What does a VIN number tell you about a vehicle?

How to Decode your Car's VIN Number

Your Vehicle's DNA

Owning a car sometimes requires understanding something called a VIN number. For instance, when you apply for car insurance or purchase your vehicle's registration. If you are trading in your car, you'll definitely need it. When you run a VIN number check on a car, SUV, or truck you're considering buying, you'll also be able to learn more about its history. VIN numbers are numbers identifying vehicles, but what do they mean? How do you read a VIN number? Where is a car's VIN number located?

A VIN is an identifying code for a particular automobile, and stands for Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). It's basically like a car's fingerprint, totally unique to it. It is impossible for two cars to have the same VIN number. A VIN number is like the DNA or genetic code of your car.

Typically, a VIN contains the following information:

• Your car's unique identifier is made up of 17 characters, including digits and capital letters.

• You can find out the date and location of the car's manufacture by the VIN number. Featuring the manufacturer, year, make and model of the vehicle, as well as a list of the unique features and specifications for the trim level, you'll know what to expect.

• Vehicle identification numbers (VINs) can be used to track recalls, registrations, warranty claims, thefts, and insurance policies.

• In addition, it can provide you with vehicle history information.

In the early days of automobiles, the specific car's identifying number was called the chassis number or frame number. A tin plaque was stamped with the vehicle's specific number and displayed under the hood, usually on the top right of the firewall.

VIN numbers were first used in 1954 in the United States. The U.S. government asked auto makers to come up with a new standardized numbering system to identify vehicles. Up until then, manufacturers used engine numbers to register and title cars, trucks, and motorcycles. This became a problem if the motor was replaced, which was fairly common at the time.

From 1954 to 1981, there was no accepted universal standard for these numbers, so different auto and motorcycle manufacturers used different formats. Then, in 1981, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standardized the format. It required that all on-road vehicles contain a 17-character VIN, which does not include the letters O, I, and Q to avoid confusion with numerals 0, 1, and 9.  

VIN numbers on vehicles today are based on standards set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1979. Compatible ISO standards have been adopted by the United States and the European Union.

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Photo: driving-tests.org/vin-decoder/

Get to know your vehicle's DNA (the origin and history of the VIN number)

Interested in discovering the meaning behind your vehicle's VIN number? Now let's figure out what they mean.

You can find out where the vehicle was built by the first character of its VIN number. In a nutshell, it tells you where it was manufactured.

Manufacturers are identified by the second character.

Where can I find the VIN?

Decoding your VIN

Ever wonder what the 17 digits on your VIN number mean? Let's decode them.

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