How to Read VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)
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The Vehicle Identification Number or VIN identifies your vehicle. It consists of individual numbers and letters of special significance and contains information about your vehicle. Each VIN is unique to a vehicle.
You may want to decode the VIN for a number of reasons. You may need to find the right part to match your vehicle build, find a manufacturing location to import, or you may need to check the vehicle build if you want to buy one.
If you need to find specific information or are just curious about the design of your vehicle, you can decipher the VIN to get a wide range of information.
Part 1 of 4: Find the VIN on your car
Step 1: Find the VIN on your vehicle. Find a string of 17 numbers on your car.
Common places include:
- The dashboard of the car at the bottom of the windshield on the driver's side - better seen from the outside of the car.
- Sticker on the side of the door on the driver's side
- On the engine block
- On the underside of the hood or on the fender - mostly found on some newer cars.
- Insurance cards
Step 2. Check registration papers or vehicle name.. If you cannot find the VIN in any of the above places, you can look it up in your documents.
Part 2 of 4. Use an online decoder
Step 1: Find your VIN through the manufacturer. Visit your car manufacturer's website and see if they offer a VIN lookup.
While not all manufacturers include this, some do.
Step 2. Use an online decoder. There are several free online services that will help you decode numbers and their meanings.
To find it, enter the search term "online VIN decoder" and select the best result.
Some decoders provide basic information for free, while others require payment to provide you with a full report.
A popular choice is Vin Decoder, a free service that offers basic VIN decoding. For more details on VIN decoding, which provides information about installed and optional equipment, vehicle features, color options, pricing, fuel consumption per gallon and more, check out DataOne Software's complete vehicle data and VIN decoding business solution. Carfax and CarProof are paid vehicle history reporting sites that also provide a VIN decoder.
Part 3 of 4: Learn the Meanings of Numbers
You can also learn how to read your VIN by understanding what each set of numbers means.
Step 1: Decipher the meaning of the first number or letter. The first character in the VIN can be a letter or number and indicates the geographic area of origin.
This is where the car was actually made and may be different from where the manufacturer is located.
- A–H stands for Africa
- J - R (except O and Q) means Asia
- SZ stands for Europe
- 1–5 means North America
- 6 or 7 means New Zealand or Australia.
- 8 or 9 for South America
Step 2: Decipher the second and third digits. The car manufacturer will tell you about this.
Some examples include the following:
- Chevrolet 1
- 4 Buick
- 6 Cadillac
- With Chrysler
- Gee Jeep
- Toyota
The third digit is the exact division of the manufacturer.
For example, in VIN "1GNEK13ZX3R298984", the letter "G" indicates a vehicle manufactured by General Motors.
A complete list of manufacturer codes can be found here.
Step 3: Decode the vehicle descriptor section. The next five digits, called the vehicle descriptor, tell you the car make, engine size, and vehicle type.
Each manufacturer uses their own codes for these numbers and you need to know what they are to find out what they mean.
Step 4: Decrypt the check digit. The ninth number is a check digit used to verify that the VIN is not fake.
The check digit uses a complex calculation so it cannot be easily faked.
VIN “5XXGN4A70CG022862", the check digit is "0".
Step 5: Find out the year of manufacture. The tenth digit indicates the year of manufacture of the car, or year of manufacture.
It begins with the letter A, representing 1980, the first year the standard 17-digit VIN was used. Subsequent years follow alphabetically from "Y" in 2000.
In 2001, the year changes to the number "1", and in 9 it rises to "2009".
In 2010, the alphabet starts again with "A" for 2010 models.
- In the same example VIN "5XXGN4A70CG022862", the letter "C" means that the car was produced in 2012.
Step 6: Determine where the car was made. The eleventh digit indicates which plant actually assembled the car.
This figure is specific to each manufacturer.
Step 7: Decipher the remaining numbers. The remaining digits indicate the vehicle's factory or serial number and make the VIN unique to that particular vehicle.
To find out this manufacturer information, you can visit their website to decipher the sheet, or contact a repair shop if you can see it.
To learn more about a VIN, beyond what each character encodes, check out Deciphering VIN 101: Everything You Wanted to Know About a VIN.
Part 4 of 4: Enter VIN Online to Find Information on Vehicle History
If you are more interested in specific vehicle information rather than VIN details, you can enter the number on various online websites.
Step 1: Go to CarFax and enter the VIN to get the vehicle's history..
This includes how many owners it has had, and whether the car has been in any accidents or whether claims have been filed.
You will have to pay for this information, but it also gives you a good idea of whether your VIN is fake or real.
Step 2. Visit the manufacturer's website..
- Some companies provide a VIN lookup on their websites to give you more information about your vehicle.
Read this article if you want to know more about the differences between VIN decoder, VIN checker and vehicle history reporting services.
Whether you want to know your car's assembly information, recall information, or your car's previous history, you can find this information at minimal cost or for free through online services.
