At a glance
- Buick WMIs in vPIC
- 8, from 1G4 to LRB
- 2025 to 2026 lineup
- Enclave, Encore GX, Envision, Envista
- Built in South Korea
- KL4: Encore GX and Envista
- Built in China
- LRB: Envision
- Built in the USA
- 5GA: Enclave
On this page
How to read a Buick VIN
Every current Buick is an SUV, and three of the four are imported, so the first three characters of a Buick VIN already tell you a lot. Here is a real 2025 Encore GX, decoded with the codes in GM's 2026 VIN standard, which NHTSA applies to this VIN the same way.
| Position | Buick meaning | KL4AMBSP0SB152392 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Country: K is South Korea (1 or 5 for the USA, L for China) | K |
| 2 | Maker: L is GM Korea (G on US-built Buicks) | L |
| 3 | 4: Buick MPV | 4 |
| 4 | GVWR, brakes and body: A is Class C (4,001 to 5,000 lb), body style 26, four doors | A |
| 5 | Chassis: M is the Encore GX | M |
| 6 | Series: B Preferred FWD, C Preferred AWD, D and E Sport Touring, F and G Avenir | B |
| 7 | Restraints: S is the AYF package, with front knee airbags | S |
| 8 | Engine: P is the 1.2L turbo three-cylinder (LBP), L the 1.3L (L3T) | P |
| 9 | Check digit | 0 |
| 10 | Model year: S is 2025 | S |
| 11 | Plant: B is Bupyeong, South Korea | B |
| 12 | Build sequence, digit 1 | 1 |
| 13 | Build sequence, digit 2 | 5 |
| 14 | Build sequence, digit 3 | 2 |
| 15 | Build sequence, digit 4 | 3 |
| 16 | Build sequence, digit 5 | 9 |
| 17 | Build sequence, digit 6 | 2 |
Example: a Buick Encore GX VIN decoded
NHTSA's vPIC database returns these fields for KL4AMBSP0SB152392:
| Field | From vPIC |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | 2025 Buick Encore GX |
| Trim | Preferred |
| Body and drive | SUV, front-wheel drive |
| Engine | 1.2L three-cylinder turbo, GM code LBP |
| Plant | Bupyeong, South Korea |
| GVWR | Class 1C: 4,001 to 5,000 lb |
| Airbags | Front, knee, side (rows 1 and 2) and curtain |
| Driver aids listed as standard | Adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping, automatic emergency braking |
Where was my Buick built?
Read position 1 and position 11 together. GM's 2027 standard gives each Buick its own plant letter:
| Model (2027) | VIN starts with | Plant code |
|---|---|---|
| Enclave | 5GA | J: Lansing Delta Township, Michigan |
| Encore GX | KL4 | B: Bupyeong, South Korea |
| Envista | KL4 | B: Bupyeong, South Korea |
| Envision | LRB | D: Dong Yue, China |
LRB is a Shanghai GM code in vPIC that Buick shares with Cadillac. The 2027 Encore GX table also adds Limited packages as their own series codes, such as MH for a Preferred Limited FWD.
Buick models NHTSA can decode
vPIC lists 27 Buick model names, from the Skyhawk and Roadmaster to the Envista. Older Buick cars such as the LaCrosse, Regal and LeSabre use car WMIs like 1G4 and 2G4, and they decode as long as the VIN has 17 characters, which means the 1981 model year or later. Before that, see classic car VINs.
Where is the VIN on a Buick?
Stand outside the driver's door and look down through the windshield at the left corner of the dash. Federal rules put the VIN there on cars and SUVs (49 CFR 565.13). Open the door and you'll find it again on the certification label on the door edge or pillar, with the month the Buick was built. It is also on the title, the registration and most insurance cards.
What a Buick VIN decode leaves out
The VIN carries the model, trim, engine, restraints and plant. It doesn't carry paint, factory options or price. For the color, here is where to find the paint code. For the rest of the General Motors family, the GM VIN decoder shows how Buick's codes line up with Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac.