What Is the VIN Number on a Car?
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What Does VIN Stand for?
VIN Decoded
The first character tells you what country the car is from, specifically where the automobile was finished. The second character represents the region where the car was produced and the manufacturer. Together with the first and second characters, the third character tells you either the manufacturing division or type of vehicle.
The fourth through eighth characters can tell you the vehicle model, body type, engine type, transmission type and restraint system. The ninth character serves as a fraud check. It’s assigned to the vehicle by the U.S. Department of Transportation to help detect fake or invalid VINs.
The tenth character lets you know the vehicle’s model year. This does not necessarily indicate the year it was manufactured. It is common for manufacturers to start building a model year in the second half of the previous year. This system only applies to cars made after 1981. Before then this VIN format had not yet been standardized. The eleventh characters tell you the factory at which a car was manufactured. The final characters are the unique serial code assigned to a car at the factory.
Where Is the VIN on a Car?
Dashboard
Driver’s Side Door
Engine’s Firewall
Other Ways to Find a Vehicle’s VIN
Insurance Card/Insurance Policy
Vehicle Title and Registration
Why Is Your Vehicle VIN Important?
Auto Loan Refinancing
Stolen Car
Buy or Sell a Used Car
Recalls on a Car
The Takeaway
Frequently Asked Questions
About the Author
Austin Kilham is a writer and journalist based in Los Angeles. He focuses on personal finance, retirement, business, and health care with an eye toward helping others understand complex topics.
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