The 17-characters Vehicle Identification Number comes in handy when you are buying a used vehicle. The VIN could save you from buying stolen or salvage vehicle, especially if the seller is trying to hide its history. Every vehicle has a VIN, and there are many websites where you can enter the number and get the car or truck VIN history for free. In this blog post, we further guide the readers about the Vehicle Identification Number so that they purchase their next used car only after a proper verification. Read on.
What is VIN?
The VIN is covered under the Federal Motor Safety Standard, a bill that focuses on crash safety, driver safety and roadworthiness of vehicles. It is mandatory for every vehicle in the US to have a VIN. Here are some vital facts about the VIN:The
- cars manufactured after 1989 have a 17-digit long VIN. The made prior to 1989 may have 11-digit VIN, depending on the manufacturer of the vehicle and country of origin.
- A VIN is a mix of letters and number, but never has I, O, and Q as these letters are easily confused for numbers. If the VIN of a car has letter “I”, it will actually be numeral one.
- Many pre-1989 Japanese cars don’t have a VIN, to own such model, you need to obtain a VIN.
How to Locate the VIN?
The VIN is present in:
- Registration certificate of the car
- Documents of insurance policy
- Driver’s side dashboard
- Driver’s side door
How to Read the VIN?
There’s a standard format of VIN:
- The first digit refers to the location of manufacturing
- Next two letters indicate the manufacturer
- Fourth to the eighth digit display the size of the engine, type, and brand
- Ninth digit is the security code
- The tenth character is the model of the car
- Remaining digits are the individual serial number of the car
Final Words
The VIN is a protection against buying a written on, stolen or renewed vehicle, so it is necessary to have a clear understanding of how to locate and read the number to get the history of the vehicle. If you are buying a used car, make sure that you get its VIN for proper verification of the condition of the car and to save yourself from any legal issue in the future. As specified earlier, using an online car or truck VIN decoder is a good idea to be on a safer side and make the right buying decision.
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