Making Sense of your VIN
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 11-14-2007
Posts: 1,240
From: Planet Earth
Making Sense of your VIN
NOTE TO FORUM ADMIN: You may want to post this as a sticky. The article incorportes excellent information on decoding every digit in the VIN.
http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/dri...4/article.html
http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/dri...4/article.html
Senior Member
Joined: 09-14-2007
Posts: 1,441
From: xxxxx-xx
With Chevy the 8th digit is which engine is in the car. --- letter D on the HHR is the 2.2L
if it is P then you have the 2.4L
many sites give this info
MWG2, nice that you honor your father with that picture
if it is P then you have the 2.4L
many sites give this info
MWG2, nice that you honor your father with that picture
Platinum Member
Joined: 05-09-2006
Posts: 6,805
From: "Upland" Mesa, Arizona
That Edmunds reference is to generic in nature. Here is a much better one directly from GM. Just click on the year....the rest is self explanatory....
http://service.gm.com/dealerworld/vincards/
http://service.gm.com/dealerworld/vincards/
Senior Member
Joined: 06-09-2008
Posts: 354
From: Seattle, WA
Double check my VIN "math?"
3GNDA33P68S533913
That's my 2008 HHR 2LT.
When I break it down I get:
3 - Mexican built (sigh)
GN - Chevrolet
D - 5001 to 6000 GVWR
A3 - SaysHHR LS With Manual Trans. Mine is supposed to be a 2LT with Auto. Should it not read A5 here?
3 - Four Door All Purpose Vehicle
P - LE5 2.4L (yay that jibes!)
68 - Check Digit
S - Ramos Arizpe, Mexico built
533913 - Sequence. I'm sure they didn't build 533,913 HHRs this year so one of these must be dropped?
I guess my question is why they'd put an HHR LS Manual code on a 2LT Automatic... and then get the engine right later? Chevy Mgr? I'm a code nut, always decoded all my Chevys and they were always exactly right in the past!
That's my 2008 HHR 2LT.
When I break it down I get:
3 - Mexican built (sigh)
GN - Chevrolet
D - 5001 to 6000 GVWR
A3 - SaysHHR LS With Manual Trans. Mine is supposed to be a 2LT with Auto. Should it not read A5 here?
3 - Four Door All Purpose Vehicle
P - LE5 2.4L (yay that jibes!)
68 - Check Digit
S - Ramos Arizpe, Mexico built
533913 - Sequence. I'm sure they didn't build 533,913 HHRs this year so one of these must be dropped?
I guess my question is why they'd put an HHR LS Manual code on a 2LT Automatic... and then get the engine right later? Chevy Mgr? I'm a code nut, always decoded all my Chevys and they were always exactly right in the past!
Senior Member
Joined: 04-11-2008
Posts: 663
From: Eastpointe,MI.
Chevyorange-6 is the check digit,8 is the year designation.
The production sequence starts with 500001 and includes Saturn Vues which are also made there.
I can't explain the anomaly of the A3 designation on your 2LT.I'm guessing factory foul up.My 2LT has an A5.I'm scatching my head about the D GVWR designation in your VIN versus the C in mine.I'm thinking the difference in transmission puts yours over a weight threshold.
The production sequence starts with 500001 and includes Saturn Vues which are also made there.
I can't explain the anomaly of the A3 designation on your 2LT.I'm guessing factory foul up.My 2LT has an A5.I'm scatching my head about the D GVWR designation in your VIN versus the C in mine.I'm thinking the difference in transmission puts yours over a weight threshold.
Senior Member
Joined: 05-22-2008
Posts: 391
From: G'town, MD
Oh me oh my....... And I tried to tell the Maryland State Motor Vehicle Admin. that my HHR was a Multi Purpose Vehicle and that the Chevorlet Dealer in Rockville Maryland was really just showing everyone just how stupid they were by callin' it a 4 door sedan. Shame they didn't decode the vin.
Joined: 01-03-2009
Posts: 9
From: Huntington Beach, CA
Very Interesting
My VIN is 3GNDA13D07S599270.
Yes, it is a Chevrolet (3GN). It weighs from 5,000 to 6,000 pounds with hydraulic brakes (D). It is a HHR LS (A1). It is a Sport Utility Truck (3). It has a 2.2L engine (D). Think the next 0 means something. The 7 says that it is a model from 07 and the S says that it was made in Ramos Arizpe. Mine was not the 599,270th vehicle built at the facility by the 99,270th vehicle built at the facility.
It upsets me that the link tells me no more than I already knew, stopping at the engine size, and I had to learn the rest here. Don't get me wrong, I am very glad to have learned all this. I merely wish that GM had made all the information availble and that the availability was better known.
Yes, it is a Chevrolet (3GN). It weighs from 5,000 to 6,000 pounds with hydraulic brakes (D). It is a HHR LS (A1). It is a Sport Utility Truck (3). It has a 2.2L engine (D). Think the next 0 means something. The 7 says that it is a model from 07 and the S says that it was made in Ramos Arizpe. Mine was not the 599,270th vehicle built at the facility by the 99,270th vehicle built at the facility.
It upsets me that the link tells me no more than I already knew, stopping at the engine size, and I had to learn the rest here. Don't get me wrong, I am very glad to have learned all this. I merely wish that GM had made all the information availble and that the availability was better known.
