Germany · VIN notes & WMI codes
Opel VIN decoder
Opel VINs usually start with a German W0 code (W0L or W0V) or, on many newer models, with VXK, a French code registered to Opel's parent group. Opel has been owned by Stellantis since the group's formation in January 2021, having been bought by PSA from General Motors in 2017. In the United Kingdom the same vehicles are sold under the Vauxhall name. The range covers passenger cars such as the Corsa and Astra, SUVs including the Mokka, Frontera and Grandland, and light commercial vehicles such as the Combo, Vivaro and Movano.
Enter all 17 characters. For vehicles built for other markets, expect the maker and region rather than full specifications.
- 6 WMI codes in vPIC
- origin: Germany
- no U.S. recall or complaint data (not sold there since 1995)
Opel's home plant is Rüsselsheim in Germany, which builds the current Astra; the Grandland is built in Eisenach. Since the PSA takeover, the manufacturer named on the identification plate of many Opels is the group's French company, Stellantis Auto SAS, which is why their VINs increasingly use group codes rather than the traditional W0 prefix.
Buick dealers sold German-built Opels in the United States from 1958 to 1975, and no Opel-built car has been sold there under the Opel name since. Several later Opel-built cars did reach America under GM brands, including the Cadillac Catera, Saturn Astra, Buick Cascada and Buick Regal TourX, and those appear in NHTSA data under their U.S. brand names. This Opel page therefore carries no NHTSA recall or complaint statistics; the notes below explain what an Opel VIN shows and where to check recalls in Europe.
The World Manufacturer Identifier is the first three characters of the VIN. NHTSA’s vPIC database decodes 6 WMIs to Opel; this is the complete list, with the manufacturer name, country and vehicle type vPIC records for each.
| WMI | Manufacturer (vPIC) | Country | Vehicle type | Also decoded as |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1G0 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | United States | Passenger Car | – |
| 4GD | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | United States | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | GMC |
| W06 | ADAM OPEL AG | Germany | Passenger Car | Cadillac |
| W08 | ADAM OPEL AG | United States | Passenger Car | Saturn |
| W0L | ADAM OPEL AG | United States | Passenger Car | – |
| W0V | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | United States | Passenger Car | – |
Some codes are shared across a manufacturer’s brands; the last column names the other brands in our catalog that vPIC links to the same code. See the WMI code guide for how the codes are assigned.
Which WMI codes appear on Opel and Vauxhall VINs?
The table combines NHTSA's vPIC database, which knows Opel's German codes from the GM era, with the manufacturer list of Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), dated 15 January 2026. French government recall notices show the codes in use: VXK on the Corsa, Mokka and Frontera, W0V on the Grandland X, and W0L on older models such as the Astra H and J, Meriva B and Zafira C.
| WMI | Manufacturer (source) | Country | Vehicle type |
|---|---|---|---|
| W0L | Adam Opel AG (vPIC); Adam Opel GmbH, Rüsselsheim (KBA) | Germany | Passenger car (make: Opel) |
| W0V | General Motors LLC (vPIC); Opel Automobile GmbH, Rüsselsheim (KBA) | Germany | Passenger car (make: Opel) |
| VXK | Stellantis Auto SAS, previously PSA Automobiles SA (KBA) | France | Not stated |
| W06 | Adam Opel AG (vPIC) | Germany | Passenger car (makes: Cadillac, Opel) |
| W08 | Adam Opel AG (vPIC) | Germany | Passenger car (makes: Opel, Saturn) |
| W04 | Adam Opel AG (vPIC) | Germany | Passenger car (make: Buick) |
| SKA | Vauxhall Motors Ltd, Luton (KBA) | United Kingdom | Passenger car |
The vPIC entries for W06, W08 and W04 carry U.S. brand names because GM sold Opel-built cars under those brands. Opel's Corsa handbook also shows the shift to group codes: its sample identification plate names Stellantis Auto SAS as the manufacturer. For how prefixes are allocated, see the WMI code guide.
Do Opel VINs pass the check-digit test?
