How to Decode a VIN for Pontiac Cars

Prior to 1981, the system for assigning automobile VIN, or vehicle identification numbers, varied from car model to car model and from one production year to the next. Beginning in 1981, a uniform system for VIN numbers was agreed upon and has been utilized by car manufacturers. General Motors, including the Pontiac division, utilizes a slightly modified version of the universal VIN numbering system. Each of the 17 digits in the VIN number provides specific information for the car to which the VIN is assigned. You can utilize the VIN number codes to learn specific details about your car or any car of interest.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pontiac VIN identification plate

1. Locate the VIN identification plate. You can find this mounted on the vehicle dashboard to the driver's left of the steering wheel. The VIN number must be read from outside of the vehicle while looking through the windshield.

2. Read the first three characters of the VIN to determine the country in which the automobile was manufactured. Your car was manufactured in the United States if the first three characters are "1G2" or "5Y2". If your car was manufactured in Canada the first three characters will be "2G2," in Mexico "3G2" and in Australia, "6G2".

3. Read the fourth and fifth characters to indicate the Pontiac series represented by the automobile. You can key on the fourth character to determine the series family. This fourth character indicates the following Pontiac series: "F" designates the Firebird series; "H" designates the Bonneville series; "J" designates the Sunfire series; "N" designates the Grand AM series; "P" designates the Fiero series; "S" designates the Vibe series; "V" designates the GTO series; and "W" designates the Grand Prix series.

4. Read the sixth character of the VIN to determine the automobile body style. You can interpret the sixth character as follows: "1" designates a two-door coupe; "2" designates a two-door; "3" designates a two-door convertible; "5" designates a four-door sedan; "6" designates a four-door hatchback; "8" designates a four-door station wagon or hatchback; and "9" designates a four-door station wagon.

5. Read the seventh character to determine the installed vehicle restraint system as follows: "1" designates active seat belt system; "2" designates two front seat airbags; "3" designates driver side airbag; "4" designates two front seat airbags, plus driver side airbags; "5" designates two front seat airbags, plus driver and passenger side airbags; "6" designates four airbags, 2 in front and 2 in rear, plus a passenger sensor; "7" designates four airbags, 2 in front and 2 in back, plus rear side airbags; "9" designates seat belts only

6. Read the eighth character to determine the type and size of engine installed in your vehicle. As General Motors manufactures 31 different engine combinations, it is not practical to list all of them here. You can interpret the engine code by utilizing the link shown in the reference section "GM Engine Codes" to determine the engine type and size.

7. Ignore the ninth character as this is known as a "check digit" used by manufacturers to determine whether the VIN code is fraudulent. It does not relate to any characteristic of the automobile.

8. Read the 10th character to determine the year of manufacture for the automobile. You will need to understand that the system used to code production dates is only consistent after 1981. Automobiles built between 2001 and 2009 will use a numerical character to designate the year of production. A "3" would indicate a car was manufactured in the year 2003. You would interpret a "7" to designate a production year of 2007. Between the years 1981 and 2000 a letter system was used to designate the production year. 1981 started the sequence with the letter "B" and each subsequent year was assigned the next letter. However, the letters "I", "O", "Q", "U" and "Z" are not used in VIN codes. As a result, the assignment of letters to production years leaves out these letters. This results in the years 1981 through 1987 being assigned sequentially the letters B through H, and the years 1988 through 1992 will be assigned sequentially the letters J through N.
   The year 1993 is assigned the letter "P"and the years 1994 through 1996 are assigned sequentially the letters "R" through "T'. The years 1997 through the year 2000 are assigned the letters "V", "W", "X" and "Y" respectively.

9. Read the eleventh character to determine the plant where the automobile was manufactured. You can determine the location of the manufacturing site by interpreting the following Pontiac codes as follows: "2" Sainte-Therese, Quebec; "D" for Doraville, GA; "E" for Linden, NJ; "M" for Lansing, MI; "N" for Norwood, OH; and "P" for Pontiac, MI.

10. Read characters 12 through 17 to determine the production sequence of the vehicle. The numbering sequence begins with 100001 for the first car produced in the model year and counts upward from that point.

Tips & Warnings

• The above system was made more uniform in 1981. VIN coding systems prior to that date may be quite different.

References

• Pontiac Engine Codes

Resources

• Pontiac VIN Decoder

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