Contents
The first group of three numbers and letters in a VIN make up the world manufacturer identifier (WMI). In this group, the first digit or letter identifies the country of origin. … The third digit, when combined with the first two letters or numbers, indicates the vehicle’s type or manufacturing division.
The last six digits of a VIN reveal the vehicle’s regular production options (RPO) and is also commonly referred to as its serial number. … These last six digits identify all of the factory fitted options, as provided by the manufacturer—imagine it as the vehicle’s ‘DNA.
You can get a free VIN check at the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), VehicleHistory.com or iSeeCars.com/VIN. Just pop in your car’s digits and these sites will do the VIN lookup and give you information on the vehicle.
10 | Year | |
---|---|---|
G | 1986 | 2016 |
H | 1987 | 2017 |
J | 1988 | 2018 |
K | 1989 | 2019 |
A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) (also known as a serial number) is a 17 character code of letters and numbers that identifies your vehicle. You can find your VIN in several places: On top of the dashboard on the driver’s side. Inside the driver’s side door.
VIN is also used to find out who owns a vehicle. Not anyone can make this inquiry within valid and legal means because some places protect this information as a privilege and even a right by the vehicle owner. … Usually, their investigation can give you information such as the name, address, and phone number.
All vehicles built for sale in North America since 1981 have a VIN that consists of a combination of 17 letters and digits. This is like the vehicle’s fingerprint.
17
Most people believe the VIN is just a series of random numbers and letters. But these characters are highly structured codes which have their own meaning. Vehicles from model year 1981 to present have a VIN made up of 17 characters (letters and numbers). The prior VIN length and format varied among vehicles.
Code | Year | Code |
---|---|---|
M | 1991 | A |
N | 1992 | B |
P | 1993 | C |
R | 1994 | D |
Prior to 1981, motor vehicle manufacturers maintained separate, in-house records of vehicle identification numbers. Call, email or write motor companies to inquire about the Vehicle Identification Number or VIN for your vehicle.
Every car has a unique number called VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) that is used to identify in which month and year that particular model is manufactured. … The VIN is an alphanumeric code and you cannot tell the manufacturing month and year simply by looking at it.
A VIN is a unique 17-character code of letters and numbers for a particular vehicle. Much like a fingerprint, a VIN is a unique identifier throughout the life of a vehicle: No two cars have the same VIN. However, vehicles manufactured before 1981 can have VINs that vary in length between 11 and 17 characters.
In 1981, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States standardized the format. It required all on-road vehicles sold to contain a 17-character VIN, which does not include the letters O (o), I (i), and Q (q) (to avoid confusion with numerals 0, 1, and 9).
The world manufacturer identifiers are the first 3 letters or numbers at the beginning of the VIN. This will give you information about the type of vehicle and where it was produced. The first number/letter tells the region the car was manufactured in, for example, “North America.”
Sometimes the engine ID code is obscured by the alternator. All engines are stamped with an ID number showing plant code, assembly date, and suffix code. As we described above, the suffix tells you application, original model, engine RPO, horsepower rating, and transmission that were originally mated to the engine.
Characters eight to four indicate the vehicle’s specs, such as if it’s a two-door or an SUV. The ninth digit is the “check digit”, which validates a VIN. The 10th character signifies the vehicle’s model year. The 11th digit refers to the specific facility or plant that assembled the vehicle.
Contact your local State Department of Motor Vehicle’s (DMV) office for specific instructions on what is required to replace the VIN (see Resources). You will likely be required to have an inspection of the vehicle by a police officer or DMV official to verify that the VIN plate was destroyed.
In some cases, the VIN you will find in the car will only contain 12 characters. The number may be shorter because the previous one was damaged or unreadable and the owner decided to replace it in accordance with applicable regulations.
Related Searches
vehicle specs by vin
vin number check free
how to read a vin number year
check engine size by vin number
8 digit vin decoder
vin country of origin chart
vin number example
how to read vin number chevy