What is a VIN number?
The VIN – Vehicle Identification Number – is a unique code and identifier that allows for the identification of a particular vehicle.
Also known as the chassis number, this is assigned to every motor vehicle at the assembly plant. VINs are essential for vehicle registration, insurance, and tracking the vehicle’s history using a VIN decoder, and they are used for all types of motor vehicles.
The autoDNA's VIN decoder tool can be used to identify specific information encoded in the chassis number.
The free Vehicle Identification Number contains a range of information encoded by the particular vehicle manufacturer, significantly simplifying identification of vehicle specs by its subsequent users.
A Brief History of VIN
The use of the VIN numbers began in the United States in the 1950s. Initially, each car manufacturer used its own designations, making the VIN functional but far from truly useful. This situation persisted until 1981.
In 1981, under the supervision of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a unified VIN format was established for all American manufacturers. This format was entered into the Certificate of Title and placed on the vehicle’s identification plate. NHTSA's VIN decoder provides information about the vehicle's plant of manufacture, including the build plant and country. The results are accessible after entering the VIN number into the decoder. Interestingly, the check digit is also used in car VIN numbers in China, but not in Europe.
Interestingly, the check digit is also used in the VINs of vehicles manufactured in China but not in Europe. Globally, there are several regulations regarding the chassis number, but for most brands, the standard format can be expected.
The system used in the USA is compatible with the one used in the European Union (according to ISO 3779 standards). The American Vehicle Identification Number is more rigorously defined and includes a check digit to ensure the sequence is correct.
How Long is a VIN Number?
The length of the VIN is intentional, directly reflecting the amount and arrangement of information contained in the code.
The standard VIN consists of 17 characters – numbers and letters. However, this standard applies to vehicles manufactured after 1981.
The various elements allow you to determine the most important information about the car - they also help to verify, for example, whether the seller is not being untruthful about the history of the car (you can, for example, decode the particular vehicle vin and check if the vehicle coming out of the factory had the current equipment, was in the current color, etc.).
Below we list brands and models along with their VIN numbers for whose control digit is encoded:
AUDI E-TRON
WAUZZZGEXLXXXXXXX
AUDI A1
WAUZZZ8X2EXXXXXXX
AUDI A5
WAUZZZF59KXXXXXXX
OPEL ASTRA
W0VBD6ER6NXXXXXXX
OPEL INSIGNIA
W0LGM8EM6AXXXXXXX
JAGUAR E-PACE
SADFA2BX2KXXXXXXX
JAGUAR S-TYPE
SAJAA011667XXXXXXX
SAAB 93
YS3FD45S64XXXXXXX
SAAB 9-3
YS3FB56W57XXXXXXX
CHRYSLER PT CRUISER
1C8FYNB9X1XXXXXXX
CHRYSLER GRAND VOYAGER
1A8HSH4549XXXXXXX
BYD Tang
LGXC16F35LXXXXXXX
BYD Han
LGXC16F38MXXXXXXX
Geely Coolray
LJNFE4B26KXXXXXXX
Geely Emgrand X7
LJNFE4B27LXXXXXXX
MG ZS EV
LSGFE52B8KXXXXXXX
MG HS
LSGFE52B9LXXXXXXX
BMW F11 520D
WBA5L51090XXXXXXX
BMW F16 X6
WBAKV6109FXXXXXXX
ISO - Vehicle VIN Standardization
The globally recognized standard for vehicle identification was introduced in 1981 and is widely known and standardized under the following ISO norms: ISO 3779: Specifies the content and structure of the VIN. This ensures that each VIN is unique to a specific vehicle and provides essential information about the manufacturer, vehicle type, and individual vehicle identifier. ISO 4030: Addresses the location and affixing of the VIN on the vehicle. It ensures that the VIN is placed on a permanent part of the vehicle, making it easily accessible for verification. ISO 3780: Concerns the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI), which forms the first three characters of the VIN. The WMI uniquely identifies the manufacturer and the country where the vehicle was produced.
All motor vehicle VIN numbers should:
Consist of 17 characters
However, this standard applies to the vehicles manufactured since 1981.
Not include the letters I, O, and Q
The standard practice is to write 0 with a distinctive slash to distinguish it from the letter O.
Consist of information arranged according to a standardised scheme
What information does VIN number contain?
Based on the VIN number, a range of coded information can be discovered, including vehicle data such as:
- geographical region,
- country of origin,
- car manufacturer,
- coded vehicle specifications,
- check mark for the verification of the correctness of the VIN number,
- drive type,
- engine type,
- equipment version,
- the factory where the unit was assembled.
