How To Find Out Car Vin Number

SWEN PFORTNER Getty Images

If you lot own a vehicle or a motorcycle yous have probably heard of the term 'VIN.' Although a motorcar's VIN provides important information, many people may not exactly exist sure what this acronym stands for or when they are actually supposed to make utilise of it. In this article, we provide some clarity on what a VIN is, how you tin do a VIN # lookup, and what data you can obtain by decoding it.

What is a VIN?

VIN is short for Vehicle Identification Number. Every auto receives a unique code when it'south manufactured, which serves every bit a motorcar'southward distinctive identifier or fingerprint. Autozone.com explains that a VIN is normally printed on a single line and consists of 17 characters that are made up of both numbers and letters. If your vehicle was manufactured before 1981, your VIN number may accept fewer than 17 characters.

To prevent people from accidentally misreading the letters Q, I, and O for 1s or 0s, these letters are not included in the character cord. The VIN characters aren't random. They actually provide useful information about the vehicle, for instance, the year, country, make and model, serial number, and factory where the car was manufactured.

How Do I Find My VIN on My Car or Motorcycle?

Depending on the car yous're driving, the VIN can exist located in different places. Many passenger cars feature the VIN number on the dashboard in front end of the driver. If yous're having difficulty viewing this area clearly from inside the vehicle, y'all may have better luck if you step exterior of the car and look at the dashboard through the windscreen.

If y'all cannot see the VIN there, driving-tests.org suggests that it may be located on the side door pillar on the commuter's side, and more specifically, where the door connects to the body of the car. Other possible locations include on the inside of the hood or on the engine.

If you're a motorbike owner, y'all may find the VIN on the motor or on the frame in the vicinity of the motor. Information technology may also be located on the steering neck in the area below the handlebars. If yous're having bug with finding your VIN number, you can likewise consult your vehicle's title or liability insurance documents, as this information will be included.

Y'all should note that only motorized vehicles that are registered with state DMVs behave a VIN number. This means that a bicycle, for instance, won't come up with a VIN number. Your bike will feature a serial number, though, which you can employ to register it with your local municipality. As all-terrain vehicles like four- or iii-wheelers are motorized, they will come up with a VIN that'southward typically displayed somewhere on the frame.

How to Decode Your VIN

If you're curious or demand to access the data that your VIN provides, y'all tin can exercise a VIN check. To practice and so, Vin Cheque says y'all should but search for a VIN decoder online and enter your VIN at that place. VIN information is collected by the National Highway Condom Assistants (NHTSA) from manufacturers who submit this data to the organization. Here is a breakdown of what the different characters in the VIN represent:

Outset character: This represents the state in which the vehicle was manufactured.
Second graphic symbol: This grapheme indicates the manufacturer's name.
3rd character: With this character, you lot can discover out what the vehicle blazon or division is.
Quaternary to eighth graphic symbol: This range of characters tells you lot more about your vehicle, for instance, the engine size and type, vehicle make, model, serial, and trunk style.
Ninth character: This character provides yous with the security check digit.
10th character: Here you can view your vehicle'southward model yr.
Eleventh graphic symbol: This character informs you lot of the assembly found where your machine was produced.
12th to seventeenth character: This range of characters provide you lot with your vehicle's serial number.

A VIN decoder lookup will only work for vehicles that were made subsequently 1981, as models that were produced earlier that time feature a VIN that probably consists of only eleven characters, which means that modernistic VIN decoders will not recognize the character string.

An Example of Model Yr Codes

From driving-exam.org, to provide you with an idea of how you will be able to link a character to specific information, here is an example that illustrates how dissimilar messages of the alphabet indicate to different model years.

A 1980 L 1990 Y 2000 A 2010 K2020

B 1981 M 1991 1 2001 B 2011 L 2021

C 1982 N 1992 2 2002 C 2012 M 2022

D 1983 P 1993 iii 2003 D 2013 N 2023

Eastward 1984 R 1994 4 2004 East 2014 O 2024

F 1985 Due south 1995 v 2005 F 2015 P 2025

Thousand 1986 T 1996 6 2006 Chiliad 2016 Q 2026

H 1987 Five 1997 7 2007 H 2017 R 2027

J 1988 W 1998 8 2008 I 2018 S 2028

Thousand 1989 X 1999 nine 2009 J 2019 T 2029

Why Are VINs important?

You lot may be wondering what the uses of VINs are. In fact, VINs are quite of import and provide valuable information about your vehicle that y'all may need to admission from time to fourth dimension. Here are a few examples of times when a VIN may come up in handy:

Buying a used car: If y'all're because investing in a used car, information technology is important to do your homework to ascertain whether it would be a good investment or non. Carfax.com states that by doing a VIN lookup you tin can access valuable data about the second-hand car, including records of previous owners, accidents, and repairs. You lot can besides find out whether the vehicle was ever recalled and what steps the manufacturer took to rectify the trouble.
Auto shops: Vehicle repair shops oftentimes utilize VINs when servicing cars to assemble information about, for example, engine, restriction, and transmission systems.
Law enforcement: Law enforcement agencies use VINs when identifying stolen vehicles, every bit number plates are oft removed by perpetrators.

A VIN does not only serve as a unique identifier but as well provides valuable information nigh your vehicle that tin can come up in handy in many situations, for instance, when you're purchasing a used vehicle, want to claim from insurance, or demand to have parts replaced.

Information and research in this article verified by ASE-certified Main Technician Duane Sayaloune of YourMechanic.com . For any feedback or correction requests please contact us at enquiry@caranddriver.com .