South Korea · NHTSA recalls & complaints
Hyundai VIN decoder
Hyundai Motor Company is a South Korean automaker and the core of Hyundai Motor Group, whose car affiliates also include Kia and the Genesis luxury brand. Its 2026 US lineup includes the Elantra and Sonata sedans, the Venue, Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe and Palisade SUVs, the Santa Cruz pickup, the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9 electric SUVs, and the Nexo fuel-cell SUV.
Enter all 17 characters to see the build details NHTSA holds and the recalls for that model year.
- 49 model pages
- 285 recall campaigns
- 55,062 owner complaints
- model years 1995–2027
- 14 WMI codes in vPIC
- origin: South Korea
| Country of origin | South Korea |
|---|---|
| Region | Asia |
| NHTSA recall and complaint data | Yes, model years 1995–2027 |
| WMI codes in NHTSA vPIC | 14 |
| Model pages | 49 |
| Other model names in NHTSA data | 6 |
| Vehicle recall campaigns | 285 |
| Owner complaints | 55,062 |
| Complaints reporting a crash | 3,122 (5.7%) |
| Complaints reporting a fire | 1,428 (2.6%) |
| Complaints reporting an injury | 2,008 (3.6%) |
| Complaints reporting a death | 48 (0.1%) |
| Data updated | September 25, 2026 |
Hyundai builds several of its US models in the South. Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama in Montgomery builds the Tucson, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid and Santa Cruz, and Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Ellabell, Georgia builds the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9, along with the Kia Sportage Hybrid. Other models, such as the Nexo, are built in Ulsan, South Korea. Before the Genesis brand launched in 2015, Genesis was a Hyundai model name, so a Hyundai Genesis sedan or coupe decodes with Hyundai as the make.
Every Hyundai carries a 17-character VIN, the standard in North America since model year 1981. Hyundai's VIN decoding guides are filed with NHTSA by the Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center, and NHTSA's vPIC database usually decodes US-market Hyundais in detail.
NHTSA’s files hold 285 vehicle recall campaigns and 55,062 owner complaints for Hyundai vehicles from model years 1995 to 2027, summarised here on 49 model pages. The Sonata has the most complaints (15,961), followed by the Elantra (8,573) and the Santa Fe (7,647). Of those complaints, 3,122 report a crash, 1,428 a fire, 2,008 at least one injury and 48 at least one death; the figures count complaints, not people.
The World Manufacturer Identifier is the first three characters of the VIN. NHTSA’s vPIC database decodes 14 WMIs to Hyundai; this is the complete list, with the manufacturer name, country and vehicle type vPIC records for each.
| WMI | Manufacturer (vPIC) | Country | Vehicle type | Also decoded as |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3KM | KIA MEXICO S.A. DE C.V. | Mexico | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Kia |
| 3KP | KIA MEXICO S.A. DE C.V. | Mexico | Passenger Car | Kia |
| 5NM | HYUNDAI MOTOR MANUFACTURING ALABAMA LLC (HMMA) | United States | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Genesis |
| 5NP | HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INC (HATCI) | United States | Passenger Car | – |
| 5NT | HYUNDAI MOTOR MANUFACTURING ALABAMA LLC (HMMA) | United States | Truck | – |
| 5XY | KIA GEORGIA, INC | United States | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Kia |
| 7YA | HYUNDAI MOTOR GROUP METAPLANT AMERICA | Not stated | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Kia |
| KM8 | HYUNDAI MOTOR CO | South Korea | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| KME | HYUNDAI MOTOR CO | Not stated | Truck | – |
| KMH | HYUNDAI MOTOR CO | South Korea | Passenger Car | Genesis |
Show the other 4 WMIsHide the rest
| WMI | Manufacturer (vPIC) | Country | Vehicle type | Also decoded as |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KMU | HYUNDAI MOTOR CO | South Korea | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Genesis |
| KND | KIA CORPORATION | South Korea | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | Kia |
| PFD | HYUNDAI MOTOR GROUP INNOVATION CENTRE IN SINGAPORE | Singapore | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| U5Y | HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INC (HATCI) | United States | Passenger Car | Kia |
Some codes are shared across a manufacturer’s brands; the last column names the other brands in our catalog that vPIC links to the same code. See the WMI code guide for how the codes are assigned.
Each model page lists NHTSA’s recall campaigns and owner complaints for that model name, by model year and component. Models are sorted by complaints; the data covers model years 1995–2027.
