VIN number. What information does it contain?
When buying a used car, the buyer has a number of advantages in checking the legality of the purchased car. The VIN is the most important, but other identifying marks can be used.
According to the International Vehicle Identification Labeling (VIN) system, every vehicle must have an identification number. It consists of 17 characters and consists of a combination of letters and numbers.
If someone knows how to decipher the VIN, they can uniquely identify the vehicle and check if it is legal. The VIN number contains, for example, information about which gearbox the car has: manual or automatic, three- or five-door version, velor or leather upholstery.
So, let's try to decipher the vehicle identification number.
WMI (Word production identifier) | VDS (Vehicle descriptor section) | VIS (Vehicle indicator section) | ||||||||||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | N | N | N | N |
International Manufacturer Identification Code | Element identifying the vehicle | Check number | Model of the year | assembly plant | Vehicle serial number | |||||||||||
Manufacturer Detail | ||||||||||||||||
Distinctive element of the car | ||||||||||||||||
N - speak
B is a number or letter
Source: Center for Identification Research (CEBID).
The first three characters represent the manufacturer's international code, the first character is the geographic region, the second character is the country in the region, and the third character is the vehicle's manufacturer.
The signs from the fourth to the ninth indicate the type of vehicle, i.e. its design, body type, engine, gearbox. The meaning of letters and numbers is determined by manufacturers individually.
The last character element (10th to 17th) is the part that identifies the vehicle (specific vehicle). The meaning of the symbols in this section is determined by the manufacturers individually. This is usually the case: the 10th character is the year of manufacture or model year, the 11th character is the assembly plant or the year of manufacture (for Ford vehicles), characters 12 to 17 are the serial number.
Unused positions in the identification number must be filled with the symbol "0". Some manufacturers do not follow this rule and use different markings. The identification number should be entered on one or two lines at regular intervals. In the case of double-row marking, none of the three listed basic elements should be separated.
Identification marks are placed in the engine compartment, in the cab (inside the car) or in the trunk. As a rule, they are introduced after painting the body. On some vehicles, this number is applied after priming or the number field is additionally painted with gray varnish.
Identification numbers can be used in several ways. They can be stamped - then we have concave marks, embossed - then the marks are convex, cut - marks in the form of holes, burnt - the marks are applied by electroerosive machining, they consist of many points with a diameter of about 1 mm.
VIN-code or data sheet are not the only sources of information about the origin of the car. You can also learn a lot from elements that do not seem to be carriers of information. An example of this is glazing. Many manufacturers use the designation of the year of manufacture on their windows. Usually these are codes, for example the number "2", which means 1992. This data must also be obtained from the dealer or manufacturer. It must be remembered that the windows may be slightly older than the entire car, for example, a year. But a difference of two to three years compared to the VIN data is a signal for extreme caution. The lack of a single code on windows means that some of them have been replaced. Of course, breaking glass doesn't always have to be the result of an accident.
The next places where you can read, for example, the year of the car, are large plastic elements. You can see the air filter or filter covers in the cabin ventilation system, as well as the ceiling lamps.
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We can also learn a lot from documents. In the registration certificate, we check if there are any deletions, entries without official permissions, or traces of their deletion. It is important that the owner's data match the data in the identity card. If they differ, do not trust any permissions and even notary agreements. Papers must be perfect. Demand to present an invoice for the purchase of a car, customs documents or a contract for the sale of a car, confirmed by the tax office.
Beware of "transplant"!
Can a stolen car have documents and real numbers? The criminals first obtain the documents of a random car sold for scrap. They only need real documents, a number field and a name plate. With the documents in hand, the thieves steal the same car, the same color and the same year. They then cut out the license plate and remove the plate from the salvaged car and install it on the stolen vehicle. Then the car is stolen, but the documents, the license plate and the nameplate are real.
List of some manufacturers and their selected designations
WMI | Manufacturer |
TRU | Audi |
WBA | BMW |
1GC | Chevrolet |
VF7 | Citroen |
ZFA | Fiat |
1FB | Ford |
1G | General Motors |
JH | Honda |
S.A.J. | jaguar |
KN | Kia |
JM | Mazda |
VDB | Mercedes-Benz |
JN | Nissan |
SHAWL | Opel |
VF3 | Peugeot |
VPO | Porsche |
VF1 | Renault |
JS | Suzuki |
JT | Toyota |
WvW | Volkswagen |
