A Vehicle Identification Number is a 17-character unique code assigned by an auto manufacturer, which can be used to track and identify motor vehicles. The VIN does not contain the letters I, O (o), and Q (q) to avoid confusion with numerals 1 and 0.
VIN decoder reveals a detailed car specs by VIN providing a complete overview of the vehicle’s characteristics:
Year, make, and model
Country of manufacture
Trim Level
Body style
Engine type
Tank size
City/highway mileage
Car Warranty
Turning Diameter
Electronic Parking Aid
Vehicle Anti-Theft System
Anti brake system
Front/rear brake type
Transmission
Wheel drive
Steering type
Suspension type
Spring type
Electronic Brake Assistance
Vehicle Stability Control
Heated Steering Wheel
Climate Controls
Front/rear track size
Airbag availability
Overall height/width/length
Tire type and size
All headroom/legroom/shoulder room dimensions
Loading capacity and cargo volume
Air Conditioning
Navigation Aid
Remote Ignition
Tire Pressure Monitor
VIN Info on vehicles manufactured before 1981 is limited because VINs had not been standardized prior to that year.
A VIN is like a fingerprint for a car and is widely used by the police and many other institutions for investigating and preventing VIN tampering, detecting theft, etc. A VIN is also useful for those looking to buy a pre-owned vehicle, as it provides detailed car specs by VIN and helps to search for vehicle history data. If you want to get a comprehensive and detailed overview of a used car’s background, VIN search and decoding can provide you with relevant and valuable vehicle data. Additionally, you also have an opportunity to check some important aspects concerning vehicle specifications and elements. For example, VIN number decoder allows you to compare the originally installed equipment with the current one, find the reason for replacement, if any, and reveal possible causes of various issues that led to it. It can be breakage, car accidents, automobile part replacements, etc. Aside from that, a VIN decoder solution like ClearVin is a great option if you want to find out whether a vehicle has ever been stolen. One more advantage is that by using a VIN number lookup, you can identify the falsified VIN code if the number in databases is not the same one you see on the automobile. It is a useful free VIN decoder feature because thousands of vehicles are being sold with disproved VINs.
A VIN is usually located somewhere on the body of the vehicle, and you can easily find it if you know where to look.
List of places where you can find the VIN in a car:
Front of the engine block
Driver’s side dashboard (viewable through the windshield)
Rear-wheel well (directly above the tire)
On the driver-side doorpost
Inside the driver-side door jamb
Underneath the spare tire
List of places where you can find the VIN on a motorcycle:
On the steering neck
On the motor near the bottom of the cylinders
You can also find the VIN on any documentation you have for the vehicle such as:
Vehicle title
Registration card
The Owner's manual
Insurance card/Insurance policy
Body shop records
Though it is easy to locate a VIN, decoding the information contained in every VIN might be a challenge. The 17 digits of the VIN are divided into segments and each represents some relevant information about the vehicle including the year, make and model, country, and factory of manufacture, serial number, etc.
The first three characters of the VIN, known as the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI), represent the manufacturer and the country of origin. This section helps identify the make and model of the vehicle. Each manufacturer is assigned one or more WMI codes. The correct use of these codes is controlled by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), operating under the supervision of the International Organization for Standardization.
The next six characters, often referred to as the Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS), contain information about various attributes, including the vehicle's body type, engine size, and transmission type. It provides specific details about the vehicle's features. In the United States, it is mandatory to include data on the gross vehicle weight and installed safety systems for a specific vehicle. The 9th position indicates the so-called check digit, which is used to verify the authenticity of the VIN numbers (it can be a digit from 0 to 9 or the letter "X").
The Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS) is the final part that completes the decoding of the VIN code. Typically, the 10th character contains information about the model year or year of production of the vehicle based on the body number, while the 11th character provides information about the assembly plant. The remaining numeric characters represent the vehicle's serial number.
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