How to vin number check?
A vehicle identification number (VIN) is a unique code assigned to every motor vehicle when it's manufactured. The VIN is a 17-character string of letters and numbers without intervening spaces or the letters Q (q), I (i), and O (o); these are omitted to avoid confusion with the numerals 0 and 1. Each section of the VIN provides a specific piece of information about the vehicle, including the year, country, and factory of manufacture; the make and model; and the serial number. VINs are usually printed in a single line.
On most passenger cars, you may find the VIN number on the front of the dashboard on the driver's side. The best way to see it is to look through the windshield from outside the car. You may also find the VIN number on the driver's side door pillar. Open the door and look around the area where the door latches to the car. A motorcycle's VIN is usually on the steering neck below the handlebars, although sometimes it's on the motor or on the frame near the motor. A semitrailer's VIN is located on the front part of the semitrailer on the left side.
If you can't find the VIN number on the vehicle, you should also be able to locate it on your vehicle's title or liability insurance documents.
Enter your vehicle's 17-character Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) in the field above to look up and receive an instant report on its manufacturer, brand, make and model, body style, engine size, assembly plant, and model year. The information is provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) from the data submitted by the manufacturers to NHTSA. The VIN Decoder lookup is intended for use with vehicles manufactured since 1981. If your vehicle was made before 1981, the VIN will most likely contain 11 characters.
Wondering what all the characters in your vehicle's VIN stand for?
There are situations in which you will want to check a vehicle's VIN, since many data registries use it to record details of the vehicle's history. If you're interested in buying a used car, you can do a VIN lookup to get the vehicle history report and find records of its previous owners, accidents, and repairs. You can also find out if the manufacturer had ever issued a recall of the vehicle and whether those repairs were made. Finally, law enforcement agencies do a VIN check to identify vehicles that have been stolen.
The first three characters of every VIN number uniquely identify the manufacturer of the vehicle. This is called the World Manufacturer Identifier or WMI code.
The 17 numbers and letters in a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) indicate a vehicle’s make, model, when and where it was built, and more. Here’s what each part of a VIN means:
The first character in a VIN is the country or region where the manufacturer is located, or the final point of assembly. Usually, this is the country where the car was made, but in some European countries, it may be the country where the automaker is headquartered.
The second VIN character indicates the manufacturer and the region where the vehicle was produced. The third VIN character indicates the vehicle type or manufacturing division. Taken together, the first three characters of the VIN are the World Manufacturer Identifier or WMI code.
Characters 4 through 8 are the Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS). They identify the vehicle brand, model, body style, engine type, transmission, and more. Service centers commonly use this information to identify an automaker’s systems so that they can properly maintain a car. The VIN decoder tool at the top of this page also uses this section to decode VINs.
The ninth character, or check digit, is used to detect invalid VINs based on a mathematical formula that was developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The tenth digit indicates the car’s model year. The following chart shows which letter represents which model year. Certain letters and numbers are not used because they can be confused with others. VINs do not include the letters I (i), O (o), Q (q), U (u) or Z (z), or the number 0.
The 11th character identifies the manufacturing plant where the vehicle was assembled. Each manufacturer has its own plant codes.
Characters 12 through 17 are the unique serial number for the vehicle. This number often indicates the sequence in which a vehicle came off of the assembly line. Since there is no fixed standard for this number, each manufacturer can use it differently. Taken together, characters 10 through 17 make up the Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS).
Carfax has VIN lookup tools for a range of specific issues, including:
We developed these tools to provide consumers with quick, free VIN checks for common safety issues.
There are many articles on the internet that talk about ways to get a free Carfax Report. However, you can only access the information contained in a Carfax Vehicle History Report for free using the following methods:
Using Carfax Used Car Listings is the only way to get a full Carfax Report for free. You can also take advantage of our data to find cars that are reported accident-free, have only one owner, and more.
Creating a free Carfax Car Care account allows you to view your car’s service history, get alerts for upcoming services, find trusted service shops, and be the first to know about open recalls.
Most car valuation tools use general information to estimate a car’s value, including the model’s brand and year. The Carfax History-Based Value Tool includes VIN-specific information, such as past servicing, accident history, and number of owners, to provide a more complete picture of what a car is worth.
When you order a Carfax Report, you can unlock the following important information about the car:
This information can help you uncover potential safety issues and ultimately help you decide if a car you’re considering is right for you. You can have a look at a sample Carfax report and see where Carfax gets the data we include in our Vehicle History Reports.
You can get a free VIN check at the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), VehicleHistory.com or iSeeCars.com /VIN. Just pop in your car's digits and these sites will do the VIN lookup and give you information on the vehicle.
