The Chevy Express Cutaway fleet vehicle is produced by two different companies and two separate assembly plants. GM produces all versions of this vehicle itself at its Wentzville plant in Missouri, while its close partner Navistar also builds the Chevy Express Cutaway model at its own facility in Springfield, Ohio. Some Chevy Express owners/operators may be curious if their vehicle was produced by GM in Missouri or by Navistar in Ohio, so we decided to provide a quick explainer on how to determine where it was built.
Not surprisingly, the Vehicle Identification Number, which is mounted on the top portion of the driver side of the instrument panel and visible through the windshield, can easily determine which company built the truck in question. The second spot in the VIN should have either a ‘G’ or an ‘H’, with a ‘G’ indicating the vehicle, was produced by GM in Missouri and an ‘H’ indicating it was built by Navistar in Ohio. The third position in the VIN, meanwhile, should be either a ‘B’ or an ‘A’, with these two letters indicating the vehicle was produced as an incomplete cutaway for upfitting by a third-party company.
An aerial view of GM Wentzville
While we’re talking about the VIN on the Chevy Express Cutaway, we might as well explain how to determine which engine the vehicle is fitted with, too. Looking at the eighth position in the VIN should reveal either the letter ‘P’ or the numbers ‘7’ or ‘1’. The letter ‘P’ indicates the vehicle has the 4.3L V6 LV1 gasoline engine, while the number ‘7’ indicates it has the larger 6.6L V8 L8T gasoline engine. If it has the number ‘1’, the vehicle is equipped with the 2.8L I4 LWN turbodiesel Duramax engine.
We should note that this VIN decoding only applies to the Chevy Express Cutaway. The regular Chevy Express is not produced by Navistar, with all of these vehicles built by GM in Wentzville.
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Comments
The easiest way to tell is to look in the door jamb. Wentzville vehicles have an extra decal that reads ‘Quality Vehicles Assembled with Pride in Wentzville, Missouri’ ‘UAW Local 2250’ on a red, white, and blue background.
if the door has been replaced then it would not be accurate then v.i.n. almost never gets replaced mmm
That’s why the vehicles sticker is on the door jam, rather than on the door itself.
Very interesting, thanx!
Interesting information, but is there any difference in quality, reliability, Etc.? My Express, as typical with so many, has a factory default paint issue which caused the hood paint the flake off. Is this indicative of one Factory or the other?
That wouldbmore than likely be the Navistar plant in Springfield Ohio version. A 40 year old paint facility that’s turning out sub par quality.
How old is yours. I can’t believe that any recent van has these problems. The paint on my 2010 is in great shape.
Can’t believe GM is STILL having paint issues. I had the same problem way back in 1989! This with my Full size Blazer. The paint was walking of like it was on its way to a free dinner. Took a ton of BS, to get them to repaint it. Did a crappy job besides. When will they get this problem fixed? For the price of a new truck, this should never again!
Work in paint for over 30 years, management priority change, so did the quality .
The current van dates back to the days of GM paint issues; perhaps they simply never updated the paint process, either. At more than a quarter century in production, this dinosaur has even outlasted the G-Series it replaced – and somehow a G-Series looked more modern at the end of its production run than this thing does today. More market leadership from gm!
Mary Barra’s $29M salary redirected could go a long way towards designing and tooling the most modern and best van on the market. Isn’t it about time?? For ignoring the North American car and van markets while focusing almost wholly on China, her insanely excessive income ought to be withheld and that money put back into resurrecting the now either languishing or dead and buried North American product line.
I was surprised the the reserve tire don’t have a TPMS. ALL THE ROTOR AND PADA ARE VERY INFERIOR THAT AFTER 6 TO 8 MONTHS ARE ALL WARP THAT CAUSED WOBLING ALL WHEELS. I ALSO HAVE SQUEECHING BELT WHEELS.
Of I have all this problem do you think you expect me to buy another GM, you gonna be crazy. This will be my last crazy company.
I do notice some GMC vans discoloring and actually almost have no paint but rust in the same area. Noticed them the last two weeks. No wonder! I agree, that lady is being overpaid and there is no excuse for paint failures since they have been making these vans for the longest time. I’m still planning on buying one, however. It’s the BEST van on the market for low roof designs. THE BEST!
I got ya. But just think how much better they could do if they got up off their lazy a$$es and put some real effort into designing a new one. It’s really inexcusable from a company of this scale that wastes its resources on total BS like the $110K electric Hummer for elite show and tell. This van’s been in production 7 years longer than Ford’s Model T. They’re playing us, man… and Mary’s taking it all to the bank.
Interesting they never mentioned the 5.7 ltr v8 witch I have in my 97 Chevy express 2500 van
What is more impressive is the misinformation about paint flaking problems on Chevrolet and GMC, the problems has its root at the beginning of the paint process, where electrode posited substrate is applied, this is a galvanic process that leaves the surface with a negative charge, wish is not completely adhered to the primer coat very well due to the same polarity as in the substrate, mean while, GMC directors decided to pay factory warranty claims rather the overall the entire painting process, that would it be economically unpractical for stock holders, remember, cosmetic problems are not investigated by the National Vehicle Safety agency,
Don’t say anything about mine having a 6.0L V8
As long as you don’t say anything about my ’05 GTO having a brutal aluminum LS2 6.0 V8😉
I’ve had my express van on order since Dec 9th 2021. GM still has not even picked the order from my dealer. I’ve called GM numerous times they keep giving the COVID excuses 🙁
By time (if) I ever get it it’ll be a year old or more already.