A U.S.-market Daewoo VIN starts with KLA, the WMI for GM Daewoo Auto & Technology in South Korea. In our October 14, 2026 vPIC runs, Lanos patterns starting KLAT decoded to Bupyeong (also labeled Pupyong) with a 1.6-liter four, Nubira patterns starting KLAJ came back from Kunsan with 2.0- or 2.2-liter engines, and Leganza patterns starting KLAV were Bupyeong 2.2-liter sedans. Position 10 is the year and position 11 is the plant. Daewoo Motor America sold these cars for only a few model years before the U.S. distributor collapsed, so any Daewoo-badged car you see for sale is a 1999-2002 leftover.
We built those samples from real complaint prefixes and ran them through NHTSA's free vPIC decoder. If the 17 positions still feel opaque, start with how to decode a VIN. After GM took over the Korean factories, related cars wore Chevrolet badges, so our Chevrolet VIN decoder is the next stop for later Korean-built Chevys.
Positions 1-3 and the three U.S. models
Every clean Daewoo decode we ran used WMI KLA. A 1999 Lanos sedan pattern KLATB526 came back as an SE Level 1 with a 1.6-liter four from Bupyeong, Incheon, and a hatchback pattern KLATB226 decoded the same plant with the same engine. A 2001 hatch pattern KLATA226 listed the engine as FAM I 1.6-liter. Nubira is the middle car. Our 1999 CDX hatch and sedan patterns starting KLAJB62Z and KLAJB52Z decoded to Kunsan with a 2.0-liter four, and a 2000 wagon pattern KLAJB822 came back as a CDX with a FAM II 2.2-liter. Leganza sits on top. Patterns KLAVA692 and KLAVB692 for 1999 decoded to Bupyeong 2.2-liter automatics in CDX/SX and SE trim, and a 2001 KLAVA692 pattern listed FAM II 2.2-liter with AT-CDX or SX series.
Look, Matiz never showed up as a U.S. Daewoo make in the complaint prefixes we sampled, so if a seller calls a car a Matiz with a KLA VIN, treat that as a research flag rather than a given.
Year and plant codes
Position 9 is the check digit defined in 49 CFR 565.15, and a cloned VIN copied from a real car still passes it. Year codes in our samples were X for 1999, Y for 2000 and 1 for 2001. Plant codes were B for Bupyeong/Pupyong on Lanos and Leganza, and K for Kunsan on Nubira. If position 10 reads 3 or later, you are past the U.S. Daewoo sales window and should ask why the title still says Daewoo.
Short U.S. run, then the brand was gone
Daewoo Motor America began U.S. sales in October 1998 with the Lanos, Nubira and Leganza lineup. The distributor filed Chapter 11 on May 16, 2002, and the Korean asset sale that created GM Daewoo left the U.S. sales unit out. Parts and dealer support thinned out fast after that, which is why a clean VIN decode still matters more than a brochure claim about "GM heritage."
Recalls to clear by VIN
The camshaft-sensor melt campaigns are the ones we see most on these cars. NHTSA 04V-357 and 04V-394 cover 1999-2002 Lanos, Nubira and Leganza cars whose camshaft position sensor can melt, smoke and damage the cover and loom. 01V-020 covers 2000-2001 Lanos cars whose front passenger floor wiring can rub a body seam under the carpet. 02V-131 covers Lanos cars that failed interior head-impact rules, and 02V-257 covers 2000-2002 Leganza cars whose front brake hoses can crack. Run the VIN with our NHTSA recall check by VIN walkthrough, and do not assume a Chevy dealer can still order every Daewoo-era part.
Title and miles on a 1999-2002 car
Under 49 CFR 580.17, a 2010 or older vehicle is exempt from federal odometer disclosure once it is transferred at least 10 years after its model year, so every Daewoo can change hands with "exempt" written where the miles go. On a car this old and this cheap, a modest crash can still put a salvage brand on the title. CARFAX says its reports draw on title, odometer, ownership and accident records. As of mid October 2026, a CARFAX report through us runs about $5.50 as a guest or about $4.50 as a member, and a CARFAX plus AutoCheck bundle is about $6.75, versus roughly $39.99 to $44.99 at retail. Confirm at checkout. We are a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller, not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck, or Experian.
What a decode will not show
vPIC will not tell you if the car flooded, if the miles jumped, or if a prior owner welded the frame. We've seen seller printouts with no VIN on the page treated like a history report, and that is a trap on a brand this orphaned. Match the dash plate to the door sticker by hand, then pull a real report before you wire a deposit.
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!
Log in to leave a comment.