Buying a Car - What Does the VIN Number Mean?

When you are buying or selling a car you will need the vehicles VIN number. (VIN stands for Vehicle Identification Number). Since 1981 the VIN as been the standard worldwide for identifying a vehicle. The VIN is the serial number that is made up of 17 digits and consists of different sections and meanings. By examining a VIN, you can determine significant information about a vehicle. You can learn the year, make and manufacturer from the VIN.

Each Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is unique to that vehicle. A manufacture that makes less than 500 vehicles doesn't need a Vehicle Identification Number on the vehicle. The coding for the VIN follows standards and guides set by the ISO - the International Organization for Standardization in the years 1979 through 1980.

Location

The VIN number is stamped on a metal plate and attached to the dashboard on the driver's side. You can see the plate, from the outside, looking through the windshield. The plates are also attached in other places, like the frame.

Who The Manufacture Is

The first 3 digits of the Vehicle Identification Number are known as the manufacturer identifier. The 1st digit ties in with the nation of origination; if the car was built from parts produced in other countries, this digit tells you the nation where the car was built or assembled, (cars in the U.S. can have a 1, 4 or 5 depending on where it was assembled) the 2nd, the auto maker; and the 3rd, the vehicle style or division that produced it.

Vehicle Description

The 4th through 8th digits of the VIN describes the vehicle. The 4th digit tells the horsepower and/or weight of the vehicle; the 5th digit, tells the mode of the vehicle (such as SUV, car, truck, sedan, van, etc.); the 6th, can be a special code used by the manufacture for a specific model such as Durango, Corvette or Mustang; the 7th, the body type (such as two or four door); and the 8th, information about the motor.

Check Digit

The 9th digit is a check digit as a way to prevent against fraudulent VINs. It is a complicated and sophisticated mathematical equation using the other digits of the VIN to determine the final check digit code.

Model Year

The 10th digit tells you what year your car was made. They can be either numbers or letters.

Plant Code

The 11th digit is known as the plant code and tells you where a car was manufactured and assembled.

Production Sequence Numbers

Finally, the last 6 numbers of the VIN are a sequence of numbers determined by the order in which the car was produced. Production sequence numbers identify the vehicle itself, sort of like a serial number.

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