What is a VIN
A VIN is a
Vehicle Identification Number.
In the 1950's Auto
Manufacturers began stamping numbers on different
components for tracking and cataloging. The volume was growing
rapidly and the need to keep track of everything was becoming
overwhelming. The early VIN's were all different based on the
manufacturer.
Then in the early 1980's
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration started requiring that all
motor vehicles were tracked by a standardized 17 digit number
know as the VIN. Thus the VIN number was standardized among all
car makers and the used digits 1 through 9 and letters A
throughZ. The letters I,Oand Q were left out to keep mistakes
from happening in the recording system.
Each digit in the VIN provides information about the
vehicle.
VIN
Breakdown:
| Digit 1. |
The first digit determines the
counrty of origin of the vehicle. 1 or 4=USA,
J=Japan, 2=Canada, 3=Mexico, K=Korea,
S=England, W=Germany, Z=Italy. As time goes by
more are added based on manufacturing
country. |
| Digit 2. |
The second digit is the
manufacturer. A=Audi, B=BMW, 4=Buick,
6=Cadillac, 1=Chevrolet, C=Chrysler, B=Dodge,
F=Ford, 7=GM Canada, G=GM, H=Honda, A=Jaguar,
L=Lincoln, D=Mercedes Benz, M=Mercury,
N=Nissan, 3=Oldsmobile, 2 or 5=Pontiac,
P=Plymouth, 8=Saturn, V= Volkswagen or Volvo.
More have added. |
| Digit 3. |
The third digit is the
manufacturing division on the auto maker. |
| Digit 4.-8. |
The 4th through 8th digits
identify different features such as engine,
transmission, body style and the like. |
| Digit 9. |
The ninth digit is called a check
digit. This can be an X sometimes. It is a
reference for the auto maker. |
| Digit 10. |
The tenth digit denotes the year
of the vehicle by a code.
Years 1971 - 1979 used 1 through 9
Years 1980 - 1989 used A through K
Years 1990 - 1999 used L through Y (remember, they
do not use I, O, or Q)
Years 2000 - 2009 used 1 through 9 |
| Digit 11.-17 |
The 11th through 17th digits are
production numbers used by manufacturer |
Sample VIN: 1FMYU04165KC81089 opened up
1-F-M-YU041-6-5-KC81089
You can see from this sample above this is Made in the USA
by Ford. M is the manufacturing division.
Digit 4 through 9 are engine transmission, body style, etc. The
check digit is 6.
The year is 2005.
This vehicle happens to be a 2005 Ford Escape, 4 door, 6
cylinder, auto transmission, 2 wheel drive.
The standardization has simplified many industries. The
Insurance Indusrty always uses a VIN decoder when insuring a
car. When ordering parts for a vehicle the supplier will
sometimes ask for the VIN.
Joe Slick
Home Dealer Scams
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