Mostly, which sets Opel apart from Peugeot and Citroën. Until July 2022, EU rules mirrored ISO 3779 and did not require a check digit, which U.S. rules under 49 CFR Part 565 do; EU Regulation 2021/535 has required one for new vehicle types since 6 July 2022. Yet when we tested every VIN quoted in vehicle recall notices on RappelConso, the French government recall site, most Opel and Vauxhall VINs passed:
| WMI | Distinct VINs | Pass the check digit |
|---|---|---|
| W0V | 22 | 19 |
| VXK | 24 | 21 |
| W0L | 13 | 7 |
| VXE | 21 | 11 |
VXE, which KBA lists under Automobiles Peugeot, appears in notices for the Zafira and Vivaro vans. A failed check digit on an Opel is therefore less common than on a French-brand Stellantis car, but still not proof of tampering. Confirm the year on the registration certificate rather than relying on position 10; see the model-year code guide and the European VIN decoding guide.
Where is the VIN on an Opel?
The Corsa owner's manual says the VIN may be embossed on the instrument panel, where it is visible through the windscreen, or in the engine compartment on the right body panel. The identification plate, which repeats the VIN alongside the type-approval number and weights, is on the front left or right door frame. Layouts differ between models and export markets; our guide to where to find your VIN lists other places to look.
How do you check Opel and Vauxhall recalls?
NHTSA's recall search lists Opel campaigns only for model years up to 1975, so our recall lookup is no help for a modern Opel. For the Opel-built cars sold in America, look under their U.S. brands: Cadillac, Saturn and Buick. For European Opels and Vauxhalls, use:
- United Kingdom: the GOV.UK service Check if a vehicle, part or accessory has been recalled, which looks cars up by registration number or by make, model and year.
- Germany: the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt recall database (Rückrufdatenbank), linked from kba.de.
- France: RappelConso (rappel.conso.gouv.fr), where some Opel notices quote the affected VIN range.
- Anywhere: an Opel or Vauxhall dealer can check open campaigns against the full VIN.
Opel's Stellantis sister brands include Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge and Ram.
Why does my Opel's VIN start with VXK instead of W0L?
VXK is a code that Germany's KBA lists under Stellantis Auto SAS, Opel's parent group, and French recall notices show it on current models such as the Corsa, Mokka and Frontera. W0L is Opel's traditional German code, found on older models. Both are genuine.
Can this site decode an Opel or Vauxhall VIN?
Partly. NHTSA's vPIC database, which our decoder uses, recognises W0L and W0V as Opel codes but is unlikely to return model data for a European Opel and does not list VXK. Expect the manufacturer and country rather than a full specification.
Is a Saturn Astra or Cadillac Catera an Opel?
Both were built by Opel for GM's U.S. brands: the Catera at Rüsselsheim and the Saturn Astra at Antwerp. NHTSA's vPIC database lists the W06 and W08 codes under Adam Opel AG with the Cadillac and Saturn makes, and their recall data sits under those U.S. brands.
Where can I check recalls for my Opel?
Use the GOV.UK recall checker in the UK, the KBA recall database in Germany, RappelConso in France, or an Opel or Vauxhall dealer. NHTSA data does not cover modern Opels because no Opel-built car has been sold in the U.S. under the Opel name since 1975.
Brands mentioned in the notes above, each with its own VIN notes and WMI list.
- Cadillac (33) United States · 197 recall campaigns
- Saturn (18) United States · 78 recall campaigns
- Buick (20) United States · 170 recall campaigns
- Peugeot (no NHTSA model pages) France · 1 WMI code
- Citroën (no NHTSA model pages) France
- Fiat (5) Italy · 24 recall campaigns
- Alfa Romeo (6) Italy · 34 recall campaigns
- Maserati (14) Italy · 50 recall campaigns
- Jeep (31) United States · 307 recall campaigns
- Chrysler (37) United States · 208 recall campaigns
- Dodge (58) United States · 436 recall campaigns
- Ram (11) United States · 194 recall campaigns