At autoDNA, we are able to make an accurate identification of the vehicle based on it and check the vehicle's history. Checking the VIN number involves reading the manufacturer's code, as well as its serial number and verifying the number. The service then collects all the recorded information to generate a detailed report describing the known history of the vehicle.
Segments
According to ISO 3779, standard VINs consist of three segments:
WMI
WMI - World Manufacturer Identifier: the first three characters identify the geographic region, country of origin, and car manufacturer. The third digit or letter is used by the vehicle manufacturer to identify what kind of motor vehicle it is: passenger car, truck, motorcycle, etc. This segment's format is regulated by the ISO standard.
VDS
VDS, 4th-9th characters of the VIN number. This section contains encoded data concerning the technical specification of the vehicle (vehicle descriptor). The 9th character is the check digit, used for validating the correctness of a VIN number.
VIS
VIS, 10th-17th characters of the VIN number. This section is basically the serial number of a vehicle (vehicle identifier). This section may contain information about the drive type, engine type, equipment version, and even the factory where a particular copy was assembled.
The ISO 3779 norm defines and specifies the 17-character length of the VIN number for vehicles manufactured after 1981. The vehicles manufactured before this date might have a VIN number or a serial number consisting of 5-13 characters. Moreover, vehicles such as muscle cars, classic cars and American cars often have VIN number which deviate from the 17-character standard.
Now that you know what the VIN number is, contact us to identify your vehicle. autoDNA will help you get information about the vehicle history which might be not available in other databases.
Every character in the VIN number has a meaning and it hasn’t been used accidentally.
Check the vehicle historyWhat data the VIN number contains
Let’s examine the components of the 17-character VIN:
1
manufacturer designation
2-3
brand and vehicle type designations
4-8
model, body type, engine, and equipment designation
9
VIN check digit for verifying its correctness
10
year of manufacture designation
11
factory designation
12-17
vehicle serial number
How to Find VIN Number?
VIN is located in various places. The numbers must match across all locations and documents – this is one of the basic things to verify before purchasing a car. Additionally, the VIN can be found on the first page of the vehicle registration certificate, which is crucial for vehicle identification and registration to make things easier as a world manufacturer identifier.
It should always be consistent with the VIN number embossed on the statutory plate, which can be found in various spots of the vehicle. This field in your vehicle registration book must never be empty, as providing the VIN number is necessary to register the vehicle.
Important - check, whether the VIN number in the vehicle registration book is the same as the VIN embossed on the statutory plate of your vehicle.
VIN in Passenger Cars
Where to look for the VIN in passenger cars? The first and primary place – common to all types of vehicles – is the vehicle registration certificate, also known as the vehicle title. The vehicle registration number, a key piece of information contained in the registration certificate, allows for the unequivocal identification of the vehicle. When the vehicle's owner changes, a new document with a different registration number is issued. It is also worth mentioning the temporary registration certificate, which serves as a temporary document confirming the right to operate the vehicle until the permanent registration certificate is received. Its validity is time-limited, and possessing it is necessary for the legal use of the vehicle before the registration process is finalized.
The VIN must also be placed on the identification plate – which, depending on the manufacturer, can be located in different places. A typical solution for body elements is to place the plate on the front bulkhead.
The vehicle identification number written in the registration documents (vehicle registration book, vehicle card) should be the same as the identification number embossed on the individual elements of the vehicle. Before purchasing a vehicle, it’s good to verify that in order to avoid scam.
VIN in Trucks
VIN in Motorcycles
The VIN is placed on the motorcycle frame – it must be located on a fixed structural element as opposed to a label affixed somewhere. Whether it's on the front or back of the frame depends on the specific manufacturer, but that’s where you should look for it as the engine size matters for placement.
VIN in Trailers
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
It makes it easy to locate a vehicle's service history, but also repairs, potential damage, service actions, or even theft, to allow the buyer to ask further questions before purchase.
- geographical region,
- country of origin,
- the manufacturer of the car,
- the encoded technical data of the vehicle,
- a check mark used to verify the accuracy of the VIN number,
- drive type,
- engine type,
- equipment version,
- factory where the unit was assembled.
Getting the full story of a vehicle is essential to avoid buying a car with hidden defects — such as, for example, a rolled odometer. The autoDNA service detects more than 90,000 such cases annually.
