Decode Your VIN
Enter your vehicle's VIN code to discover all technical specifications. The VIN consists of 17 alphanumeric characters.
Hyundai Tucson VIN Decoder
Decode any Hyundai Tucson VIN free in under three seconds. Type the 17-character vehicle identification number into the decoder above and pull the generation, model year, engine, trim, plant, and open NHTSA recalls. No account, no credit card, no email gate.
This page is the dedicated Hyundai Tucson hub: the generation history behind the JM, LM, TL, and NX4 platform codes, the three plants that build a Tucson today, how the engine actually gets encoded in the VIN, the position-by-position guide, and where to physically find the VIN on the car.
About the Hyundai Tucson
Hyundai launched the Tucson in Korea in 2004 as a 2005 model year vehicle, on a unibody platform related to the Elantra. It has since gone through four main generations, plus a low-volume hydrogen fuel cell variant:
| Generation | Years | Platform / chassis code | Body | Built at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st (JM) | 2004-2009 | JM | Unibody, Elantra-based | Ulsan, South Korea |
| 2nd (LM) | 2010-2015 | LM | Unibody | Ulsan, South Korea / Nosovice, Czech Republic |
| 3rd (TL) | 2016-2020 | TL | Unibody | Ulsan, South Korea / Nosovice, Czech Republic |
| 4th (NX4) | 2021-present | NX4 (Hyundai-Kia N3 platform) | Unibody | Ulsan, South Korea / Montgomery, Alabama (2022+) / Nosovice, Czech Republic |
JM, LM, TL, and NX4 are Hyundai’s internal engineering codes for each generation, the same way Kia used SL and QL for the Sportage. Unlike the Sportage, these letters never actually appear inside a Tucson VIN. We verified this by decoding real Tucson VINs from each generation through NHTSA’s vPIC database: a 2007 Tucson (KM8JN12D07U670416) and a 2013 Tucson (KM8JU3AC6DU760298) both carry “J” at position 4, and a 2023 Tucson (5NMJBCAEXPH194346) also starts its VDS with “J”. The generation shows up only indirectly, through the WMI, model year character, and engine code together. More on that below.
A limited-production Tucson Fuel Cell (hydrogen, LM-platform, related to the ix35 FCEV sold in Europe) was leased in Southern California from 2014 through roughly 2018. It’s rare enough that most decoders, including this one, identify it as a standard LM-era Tucson unless the build sheet flags the fuel cell powertrain.
Hyundai Tucson WMI codes (positions 1 to 3)
The first three characters of a VIN form the World Manufacturer Identifier. These are the WMIs a genuine Tucson carries, confirmed against Hyundai’s registered WMI records and vPIC decodes:
| WMI | Country | Plant | Tucson generations built here |
|---|---|---|---|
| KM8 | South Korea | Ulsan | JM, LM, TL, NX4 (all Korea-built Tucsons) |
| 5NM | USA | Montgomery, Alabama (HMMA) | NX4 (2022-present) |
| TMA | Czech Republic | Nosovice (HMMC) | LM, TL, NX4 (European-market Tucson, called ix35 through the LM generation) |
If your Tucson’s VIN doesn’t start with one of these three, decode it with the tool above before you trust the title.
How to decode a Hyundai Tucson VIN, position by position
Every Tucson since 2004 uses the 17-character ISO 3779 standard.
Positions 1 to 3: World Manufacturer Identifier
See the table above. The first character is the country of assembly (K for Korea, 5 for USA, T for Czech Republic), the second identifies Hyundai, and the third narrows it to a multi-purpose passenger vehicle. Country code identifies the factory, not where the car is sold: a Korea-built Tucson (KM8) is routinely exported worldwide.
Positions 4 to 8: Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS)
This is where the Tucson differs from most model-specific VIN guides. On a Kia Sportage, the generation code is spelled out literally at positions 4 to 6. On a Tucson, it isn’t: real decoded VINs show J at position 4 across the JM, LM, and NX4 generations, none of which spell “LM” or “TL.” The generation has to be inferred from the WMI plus the model year character plus the engine code.
Position 8, however, does reliably encode the engine. We confirmed each row below by decoding a real, checksum-valid VIN through NHTSA’s vPIC API:
| Generation | Char at position 8 | Engine | Verified VIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| JM (2007) | D | 2.7L V6 | KM8JN12D07U670416 |
| LM (2013) | C | 2.4L Theta II (GLS/Limited) | KM8JU3AC6DU760298 |
| TL (2017) | 4 | 2.0L Nu GDI | KM8J3CA46HU297841 |
| TL (2018) | 2 | 1.6L T-GDI Gamma | KM8J3CA28JU629248 |
| TL (2020) | L | 2.4L Theta II | KM8J3CAL5LU149499 |
| NX4 (2022-2025) | E | 2.5L Smartstream Theta III | 5NMJBCAEXPH194346 |
| NX4 Hybrid (2023) | 1 | 1.6L T-GDI HEV | KM8JFCA14PU091445 |
| NX4 Plug-in Hybrid (2026) | 2 | 1.6L T-GDI PHEV | KM8JFDD22TU462865 |
The same character means different engines in different generations. Position 8 only makes sense once you know the generation from the WMI and year character, so decode the full VIN rather than reading position 8 alone.
Position 9: Check digit
A single character calculated from the other 16 using a fixed weighting formula and modulo-11 math. It catches mistyped characters. Every VIN used to build this page decoded clean through vPIC; if yours doesn’t, the VIN was recorded wrong somewhere.