| Model | Model years | Recall campaigns | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonata | 1995–2026 | 63 | 15,961 |
| Elantra | 1995–2026 | 56 | 8,573 |
| Santa Fe | 2001–2026 | 46 | 7,647 |
| Tucson | 2005–2026 | 36 | 6,267 |
| Palisade | 2020–2026 | 16 | 2,421 |
| Accent | 1995–2022 | 25 | 2,026 |
| Ioniq 5 | 2022–2026 | 15 | 1,333 |
| Veloster | 2012–2021 | 10 | 1,289 |
| Genesis | 2008–2018 | 10 | 1,243 |
| Santa Fe Sport | 2013–2018 | 11 | 1,180 |
| Sonata Hybrid | 2011–2026 | 13 | 791 |
| Kona | 2018–2026 | 9 | 791 |
| Tiburon | 1997–2008 | 17 | 762 |
| Azera | 2005–2017 | 11 | 712 |
| Veracruz | 2007–2012 | 6 | 661 |
| Tucson Hybrid | 2022–2026 | 4 | 355 |
| Santa Cruz | 2022–2026 | 9 | 322 |
| XG350 | 2001–2006 | 3 | 319 |
| Entourage | 2006–2008 | 6 | 286 |
| Santa Fe Hybrid | 2021–2026 | 10 | 251 |
| Genesis Coupe | 2010–2016 | 6 | 222 |
| Elantra Touring | 2008–2013 | 4 | 175 |
| Kona Electric | 2019–2025 | 5 | 149 |
| Venue | 2020–2026 | 3 | 143 |
| Elantra Hybrid | 2021–2026 | 6 | 134 |
| Ioniq 6 | 2023–2025 | 6 | 128 |
| Ioniq Hybrid | 2017–2022 | 4 | 124 |
| Elantra GT | 2013–2020 | 2 | 116 |
| Equus | 2011–2016 | 3 | 96 |
| XG300 | 2001–2004 | 4 | 75 |
Show 19 more Hyundai modelsHide the other models
| Model | Model years | Recall campaigns | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonata Plug-In Hybrid | 2016–2019 | 2 | 63 |
| Veloster N | 2019–2022 | 2 | 61 |
| Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid | 2022–2023 | 5 | 47 |
| Sonata GLS | 1999 | – | 46 |
| Elantra N | 2022–2026 | 5 | 40 |
| Ioniq 9 | 2026 | 3 | 36 |
| Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid | 2017–2022 | 1 | 27 |
| Santa Fe XL | 2019 | 1 | 25 |
| Tucson Plug-In Hybrid | 2022–2026 | 4 | 24 |
| Ioniq Electric | 2017–2021 | 3 | 24 |
| Nexo | 2019–2024 | 5 | 22 |
| Elantra Coupe | 2013–2015 | 1 | 12 |
| Kona N | 2022–2023 | 2 | 11 |
| Palisade Hybrid | 2026–2027 | 3 | 6 |
| LD15 Bering | 2000 | 1 | 4 |
| Accent GT | 1997 | 1 | 1 |
| Genesis G70 | 2020 | 1 | – |
| Tucson Fuel Cell | 2015 | 1 | – |
| Xcient | 2023 | 1 | – |
– means NHTSA has no records of that kind under the model name.
Other Hyundai models in NHTSA data
NHTSA also lists these Hyundai model names, but with no recall campaign and fewer than 25 complaints each, so they have no page of their own: Excel, Ioniq, Ioniq 5 N, Scoupe, XG, XG300L.
Which WMI codes appear on Hyundai VINs?
Korean-built Hyundais start with KM; US-built models start with 5N or 7YA. Several WMIs are shared within the group: vPIC lists 5NM and KMH with both Hyundai and Genesis, and 7YA with Hyundai and Kia.
| WMI | Manufacturer (NHTSA vPIC) | Country | Vehicle type |
|---|---|---|---|
| KMH | HYUNDAI MOTOR CO | South Korea | Passenger car |
| KM8 | HYUNDAI MOTOR CO | South Korea | MPV |
| 5NP | HYUNDAI-KIA AMERICA TECHNICAL CENTER INC (HATCI) | United States | Passenger car |
| 5NM | HYUNDAI MOTOR MANUFACTURING ALABAMA LLC (HMMA) | United States | MPV |
| 5NT | HYUNDAI MOTOR MANUFACTURING ALABAMA LLC (HMMA) | United States | Truck |
| 7YA | HYUNDAI MOTOR GROUP METAPLANT AMERICA | United States | MPV |
What do positions 4 to 11 mean on a Hyundai VIN?
Hyundai's decoding guides use one layout for every model: position 4 is the make and line, 5 the model series, 6 the body type, 7 the restraint system, 8 the engine or electric motor and battery, 9 the check digit, 10 the model year and 11 the plant. Two recent filings show the plant codes:
| Model | WMI | Position 11 | Plant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ioniq 9 (2026) | 7YA | Y | Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, Georgia |
| Nexo (2027) | KM8 | U | Ulsan, South Korea |
In the Ioniq 9 guide, position 4 is M for Hyundai Ioniq 9 and position 8 distinguishes the rear-motor and dual-motor versions. Hyundai's 2026 filing for the Alabama-built Tucson uses WMI 5NM. Series codes in position 5 change when trims are added, so match them to the model year.
Was my Hyundai built in the US or in Korea?
Check the first character. VINs starting with 5 or 7 were built in the United States, for example 5NM at the Alabama plant or 7YA at Metaplant America in Georgia, while VINs starting with K were built in South Korea. Position 11 then names the specific plant.
Does a Hyundai Genesis decode as a Hyundai or a Genesis?
It depends on the vehicle. Genesis sedans and coupes sold before the Genesis brand launched in November 2015 were Hyundai models, and NHTSA's vPIC lists them under the Hyundai make. Vehicles from the separate Genesis brand, such as the G80 and G90, decode as Genesis.
Can I check Hyundai recalls with my VIN?
The decoder lists recalls NHTSA has issued for your Hyundai's make, model and model year, using NHTSA's public data for US-market vehicles. For one VIN's open-recall status, use NHTSA's VIN search or a Hyundai dealer. See recalls.
Does a Hyundai VIN decode show accident or title records?
No. It shows factory data such as line, series, body, restraints, engine, model year and plant. Accident, title and ownership records come from state agencies and licensed history providers, which this site does not connect to.
Brands mentioned in the notes above, then other Asian brands, each with its own VIN notes and WMI list.
- Kia (40) South Korea · 209 recall campaigns
- Genesis (12) South Korea · 34 recall campaigns
- Acura (22) Japan · 117 recall campaigns
- Honda (127) Japan · 363 recall campaigns
- Infiniti (36) Japan · 104 recall campaigns
- Isuzu (36) Japan · 112 recall campaigns
Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files and NHTSA vPIC, updated September 25, 2026.