Chevy & GMC Truck VIN Decoder
Type in the serial number or VIN from your truck’s plate or title. The decoder reads every Chevrolet and GMC truck serial from 1947 to 1998, including the pre-1981 layouts that standard VIN decoders can’t read, and tells you the year, series, body, engine and the plant that built it. Then it takes you straight to the parts that fit.
Decoded in your browser. The number is never sent to us or stored.
Where to find the VIN on a Chevy or GMC truck
The quickest place is the title or registration. On the truck itself:
- 1947-59: a small plate on the driver’s side door hinge pillar or door frame.
- 1960-66: a plate inside the cab. Check the driver’s door pillar and the glove box door.
- 1967-80: the VIN plate on the driver’s door pillar.
- 1981-98: on the dash at the base of the windshield, driver’s side, where you can read it from outside. It is also on the label on the driver’s door.
Square body trucks also carry a shorter stamp on the frame: the make, year, plant and sequence number. The decoder reads that too.
How Chevy truck VIN codes changed, 1947-98
GM only moved to the 17-character VIN in 1981. Before that each generation had its own serial layout, which is why most online decoders give up on an older truck. This is what each era looks like, and where the model year sits in it:
| Years | Example | Characters | Where the year is |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947-52 | 8JPE10001 | 8 to 11 | The letter after the plant number: E = 1947 through K = 1952 |
| 1953-55 first series | H54J100001 | 10 | The two digits after the series letter: 54 = 1954 |
| 1955 second series-59 | 3A57F100001 | 11 | The two digits after the series code: 57 = 1957. A 1955 second series reads H255… |
| 1960-64 | 2C154L100001 | 12 | The first digit: 2 = 1962 |
| 1965-66 | C1545Z100001 | 12 | The fifth character: 5 = 1965 |
| 1967-71 | CE148S100001 | 12 | The fifth character: 8 = 1968 |
| 1972-80 | CCE142S100001 | 13 | The sixth character: 2 = 1972 through A = 1980 |
| 1981-98 | 1GCEK14K7SZ100001 | 17 | The tenth character: B = 1981 through W = 1998 |
GMC used its own layouts until 1972, when the two brands moved to one format with a C for Chevrolet or a T for GMC in front. The decoder reads the GMC serials as well.
What the serial can and can’t tell you
Every serial gives the model year and the assembly plant, and most give the series: ½-ton, ¾-ton or 1-ton. From 1960 you also get 2WD or 4WD, and from 1967 the body style. The engine is coded as V8 or six from 1955 to 1959 and from 1967, and by exact engine from 1973. Before that the engine carries its own number on the block.
No serial can tell you what has been changed since the truck left the plant. Engine swaps, bed swaps and mixed-year cabs are common on these trucks, so for body and interior parts check what is on the truck as well as what the VIN says. The Chevy 3100 guide and the square body guide show the year-to-year differences to look for.
What your truck was called, year by year
The serial gives you the year and the series. This chart shows the badge that went with them: when Chevy and GMC sold the same truck under different names, when the C10 became the C1500, and where the Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe and Yukon names came in. Decode a serial above and your truck is marked on the timeline. Ford is on the chart too, for anyone sorting out an F-100 from an F-150.
- Chevrolet
- GMC
- Ford
- hatched = numbering unconfirmed
| Make | Model / series | Years | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet | 3100 · 3600 · 3800 | 1947–1959 | Advance Design (’47–’55) and Task Force (’55–’59) half, ¾ and 1-ton series, before C/K numbering. |
| Chevrolet | C10 · C20 · C30 (K10/K20/K30) | 1960–1987 | First- through third-generation C/K. Replaced by the C1500 family in 1988; the square body Suburban, Blazer and crew cab carried on as R/V trucks through 1991. |
| Chevrolet | C1500 · C2500 · C3500 (K-series) | 1988–1998 | GMT400 generation — the trucks enthusiasts call “OBS”. |
| Chevrolet | Silverado | 1999–2026 | C/K designation dropped entirely; Silverado becomes the model name. Four platform generations since: GMT800 (’99–’06), GMT900 (’07–’13), K2XX (’14–’18) and T1XX (’19–present). An all-new fifth generation for MY2027 was announced in June 2026. |
| Chevrolet | Blazer / K5 Blazer | 1969–1994 | Full-size SUV on the C/K platform. GMC’s twin is the Jimmy — never “GMC Blazer”. K5 prefix through 1988, then plain “Blazer” 1989–94, before becoming the Tahoe. |
| Chevrolet | Tahoe | 1995–2026 | Replaced the full-size Blazer for 1995 as a shorter-wheelbase Suburban. GMC’s twin is the Yukon. Now in its fifth generation (2021–present). |
| Chevrolet | S-10 | 1982–2004 | Compact pickup. GMC’s twin is the S-15, renamed Sonoma in 1991. Replaced by the Colorado. |
| Chevrolet | S-10 Blazer | 1982–2004 | Two-door only through 1994; four-door added for 1995. GMC’s twin is the S-15 Jimmy. |
| Chevrolet | Colorado | 2004–2012 | Replaced the S-10 as Chevy’s compact / midsize pickup. First generation only — production paused after 2012. |
