At a glance
- Car WMIs
- 1G3, 2G3 and 3G3
- SUV and minivan WMI
- 1GH, shared with Holden in vPIC
- Oldsmobile-only engines
- C (4.0L V8) and H (3.5L V6) in GM's 2000 table
- Models in vPIC
- 21, from Achieva to Toronado
On this page
Example: an Oldsmobile VIN decoded
Here is a real one. 1G3NK12T7YC409233 belongs to a 2000 Oldsmobile Alero coupe that NHTSA used in vehicle crash test 4145. GM's VIN filing for that model year explains every character:
| Characters | Code | What GM's codes say |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | 1G3 | Oldsmobile passenger car built by General Motors in the U.S. |
| 4 and 5 | NK | Alero GX |
| 6 | 1 | 2-door coupe |
| 7 | 2 | Manual belts plus driver and passenger front airbags |
| 8 | T | 2.4-liter 4-cylinder (LD9) |
| 9 | 7 | Check digit |
| 10 | Y | 2000 model year |
| 11 | C | Lansing, Michigan |
| 12 to 17 | 409233 | Sequence number |
NHTSA's vPIC agrees: 2000 Oldsmobile Alero, series Level I, coupe, 2 doors, 2.4-liter DOHC inline 4-cylinder (LD9), front airbags for driver and passenger, built at the Lansing South Plant in Michigan.
How to read an Oldsmobile VIN
GM used two layouts. Oldsmobile cars followed the passenger car table, while the Bravada SUV and Silhouette minivan (WMI 1GH) followed GM's truck and MPV table. Side by side, with codes from GM's 2000 model year filing:
| Position | Alero, Intrigue and other cars | Bravada and Silhouette |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | 1G3 or 2G3: GM, Oldsmobile car | 1GH: GM multipurpose vehicle |
| 4 | Carline: N = Alero, W = Intrigue | GVWR and brake system |
| 5 | Series, read with 4: NF = Alero GLS, NK = Alero GX, NL = Alero GL, WH = Intrigue GX, WS = Intrigue GL, WX = Intrigue GLS | Line and chassis: T = Bravada 4x4, X = Silhouette 4x2 extended wheelbase |
| 6 | Body style: 1 = 2-door coupe, 5 = 4-door sedan | Series, read with 5: T1 = Bravada, T6 = Bravada Luxury, X0 = Silhouette, X1 = Silhouette Luxury, X2 = Silhouette Economy |
| 7 | Restraints: 2 = front airbags; 4 to 7 add side airbags | Body type: 3 = four-door utility or all-purpose vehicle |
| 8 | Engine: T = 2.4L 4-cylinder, E = 3.4L V6, H = 3.5L V6 | Engine |
| 9 | Check digit | Check digit |
| 10 | Model year: Y = 2000, 1 = 2001 | Model year |
| 11 | Plant: B, C or M = Lansing, MI | Plant |
| 12 to 17 | Sequence number | Sequence number |
Codes are from GM's 2000 model year VIN standards. Other years use other letters in positions 4 to 8, so trust the decoder for your exact VIN.
Which engine does my Oldsmobile have?
Position 8 is the engine. GM's 2000 engine table shows which brands used each one, and two codes were Oldsmobile-only that year:
- C: 4.0-liter V8 (RPO L47). Oldsmobile only.
- H: 3.5-liter V6 (RPO LX5). Oldsmobile only.
- E: 3.4-liter V6 (RPO LA1), shared with Chevrolet and Pontiac.
- T: 2.4-liter 4-cylinder (RPO LD9), shared with Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick and Toyota.
The decoder above prints the engine NHTSA has on file for your VIN, often with the RPO code, which is handy when you order parts.
Where to find the VIN on an Oldsmobile
Check three places and make sure they agree:
- The top of the dashboard on the driver's side, read from outside through the windshield. That location is required on cars, SUVs, minivans and light trucks (49 CFR 565.13(f)).
- The certification label in the driver's door opening, which also shows the build month and year and the weight ratings (49 CFR 567.4).
- The title and registration.
Oldsmobile models in NHTSA's database
vPIC lists 21 Oldsmobile models under make ID 4162: Achieva, Alero, Aurora, Bravada, Custom Cruiser, Cutlass, Cutlass Calais, Cutlass Ciera, Cutlass Cruiser, Cutlass Salon, Cutlass Supreme, Delta 88, Eighty Eight (88), Firenza, Intrigue, LSS, Ninety Eight (98), Omega, Regency, Silhouette and Toronado.
Several of those names go back further than the 17-character VIN. Any Oldsmobile from before the 1981 model year has a shorter VIN that vPIC can't decode; the classic car VIN guide explains what to do with one.