car.
- K = Country of manufacture (South Korea)
- M = Manufacturer (Hyundai Motor Company)
- 8 = Vehicle Type (Multi-purpose vehicle)
- S = Model (Santa Fe)
- C = Body Type (Front Wheel Drive, 4 Door Sport Utility)
- 1 = Trim Level (GLS)
Use the VIN to check open recalls
Hyundai has run several large recall and service campaigns in recent years, and some cover repairs the manufacturer pays for regardless of mileage or how many owners the car has had. The only way to know whether yours is affected is by VIN, because recalls apply to specific production ranges rather than to a model year as a whole.
Check it in two places. Hyundai’s own owner site will show campaigns specific to the brand, and the NHTSA recall lookup covers anything filed with the federal regulator. A car can be clear on one and listed on the other, so it is worth doing both. This takes two minutes and occasionally turns up a free engine or software repair.
Check the numbers agree before you buy
The VIN appears in several places on a Hyundai and every one should match the registration document. A mismatch between the windshield plate, the door jamb sticker and the paperwork usually means panels were replaced after a collision, and sometimes something worse. On a used car, check at least two locations yourself rather than trusting the listing.
For parts, the VIN matters more than the model year. Hyundai changed components partway through production runs often enough that a parts counter will ask for the number rather than the year. Most scan tools can also read the VIN out of the control modules, which is a quick way to confirm a replacement module was coded to your car and is not still carrying the identity of the vehicle it came from.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the paint code on a Hyundai?
On most Hyundais it is on the label in the driver’s door jamb, marked PAINT or EXT. It is a two or three character code that you give the parts counter when ordering touch up paint.
How do I check Hyundai engine recalls by VIN?
Enter the VIN on Hyundai’s owner site or the NHTSA recall lookup. Several Hyundai engines have had recalls and extended warranties, so it is worth checking before any engine repair.
Which character shows the model year?
The 10th character. For example, J = 2018, K = 2019, L = 2020, M = 2021, N = 2022 and P = 2023.
Related guides: Hyundai VIN Decoder · YOUCANIC VIN Decoder
