Most Kia Telluride VINs open with 5XY (the United States, 2020–2025). Position 11, the plant, reads G; a 2026 Telluride carries T in position 10. Decoding one also brings up 17 recall campaigns and 2,001 owner complaints from NHTSA.
Got a VIN from another make? The free VIN decoder reads any 17-character VIN, whatever built it.
How to read a Kia Telluride VIN
Here is a real 2027 Kia Telluride VIN from our database, split into its parts:
VIN 5XYPC5S11VG037004 — decoded free on its own report page.
| Position | Section | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | WMI | World Manufacturer Identifier — country, manufacturer and vehicle type. |
| 4–8 | VDS | Vehicle Descriptor Section — body style, engine, restraint system, series. |
| 9 | Check digit | A calculated digit that validates the whole VIN. Wrong digit = wrong VIN. |
| 10 | Model year | One character for the model year. Letters skip I, O, Q, U and Z. |
| 11 | Plant | The assembly plant that built the car. |
| 12–17 | Serial | Sequential production number of this exact vehicle. |
Kia Telluride VIN prefixes, and when each one was used
Every Kia Telluride we have on record, from 2020 to 2025, opens with the same three characters, 5XY:
| VIN starts with | Years seen | Built in | Vehicle type | VINs on record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5XY | 2020–2025 | United States | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) |
Counted from 1,999 dated Kia Telluride VINs attached to NHTSA complaints, each code checked against the NHTSA manufacturer registry.
Model-year codes for the Kia Telluride
Position 10 carries the model year, skipping I, O, Q, U and Z. The alphabet comes round every 30 years, which the Kia Telluride has not yet outlived: its 7 years still map one-to-one. All 7 model years of the Kia Telluride, 2020 to 2026, with the character each one carries:
| Model year | VIN character (position 10) | Same character as |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | T | — |
| 2025 | S | — |
| 2024 | R | — |
| 2023 | P | — |
| 2022 | N | — |
| 2021 | M | — |
| 2020 | L | — |
Body and engine characters we see on Kia Telluride VINs
Positions 4–8 are the maker's own build code. Across 197 VINs the Kia Telluride uses 10 different characters in positions 4, 5 and 8:
| Position | Characters seen on real VINs | Variety |
|---|---|---|
| 4 — body | P (100%) | 1 distinct |
| 5 — series | 5 (37%) · 3 (20%) · L (17%) · 6 (11%) · C (7%) · D (5%) | 6 distinct |
| 8 — engine | C (70%) · A (19%) · 1 (11%) | 3 distinct |
What a decoded Kia Telluride VIN gets you
Behind a Kia Telluride VIN: 2,001 owner complaints and every recall campaign NHTSA has on record:
| Data | For this model | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Recall campaigns | 17 campaigns | NHTSA |
| Owner complaints | 2,001 filed | NHTSA |
| Fuel economy | 24 mpg combined (avg) | EPA |
| Crash-test ratings | 6 rated model years | NHTSA |
| Model years covered | 7 years | ForCar catalog |
Where to find the VIN on a Kia Telluride
A Kia Telluride VIN normally opens with 5XY; the full number sits in four places, and all four must match.
| Where | How to see it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Dashboard, driver side | Through the windshield, bottom corner | Easiest to check before you touch anything |
| Driver door jamb | Open the door, sticker on the pillar | Also lists tire pressures and build date |
| Under the hood | Firewall or strut tower plate | Survives a windshield replacement |
| Title and insurance | Paper documents | Must match the car — a mismatch means fraud or a swapped panel |
You know what it is. Find out what it's worth.
- Exact value for this VIN, adjusted for mileage
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
Is this Kia Telluride VIN decoder free?
Yes, with no account. Besides the year, plant and build characters it shows 17 recall campaigns and 2,001 owner complaints NHTSA holds on the Kia Telluride.
What year is my Telluride by its VIN?
Read position 10: a 2026 Telluride carries T, a 2025 Telluride carries S, a 2024 Telluride carries R.
Where was my Telluride built?
Position 11 names the plant. Across 2,001 dated Kia Telluride VINs it reads G 100%.
What does position 4 mean on a Kia Telluride VIN?
It is part of the maker's own build code, so read it against this model, not a generic chart. On 197 Kia Telluride VINs here, P is the most common character in position 4, on 100% of them.
What if the VIN on the dashboard doesn't match the door jamb?
On a Kia Telluride check the prefix first: most genuine ones open with 5XY. A plate that starts with anything else, or disagrees with the other copies of the number, needs documents checked before any money changes hands.
Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.