Decode any Daewoo VIN free in seconds. Enter the 17-character vehicle identification number from your Daewoo into the decoder above and get the model, year, engine family, trim, factory options, plant code, and recall status — instantly, with no sign-up and no credit card.

This page is the Daewoo VIN hub. Below you’ll find Daewoo-specific WMI codes, the brand’s plant codes, a position-by-position guide to reading a Daewoo VIN, where to find the VIN on your Daewoo, and direct links to the Daewoo VIN decoders for individual models.

About Daewoo

Daewoo Motors was founded in 1937 as National Motor and renamed in 1983 when it was absorbed into the Daewoo Group conglomerate. Daewoo grew rapidly in the 1990s, building license-rebadged GM, Suzuki, and Honda designs, and at its peak owned major stakes in plants in Romania (Craiova), Vietnam, Uzbekistan, and India.

After the 1997 Asian financial crisis Daewoo Motors collapsed, and General Motors acquired its assets in 2002, rebranding the company as GM Daewoo and finally as GM Korea in 2011. Vehicles sold under the Daewoo name (Matiz, Nubira, Leganza, Lanos, Tacuma, Espero) carry WMI KLA. Their North American badge equivalents — Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet Spark — share the same body but carry a Chevrolet WMI. If you own a Daewoo today it is almost certainly a pre-2005 vehicle.

Daewoo WMI codes (positions 1–3)

The first three characters of your VIN — the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) — tell you who built the vehicle and where. The WMI is assigned by SAE International on behalf of ISO. Here are the WMIs you’ll encounter on Daewoo vehicles:

If your Daewoo VIN begins with any of the codes above, it’s a genuine Daewoo. A Daewoo VIN starting with an unlisted WMI may indicate a rebadge, a regional partner build, or a counterfeit — decode the full VIN with the tool above to confirm.

How to read a Daewoo VIN — position by position

Every Daewoo VIN built since 1985 uses the ISO 3779 17-character standard. The 17 characters split into three blocks:

Here is what each position means specifically on a Daewoo:

Positions 1–3: World Manufacturer Identifier

See the WMI table above. The country code at position 1 tells you where the vehicle was assembled — not where Daewoo is headquartered. A Daewoo assembled outside South Korea (Bupyeong, Changwon) — historical carries the country code of the assembly plant.

Positions 4–8: Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS)

Daewoo VDS positions reflect the GM-aligned platform the vehicle was built on (T-platform Matiz, M-platform Lanos, J-platform Nubira). Position 8 typically identifies the engine — A15SMS for the 1.5 SOHC, X20XEV for the 2.0 DOHC.

Position 9: Check digit

The check digit is the most important single character in any VIN. It is calculated from the other 16 characters using a fixed weighting table and modulo-11 math. If even one character of a Daewoo VIN is mistyped, the check digit will not match — and any compliant decoder, DMV, or insurance system will flag the VIN as invalid.

Position 10: Model year

The 10th character maps to a model year on a 30-year cycle. Skim the chart below to translate yours:

The letters I, O, and Q are never used in any VIN — including Daewoo — because they look too similar to the digits 1 and 0.

Position 11: Assembly plant

The single character at position 11 identifies the specific factory. B = Bupyeong (passenger cars), C = Changwon (Matiz / Tico), K = Kunsan.

Positions 12–17: Serial number

The final six characters are the production sequence number stamped on your specific Daewoo as it rolled off the line. Combined with the previous 11 characters, this makes every Daewoo VIN globally unique.

Where to find the VIN on a Daewoo

You can find your Daewoo VIN in several places. The lower-left windshield and the door jamb are the easiest to read; the others are useful when one of those labels has been damaged or replaced.

• Lower-left windshield
• Driver-side door jamb
• Stamped on the engine bay (firewall or right-side strut tower)
• Vehicle title and registration

If your Daewoo is older and built before 1985, the chassis number is shorter than 17 characters and follows a Daewoo-specific format. For pre-1985 vehicles, use our classic car VIN decoder guide.

Check Daewoo recalls and safety information

Open and historic recalls on Daewoo vehicles are tracked by national transport authorities. The fastest way to check a specific Daewoo:

1. Decode the VIN with the tool above to confirm the model and model year
2. Cross-reference the 17-character VIN with the Korean MOLIT recall portal (for surviving Korean-market units)
3. Review any open safety actions and contact your nearest Daewoo authorised service centre for free repair

Recalls are repaired free of charge by the manufacturer regardless of vehicle age or ownership history.

Frequently asked questions

How do I decode my Daewoo VIN?

Type the 17-character VIN from your Daewoo’s windshield, driver-side door jamb, or vehicle title into the decoder at the top of this page. Results return in seconds and include make, model, model year, body style, engine family, transmission, plant of origin, and open NHTSA recalls. No registration is required.

Where is the VIN on my Daewoo?

The two easiest spots are the lower-left corner of the windshield (visible from outside the car) and the driver-side door jamb sticker. Both locations are required by federal labelling regulation on every road-going Daewoo sold in North America and the EU.

Is the Daewoo VIN decoder free?

Yes. VinDecoderPlus decodes every Daewoo VIN free of charge with no sign-up or credit card. Full vehicle history reports — including ownership records, accident history, and odometer history — are available as an optional paid upgrade.

What does the VIN tell me about my Daewoo?

A VIN decode confirms the original factory configuration of your Daewoo: model, year, body style, engine, transmission, trim level, factory options, country and plant of origin, and any recall actions issued against that VIN. It does not record colour (which is on the build sheet), current mileage, accident history, or ownership chain — for those, you need a paid vehicle history report.

Can a Daewoo VIN be faked?

The 17 characters themselves can be retyped, but the check digit at position 9 makes silent tampering nearly impossible — any single-character change breaks the math. Daewoo VIN plates are tamper-resistant by federal standard. If you suspect a cloned VIN, our guide how to check if a car is stolen by VIN walks through the next steps.

Decode any Daewoo VIN free

Type your 17-character Daewoo VIN into the decoder at the top of this page and get a full breakdown instantly. To learn more about VIN structure in general, see our guides:

• How to read a VIN number
• What every character in a VIN means
• Classic car VIN decoder (pre-1981)
• VIN decoder vs. vehicle history report