Position 10: Model year
The 10th character follows the industry-standard 30-year cycle used across nearly every manufacturer:
| Char | Year | Char | Year | Char | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 2005 | F | 2015 | P | 2023 |
| 6 | 2006 | G | 2016 | R | 2024 |
| 7 | 2007 | H | 2017 | S | 2025 |
| 8 | 2008 | J | 2018 | T | 2026 |
| 9 | 2009 | K | 2019 | ||
| A | 2010 | L | 2020 | ||
| B | 2011 | M | 2021 | ||
| C | 2012 | N | 2022 | ||
| D | 2013 | P (repeat cycle) | 2023 | ||
| E | 2014 |
I, O, and Q are skipped because they can be misread as 1 and 0. The Tucson has only existed for one 30-year cycle, so there’s no ambiguity yet with a repeat-cycle character.
Position 11: Assembly plant
| Char | Plant | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| U | Ulsan, South Korea | Primary Tucson plant, all four generations |
| H | Montgomery, Alabama, USA | HMMA, NX4 only, since 2022 |
| J | Nosovice, Czech Republic | HMMC, European-market Tucson since the LM generation |
U and H are verified directly through vPIC decodes. J for Nosovice is confirmed through Hyundai’s registered WMI records, since vPIC only carries full detail for North America-market vehicles.
Positions 12 to 17: Serial number
The final six digits are the production sequence number stamped on your specific Tucson, making the full 17-character string unique to one physical vehicle.
Tucson trim levels by generation
Trim isn’t spelled out directly in the VIN; it’s reconstructed from the VDS plus the factory build sheet. Common North American trims by generation:
- JM (2005-2009): GL, GLS, SE, Limited
- LM (2010-2015): GLS, Limited, Limited Premium
- TL (2016-2020): SE, Eco, Value, Sport, Night, Limited, Ultimate
- NX4 (2021-present): SE, SEL, SEL Premium, N Line, XRT, Limited, plus Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid variants
European trims (Comfort, Style, Premium, N Line) follow the same pattern. Decoding the VIN above returns the equipment package and drivetrain (FWD or AWD/4WD) to match a window sticker.
Where to find the VIN on a Hyundai Tucson
- Lower-left corner of the windshield, visible from outside the car
- Driver’s side B-pillar or door jamb label
- Stamped on the engine block near the firewall
- Stamped on the front cross-member or chassis rail under the hood
- Vehicle title, registration, insurance card, Bluelink app
The windshield and door jamb labels are fastest to check on a used-car lot. The engine and chassis stamps are physically tied to the car and worth checking against the paperwork if something feels off.
Hyundai Tucson recalls and safety
- 2019-2021 Tucson ABS module fire risk (Recall 20V-543, ~180,000 vehicles): Corrosion inside the antilock brake hydraulic control unit could short and start an engine-bay fire, even with the vehicle off. Hyundai began replacing the ABS module in October 2020.
- Theta II engine class-action settlement: Certain 2.0L and 2.4L Theta II-equipped Tucsons from the LM and TL generations were swept into the broader 2018-2019 Hyundai/Kia Theta II fire and stall settlement, alongside Sonata and Santa Fe models on the same engine family.
- 2023 anti-theft software campaign: Hyundai issued an ignition-lock software update covering vehicles without engine immobilizers, including certain Tucson years, after a viral theft trend targeted keyless-ignition cars.
To check your specific Tucson:
- Decode the VIN with the tool above to confirm the exact model and year
- Cross-reference the 17-character VIN with Hyundai’s recall lookup or NHTSA’s recall database
- Contact your nearest Hyundai dealer for any open campaign repair
Recall repairs are free regardless of vehicle age, mileage, or ownership history.
Frequently asked questions
How do I decode a Hyundai Tucson VIN?
Type the 17-character VIN from the windshield, door jamb, or title into the decoder at the top of this page. Results return in under three seconds and include generation, model year, engine, trim, transmission, drivetrain, assembly plant, and any open NHTSA recalls. No sign-up required.
Where is the VIN on a Hyundai Tucson?
The two easiest spots are the lower-left corner of the windshield, readable from outside the car, and the driver-side door jamb label. Both are federally required. The engine block and front chassis rail carry physical stamps of the same number for verification.
Does the Hyundai Tucson VIN spell out the generation like JM, LM, or TL?
No. Those are Hyundai’s internal engineering codes, not literal VIN characters. Real decoded Tucson VINs show the same “J” at position 4 across the JM, LM, and NX4 generations. The generation is inferred from the WMI, the model year character, and the engine code together, which is what the decoder above does automatically.
What does a Hyundai Tucson VIN starting with 5NM mean?
5NM is the WMI for Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama in Montgomery. A Tucson with a VIN starting 5NM is a fourth-generation (NX4) model built in the US since 2022. Korea-built NX4 Tucsons, including all hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions, carry KM8 instead.
How do I tell which engine my Tucson has from the VIN?
Position 8 encodes the engine, but the character only means something once you know the generation. A 2020 Tucson with an L there has the 2.4L Theta II; a 2023 Tucson with an E has the 2.5L Theta III. Decode the full VIN above rather than reading position 8 alone.
Is the Hyundai Tucson VIN decoder really free?
Yes. VinDecoderPlus decodes every Hyundai Tucson VIN free of charge with no sign-up. The basic decode covers everything the factory stamped into the VIN. A full vehicle history report (accident records, odometer history, prior ownership, salvage status) is available as a paid upgrade if you need it.
Decode any Hyundai Tucson VIN free
Type your 17-character Tucson VIN into the decoder at the top of this page for an instant breakdown. To go deeper into VIN structure:
- Hyundai VIN decoder hub for the brand-wide guide
- How to read a VIN number for the general standard
- What every character in a VIN means for a position-by-position reference
- VIN decoder vs. vehicle history report for what a decode covers vs. what it doesn’t
- How to check if a car is stolen by VIN to verify a used Tucson before you buy
