We tell you what a car VIN is, where to find it and how to read the code correctly.First, let’s figure out what a VIN is. This abbreviation stands for “Vehicle identification number”, which translates from English quite simply – the vehicle identification number.
VIN number of the car: what is it?
The first VIN codes on cars began to appear back in the 70s in America, where at that time the automotive market was developing at an incredibly fast pace. The number of cars on the roads increased every day, and the authorities decided to come up with a way to quickly identify them. It was then that a decree was issued according to which a distinctive unique code with certain requirements must be applied to each car.
A VIN code is assigned to every modern car produced at the factory. Using it, you can identify the vehicle and get a lot of useful information about it. It is important that the VIN number is assigned to the machine for its entire life cycle. It cannot be changed or changed over time, which means that this is one of the most reliable ways to find out the “biography” of a car even after decades have passed.
What can you learn about a car from the VIN code?
In accordance with ISO standards, the VIN number of the car is formed. Thanks to this unique code, the buyer can learn a lot of useful information. And this applies to cases when both a new car and a used one are purchased.
What is a vehicle VIN? Everything is simple – this is a combination of 17 characters (numbers and letters of the Latin alphabet). Here is how they are deciphered: in order to correctly read the number, it must be divided into three parts. The first three digits in the VIN are the so-called “worldwide manufacturer’s index”. The next five characters are a kind of descriptive part. From it you can get information about the body type, model, engine and vehicle equipment. In the ninth character, as a rule, additional information about the car is encrypted – for example, the type of gearbox. The tenth character indicates the year of manufacture of the car. The eleventh character contains information about the manufacturer. From it, you can determine at which particular plant the car was produced.
And finally, the remaining six digits are the identification part, that is, the serial number of a particular car. VIN is perhaps one of the most reliable and proven ways to collect detailed information about a car.
Why do you need a vehicle VIN?
With it, you can trace the entire history of the vehicle. For example, find out if the car was involved in an accident, worked in a taxi, or was completely repainted. Many people ask what is the VIN code of the car and why is it needed? First of all, it is needed so that the buyer can make sure that he is provided with reliable information about the car and its history. It allows you to find out:
- What date was the car registered?
- How many were the owners.
- Whether the vehicle is listed as stolen or wanted.
- Have there been accidents?
- What repairs were made (if the car was serviced in an official service).
- Is the car under mortgage?
Today, there are many services that allow you to quickly decrypt VIN data. Most of them are paid, but you can find those that work without payment.
In addition, the VIN-code helps to find and order the necessary spare parts for the car. The code encrypts data about the model, year of manufacture and configuration, so it is often enough to simply enter the VIN number on the site for selecting spare parts, and the search will return all the parts suitable for a particular car.
Another common situation where you might need a vehicle VIN is during a manufacturer’s recall campaign. With the help of an identification number, the manufacturer identifies vehicles that are subject to a recall for troubleshooting.
Where is the VIN of the car?
The easiest way to find out where the VIN number of a car is is to look at the Vehicle Registration Certificate (VTS) or Vehicle Passport (PTS). These documents must indicate the VIN number.
When buying a used car, you need to carefully check the VIN number from the documents with the number on the car itself to make sure that the papers provided by the seller really refer to this particular vehicle.
To find the VIN code, just look at the windshield of the car – the number is in a special window that is easy to find with the naked eye. However, it is not recommended to be limited only to such a cursory examination. VIN is indicated in several places on the car – on the body or engine. This is done in order to make it harder to forge an identification number. The location of the VIN on these car parts is not accidental – they are the least susceptible to corrosion and are less likely to suffer even in serious accidents.
You can also find out where the VIN number of the car is located on the Web – on specialized sites you can find hints on where to look for the code.
Can the VIN of a car be faked?
Theoretically, this is possible. However, for this, the attackers would have to make a lot of effort. Firstly, the code is applied to several parts of the machine, which means that it will have to be interrupted more than once, and this operation is very difficult. Secondly, to make it so that fake wines look like factory ones is an almost impossible task. To do this with the help of improvised means in the nearest garage is unlikely to succeed.
We have already found out what a VIN code is – this is a kind of key in which data about a particular car is “sewn up”. Including year of manufacture, model, body type and even color. This means that it is not enough just to change one number or letter in the VIN of the car – after all, the fraud will be revealed quite quickly, as soon as a potential buyer breaks through the VIN using special verification services and sees a discrepancy. You will have to look for suitable VINs so that they match. And it’s difficult. Attackers can do this only if we are talking about some very expensive car.
What to do if the car does not have a VIN?
Yes, this happens too. A VIN may be missing from a car manufactured before 1970 (until the moment when no one even knew what a VIN was, because they simply did not exist). In addition, its absence is possible on some machines from Japan. It is important to remember that this applies only to those vehicles that were produced exclusively for the domestic market.
It is not necessary to refuse to buy a car without a VIN – there should be no problems with registration. In addition, in this case, the car can be identified by the body number.
In the event that the VIN number of the car is missing due to an accident or the characters are partially unreadable due to rust or other damage, registration with the traffic police will most likely be refused. Therefore, before buying a car, you should carefully study the VIN on all the details where it is applied, and not just on the windshield.