Are you interested in decoding the vehicle Identification Number (VIN)? The first step is to locate the VIN. In most vehicles, there is a VIN on the dashboard of the driver. Additionally, it’s typically on a sticker or a plate that is located on the side of the driver’s door, or at the bottom of the frame, where the door is closed. It’s also on the title of the car and/or on insurance papers. The Auto VIN decoder can help you figure out what these letters and numbers mean, which is the first step in determining whether or not a vehicle is suited for you.
What Do These Letters & Numbers Mean?
To identify the VIN the code must be divided into six segments
The first segment is comprised of the initial three characters and is also known as World Manufacturer Identifier or WMI. The first character is the country in which the vehicle was constructed. For instance, If the first digit is 1,4, or 5, the vehicle was manufactured within the United States. For instance, a “J” is used for vehicles manufactured in Japan as well as “V”s as well as “W”s are the norm to identify vehicles manufactured in Germany. The third and second characters represent the manufacturer, and sometimes the design of the body. For instance that if the second letter is “H” the vehicle is Honda.
The second character of “F” or “L” could be Ford and a third symbol with “T” would be a Toyota. Another character in “G” and the third character in “C” indicates that the vehicle was produced through General Motors, and in particular, it is a Chevrolet. In some cases, the third character isn’t utilized to identify the maker, but rather the design of the vehicle. If we take an example of a Honda for example the third character “G” indicates the vehicle is a coupe or sedan and the third character of “M” indicates the vehicle is one of the hatchbacks. Therefore, a car with an identification number for the vehicle beginning with JHM means that the vehicle was constructed in Japan and is Honda and is a Sedan.
The second part of the VIN comprises characters 4 to 8 and describes the car’s design, and characteristics such as the type of engine as well as the braking system, series and. The characters are different for each manufacturer.
The third part of the VIN is number 9 and is often known as the check digit. The check digit aids in the verification of the car identity number’s accuracy.
Character 10 signifies the vehicle’s model year. A vehicle that has the model year 2008 will have the character “8” for character 10, whereas models from 2007 will be using the letter “7”. The cars built between 1980 to 2000 use sequential letters. For instance, A1 Express Car Removal Car Wreckers a car manufactured in 1982 would bear the letter “C” for this character.
The 11th character signifies the fifth segment. It also is the location where the vehicle was built. The characters are different for each manufacturer, and there’s no defined standard. For instance, a “5” for a Ford signifies that the car was manufactured by AutoAlliance International in Flat Rock, Michigan while a “5” for the General Motors vehicle indicates that it was manufactured by Bowling Green Assembly Plant. Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Bowling Green, KY.
The sixth and final segment is comprised of the final six letters of VIN. These characters identify the serial number or product number and also provide details about when the car was taken off the production line. These characters are also different depending on the manufacturer.
In the end, even though the number of a vehicle’s identification was standardized in 1981 with 17 characters and was made distinctive for each vehicle, it is quite challenging to identify a VIN due to the many different descriptions employed by car manufacturers. A helpful tip: O, I O as well as Q is not present in the VIN.
