If you have a car, you’ve been asked for the VIN, or Vehicle Identification Number. Whether you encountered the VIN when selling or registering your car, the VIN is a crucial piece of information that every car owner should understand.
What is a VIN?
The vehicle identification number (VIN) is the unique code given to each car in the United States. With the VIN, you’re able to see the vehicle’s history and information.
The VIN is used by auto repair shops to record any services done on the vehicle, by manufacturers to issue recalls, and by government agencies to identify cars whenever they are sold, registered, or stolen.
Where do I find the VIN?
Two common places to find your VIN are the left side of the car’s dashboard at the base of the windshield and inside the driver’s side door. You can also find it under the hood of the car and on the car engine. The vehicle identification number is on the title document, insurance policies, service records, and police reports.
Decoding a VIN
Cars manufactured before 1981 have a 16 character VIN, while those manufactured beginning in 1981 have 17 characters. The first three characters of a VIN are the World Manufacturer ID. This tells you the country where the vehicle was made and the car’s manufacturer. The next five characters give information on the car’s model, body style, engine, and transmission. The 9th digit is the check digit and the 10th character is the model year. The last seven characters make up the vehicle ID section. Digit 11 is the manufacturing plant number while the remaining characters are the vehicle serial number, which is unique to each car.
Source: Carfax
Selling Your Car
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