| Chevrolet | Colorado (returned) | 2015–2026 | Returned for MY2015 after a two-year gap, redesigned again for MY2023 as a crew-cab-only third generation. |
| Chevrolet | Suburban | 1947–2026 | Shared nameplate — GMC also badged a Suburban through 1999, then renamed it Yukon XL. Still in production: the longest-running nameplate in North American auto history. |
| GMC | 100 · 150 · 250 (FC series) | 1947–1959 | New Design (’47–’54) and Blue Chip (’55–’59) half, ¾ and 1-ton series — GMC’s twins to Chevy’s 3100/3600/3800, with GMC’s own engines and grille. |
| GMC | ½–1 ton (numbering unconfirmed) (unconfirmed numbering) | 1960–1987 | Same C/K-era trucks as Chevy’s C10/C20/C30. Some sources say GMC used its own 1000/1500/2500/3000 scheme; parts-industry sources often say “C15/K15” instead. We are still tracking down a definitive answer. |
| GMC | C1500 · C2500 · C3500 (K-series) | 1988–1998 | GMT400 generation — GMC aligned onto Chevy’s numbering by this point. |
| GMC | Sierra | 1999–2026 | C/K numbering dropped entirely; Sierra becomes the model name. Same four platform generations as the Silverado. A redesigned Sierra for MY2027 was announced in June 2026. |
| GMC | Jimmy | 1970–1991 | Full-size SUV — GMC’s version of the K5 Blazer, one year behind Chevy’s 1969 debut. |
| GMC | Yukon | 1992–2026 | Replaced the full-size Jimmy. Chevy counterpart is the Tahoe. Now in its fifth generation (2021–present). |
| GMC | S-15 | 1982–1990 | Compact pickup — GMC’s twin to the S-10. Renamed Sonoma for 1991. |
| GMC | Sonoma | 1991–2004 | Renamed from S-15. Chevrolet never made a Sonoma. Replaced by the Canyon. |
| GMC | S-15 Jimmy | 1982–2004 | Compact SUV — GMC’s twin to the S-10 Blazer. |
| GMC | Canyon | 2004–2012 | GMC’s twin to the Colorado. First generation only — production paused after 2012. |
| GMC | Canyon (returned) | 2015–2026 | Returned for MY2015 alongside the Colorado, redesigned again for MY2023. |
| GMC | Suburban | 1947–1999 | Renamed Yukon XL from model year 2000. |
| GMC | Yukon XL | 2000–2026 | GMC’s Suburban renamed Yukon XL for MY2000, sold alongside the shorter Yukon. Still in production. |
| Ford | F-1 · F-2 · F-3 · F-4 | 1948–1952 | First-generation naming. Renamed to the three-digit series in 1953. |
| Ford | F-100 | 1953–1983 | F-1 renamed F-100 in 1953. Discontinued in the U.S. after 1983. |
| Ford | F-150 | 1975–2026 | Introduced in 1975, slotted between the F-100 and F-250 specifically to dodge an emissions rule. Now in its 14th generation (2021–present). |
| Ford | F-250 | 1953–2026 | F-2 and F-3 merged into the F-250 in the 1953 renaming. Folded into the dedicated Super Duty line from 1999. |
| Ford | F-350 | 1953–2026 | F-4 renamed F-350 in 1953. Folded into the dedicated Super Duty line from 1999. |
| Ford | Bronco | 1966–1996 | Full-size SUV, five generations. Replaced by the Expedition after 1996. |
| Ford | Bronco II | 1984–1990 | A different vehicle — a compact SUV on a shortened Ranger chassis, not a small Bronco. |
| Ford | Bronco (returned) | 2021–2026 | Revived for MY2021 after a 25-year absence, on a platform shared with the current Ranger — a separate vehicle from the 1966–96 full-size Bronco. |
| Ford | Ranger (compact pickup) | 1983–2011 | Ford’s answer to the S-10 / S-15 / Sonoma class — three generations (’83–’92, ’93–’97, ’98–’11) before North American production paused. |
| Ford | Ranger (returned) | 2019–2026 | Reintroduced for MY2019 after a seven-year gap, redesigned again for MY2024 as a fifth generation. |
GMC’s ½–1 ton numbering for 1960–87 is genuinely unsettled: some sources say GMC ran its own 1000/1500/2500/3000 scheme, others say the trucks were badged C15/K15 to match Chevy’s C10/C20/C30 — shown hatched until we can pin it down.
Every bar is a real production year range. Hover or tap a bar for the full note, or switch to the table for the same data as a list.
Sources: Classic Industries — Chevy truck generations · Ford F-Series · Ford Bronco · Ford Ranger · Chevrolet Colorado · Chevrolet Silverado · Chevrolet Suburban · GMC Yukon · Chevrolet K5 Blazer · Chevrolet Tahoe · Chevrolet Newsroom — 2027 Silverado · GMC Newsroom — 2027 Sierra
Common questions
Why won’t other VIN decoders read my truck?
Most free decoders, including the NHTSA’s, are built for the 17-character VIN that became standard in 1981. A 1972 C10 serial has 13 characters and a 1951 3100 serial can have as few as eight, so those decoders reject them.
Can the VIN tell me whether my 1955 is a first or second series?
Yes. A second series (Task Force) serial has a 2 straight after the series letter, like H255…. A first series serial reads H55…. Our 1955 first vs second series guide covers what fits each.
Is my 1988-91 Suburban or Blazer an OBS?
No. GM kept building the square body Suburban, Blazer, crew cab and chassis cab until 1991, after the new pickups arrived. Those carryover trucks have an R or V in the fifth position of the VIN, and they take square body parts. What is an OBS truck? explains the split.
What does the 9th digit of the VIN mean?
On a 1981 or later VIN the ninth character is a check digit, worked out from the other sixteen. If it does not add up, one character has almost always been misread. The decoder checks it for you.