How to decode a Buick Century VIN

Characters 1-3 of a Buick Century VIN

A WMI, or World Manufacturer Identifier, is a unique three-character code assigned to a vehicle manufacturer by the international body authorized to regulate VIN standards. This code identifies the manufacturer of the vehicle and can even indicate some attributes like the country of origin and the type of the vehicle. For the Buick Century, the WMI can start with 1G4, indicating that the vehicle was produced by General Motors LLC in the United States, with 2G4 denoting models manufactured slightly later, or with 3G4 for vehicles from specific years in the early 90s. These codes are critical for accurately pinpointing the make of the vehicle and for obtaining specific information about the car when performing a VIN lookup.

List of WMI Codes for a Buick Century

WMI: 1G4

Model Years Covered: 1984, 1986-1996
Example VIN: 1G4AL19E8E6495127
Manufacturer Name: General Motors LLC
Vehicle Type: Passenger Car
City: Warren
State or Province: Michigan
Country: United States

WMI: 3G4

Model Years Covered: 1990-1991, 1993-1994
Example VIN: 3G4AL54N0LS600458
Manufacturer Name: General Motors LLC
Vehicle Type: Passenger Car
City: Warren
State or Province: Michigan
Country: United States

WMI: 2G4

Model Years Covered: 1997-2005
Example VIN: 2G4WY52M1V1405274
Manufacturer Name: General Motors LLC
Vehicle Type: Passenger Car
City: Warren
State or Province: Michigan
Country: United States

Characters 4-8 are the Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) of a Buick Century VIN

These characters correspond to components like:

Engine type
Transmission
Model or trim
Body style
Gross vehicle weight range

Below find the known vehicle descriptor codes for a Buick Century:

Known VDS for a Buick Century
AL19E	AH273	AH51R	AL51W	AL51R	AL513	AH51N	AL51N	AH54N	AL54N
AH54R	AG54N	AG55N	AH55N	AH85N	AL55N	AG55M	AG554	AG85M	AH55M
WY52M	WS52M	WS52J	WY55J	WS55J	AH84N

Auto manufacturers have some discretion to decide how they want to code this section, but its contents and decoded results are generally consistent.

Character 9 is the “check digit” in a Buick Century VIN.

Based on a formula developed by the US Department of Transportation, it helps reduce fraud by ensuring the validity of the VIN.

10th Character in the Buick Century VIN — Year Code

Year Code	Year
5	2005 Buick Century
4	2004 Buick Century
3	2003 Buick Century
2	2002 Buick Century
1	2001 Buick Century
Y	2000 Buick Century
X	1999 Buick Century
W	1998 Buick Century
V	1997 Buick Century
T	1996 Buick Century
S	1995 Buick Century
R	1994 Buick Century
P	1993 Buick Century
N	1992 Buick Century
M	1991 Buick Century
L	1990 Buick Century
K	1989 Buick Century
J	1988 Buick Century
H	1987 Buick Century
G	1986 Buick Century
E	1984 Buick Century

11th Character in the Buick Century VIN — Plant Code(s)

Known Buick Century Assembly Factory VIN Code(s)

Plant Code	Plant City	Plant State	Plant Country	Plant Company Name	Example VIN
1	Oshawa #2	Ontario	Canada		2G4WY52M1V1405274
2	Ste. Therese	Quebec	Canada	Na-Gm Corp	3G4AG55M5R2601432
6	Oklahoma City	Oklahoma	United States		1G4AL19E8E6495127
D	Doraville	Georgia	United States	Na-Mcd	1G4AH2731GD479956
S	Ramos Arizpe		Mexico		3G4AL54N0LS600458
T	Sleepy Hollow	New York	United States	Tarrytown Assembly	1G4AH51R2HT435888

VIN Characters 12 - 17 of a Buick Century

The final 6 characters in a Buick Century’s 17-digit VIN are its serial number, which will be unique to every vehicle.

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How to find a Buick Century’s VIN?

Locating the VIN number on your Buick Century is key for identification. Here’s how to find it:

Examine the dashboard on the driver’s side of your Buick Century. Look through the windshield to find the VIN displayed on a small, metallic plate.
Open the driver’s side door and inspect the door jamb area. The VIN can often be found on a label or sticker where the door latches.
Look at the engine bay of your Buick Century. The VIN might be engraved on the engine block or stamped on a plate attached to the engine.
Review your Buick Century’s vehicle registration documents or insurance papers, where the VIN is always printed.
Check the rear wheel well. Peer through the wheel spokes to view the area where the VIN might be stamped.
Inspect the trunk area of your Buick Century. The VIN can sometimes be found under the spare tire or on the trunk lid.
If your Buick Century still has its original documentation or service records, the VIN will be printed on those documents.

What info can a Buick Century VIN reveal?

Model Year: The VIN can reveal the vehicle’s model year, possibly indicating the year 1996, providing insights into the age and potential historical value of the vehicle.
Manufacturer Name: The VIN provides the manufacturer name, which might be General Motors LLC, offering details about the company responsible for the vehicle’s production.
Plant City: The VIN discloses the city where the vehicle was manufactured, which may be Oklahoma City, giving insight into the vehicle’s production location.
Vehicle Type: The VIN indicates the vehicle type, possibly a passenger car, offering insights into the primary use of the vehicle.

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Sample VIN Decode Report for a Buick Century

Vehicle Spec	Value
Body Class	Sedan/Saloon
Displacement (CC)	3100.0
Displacement (CI)	189.17360669367
Displacement (L)	3.1
Doors	4
Engine Configuration	V-Shaped
Engine Model	LG8
Engine Number of Cylinders	6
Front Air Bag Locations	1st Row (Driver and Passenger)
Fuel Delivery / Fuel Injection Type	Sequential Fuel Injection (SFI)
Fuel Type - Primary	Gasoline
Model	Century
Model Year	2004
Other Engine Info	Name Plate: Buick
Plant City	Oshawa #2
Plant Company Name
Plant Country	Canada
Plant State	Ontario
Seat Belt Type	Manual
Series	Custom
Side Air Bag Locations	Driver Seat Only
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Type	Indirect
Vehicle Descriptor	2G4WS55J*41
Vehicle Type	Passenger Car
Windows	4
Sample_VIN	2G4WS55J041176605