A Buick VIN usually starts with 1G4 on U.S. cars, 2G4 on Canadian cars, 5GA on Enclave-class crossovers, or KL4 on Korean-built Encore and Envista models. Positions 4-8 carry the model, body and engine, 9 is the check digit, 10 is the model year, and 11 is the plant. Enclave shares a GM platform with Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia, so the WMI is the first clue you are looking at a Buick and not a twin badge. Decode it on vPIC, then run recalls and a history report before you pay.
We ran Buick patterns through NHTSA's free vPIC decoder in mid October 2026 because used listings still mix up Enclave and Traverse codes, and sellers love to call every Buick "American-built" when some Encores came from Bupyeong, South Korea. Buick rides GM hardware with Chevrolet and Cadillac, but the WMI codes are Buick-specific; the Chevy side is in our Chevrolet VIN decoder. If the 17 positions are new to you, start with how to decode a VIN and come back.
Positions 1-3: 1G4, 2G4, 5GA, KL4 and the Mexico leftovers
vPIC maps 1G4, 2G4 and 3G4 to Buick passenger cars under General Motors LLC. 5GA covers Buick multipurpose vehicles such as the Enclave built in the United States. KL4 covers Buick MPVs from GM Korea (Encore and Envista patterns we tested). A clean 2017 Enclave pattern starting 5GAKVBKD decoded to Lansing Delta Township, Michigan, with a 3.6-liter V6 and all-wheel drive. A 2014 Regal starting 2G4GS5GX came back from Oshawa, Ontario. A 2014 Encore starting KL4CJASB decoded to Bupyeong, South Korea, with a 1.4-liter four. Older 3G4 patterns can point at Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. So do not read "1G" as a promise about the plant; the plant letter in position 11 settles that fight.
Positions 4-8: model, trim and the engine field
The middle block is Buick's own code for model line, body, restraints and engine. In our runs, a 2016 Verano starting 1G4PP5SK returned a 2.4-liter four and Orion, Michigan. A 2019 LaCrosse starting 1G4ZR5SS returned a 3.6-liter V6 Essence trim from Detroit Hamtramck. A 2020 Enclave starting 5GAEVAKW returned Essence trim, 3.6 V6, AWD, still Lansing Delta. Honestly, GM's Buick data in vPIC is usually richer than some import brands: you often get displacement, cylinder count, trim and drive type in one pass. If the model field comes back blank, check the door-jamb label the way we describe in how to find and verify a VIN instead of trusting the listing photo alone.
Positions 9-11: check digit, year and plant
Position 9 is the check digit defined in 49 CFR 565.15. A typo usually fails it; a cloned VIN stolen from a real Buick can still pass, so a valid check digit is the floor, not proof of a clean car. Position 10 is the model year (G was 2016, H was 2017, J was 2018, K was 2019 and L was 2020 in our runs). Position 11 is the plant. In our decodes, 4 was Orion (Verano), U was Detroit Hamtramck (LaCrosse), J was Lansing Delta Township (Enclave), 1 was Oshawa (Regal), and B was Bupyeong (Encore). If a seller swears the Enclave was built in Korea and position 11 says J, the VIN wins.
Recalls that follow Buick VINs
Run the full VIN for open recalls; campaigns track build dates and equipment, not just the model year on the window sticker. A few we confirmed in NHTSA filings this week. GM recall paperwork tied to NHTSA 21V-782 covers certain 2008-2017 Buick Enclaves (and related Traverse models) where the driver front airbag inflator may rupture and throw metal fragments. Follow-on campaigns for 2015 and 2014-2017 Enclave / Traverse / Acadia triples show the same inflator risk in later service bulletins. Look, an Enclave with an open driver-airbag recall is a walk-away until the dealer order shows the module was replaced. Older Buicks also show up in the broader GM ignition-switch era; our GM ignition switch recall used-car check walks through how to verify that class of campaign by VIN instead of by rumor.
Ask for the repair order with the VIN printed on it. A verbal "it's handled" is how people buy open airbag work.
After the decode: history, and what it costs
For generation context, Car and Driver's Enclave page is a solid start, and IIHS Enclave ratings change by model year, so check the year you are buying. GMC twins use related codes; our GMC VIN decoder covers that side. None of this shows salvage brands, odometer gaps, auction damage or insurance claims. Those come from DMV, insurer, auction and shop records, which CARFAX describes as the basis of its reports. Pull your own; seller PDFs get edited. As of mid October 2026, a CARFAX report through us is about $5.50 as a guest or about $4.50 as a member, and a CARFAX plus AutoCheck bundle is about $6.75, against roughly $39.99 to $44.99 at retail. Prices move, so confirm at checkout. We are a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller, not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck, or Experian.
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