What is a vehicle identification number (VIN)?
The car's vehicle identification number (VIN), also called a chassis number, is a unique code, including a serial number,as defined in ISO 3833. Used by the automotive industry to identify individual motor vechicle. The VIN serves as the car's fingerprint, as no two vehicles in operation have the same VIN. A VIN is composed of 17 characters (digits and capital letters) that act as a unique identifier for the vehicle. A VIN displays the car's unique features, specifications and manufacturer. The VIN can be used to track recalls, registrations, warranty claims, thefts and insurance coverage.
VINs were first used in 1954.[1] From 1954 to 1981, there was no accepted standard for these numbers, so different manufacturers used different formats. In 1981, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States standardized the format.[1] It required all on-road vehicles sold to contain a 17-character VIN, which does not include the letters I (i), O (o), and Q (q) (to avoid confusion with numerals 1 and 0).
What if the VIN is not 17 characters long?
Double-check to make sure that you have the right VIN and have copied it down correctly. Once you have verified that the VIN is definitely less than 17 characters, the VIN is most likely from a pre-1981 vehicle.
Prior to 1981, VINs varied in length from 11 to 17 characters. AutoCheck can only report on vehicles that use a 17 character VIN. Therefore, information on vehicles manufactured before 1981 is limited.
VIN Decode Explained
What do the numbers and letters in a VIN mean? What do the 17 digits in a VIN mean? See the breakdown below of the meaning behind each segment of the VIN:
