Being a car owner or even if you own any other vehicle you must be interested in the term VIN.
VIN stands for a Vehicle Identification Number. It is a 17-digit unique number consisting of alphabets and a numeric string of characters. Since the 1980s, every vehicle must have a VIN.
Why do we need a VIN? Yes, your car is indeed unique for you, but the company makes so many same models with the same color.
Now how do you recognize your car if gets stolen? It will become a big issue then. VIN is exactly created to overcome mainly this problem.
Like your electronics devices, you can also have a unique number. Now you can say proudly yes, your car is unique.
You can track the vehicle registrations, warranty claims thefts, and insurance coverage using the VIN. Each character in the VIN indicates some meaning.
What is a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)?
It is a 17-digit number contains alphabets and numeric digit. Here each character indicates some meaning.
You can identify the manufacturing country, company, type of engine used, the body type of vehicle, etc.
Since 1981 each vehicle has its unique VIN. You can verify any vehicle using this number.
What is The Importance Of a VIN?
Most importantly with a VIN, you can track your vehicle. Whenever you wished.If you are buying a second-hand car, you can check the authenticity of the vehicle.
You will get to know its manufacturer, year of manufacturing, model year, engine type,VIN is the important insurance assessment of a car.
Where is the VIN Stamped?
You will find VIN at different places on a different vehicle.
1. Cars and Commercial vehicles
You will find the VIN stamped in various places. For cars and commercial vehicles, it may be stamped on the front windshield, can be on the driver-side interior dash by the windshield.
You will also find the VIN on the driver’s side door jamb. Some manufacturers stamped it on the front or top of the engine block and the engine frame.
Motorcycles manufacturer stamped VIN on the steering neck or near the bike’s motor.
2. Scooter
You will find it inside the glove box or seat bucket, near the center stand, beneath the dashboard, or printed on the frame.
It is a benefit for consumers to have VIN permanently etched into various parts of the car. It is helpful in the case of theft. You can also check if you are engine and other parts are original or not.
Decoding the VIN
All the seventeen characters of VIN are arranged in one particular manner. It is standard for all the vehicle and manufacturers. You can decode the number using the following information.
1. First Character
The first character tells you about the country in which the vehicle is manufactured.it can be the combination of alphabet and numeric digits.
For example, India (MA-ME), U.S. (1 or 4), Canada (2), Mexico (3), Japan (J), Korea (K), England (S), Germany (W), Italy (Z)
2. Second Character
It defines the manufacturer. For example, Audi (A), BMW (B), Ford (F), Honda (H), Mercedes-Benz (D), Toyota (T),
3. Third Character
It indicates the type of the vehicle (car, truck, etc.) or the manufacturing division in which the vehicle is produced.
4. Forth to Eight Characters
This is called the Vehicle Description Section (VDS). This section gives the idea about the type of the vehicle, building platform, model, engine type, etc. mostly eight-character denotes the engine type.
5. Ninth Character
The ninth character is the security code called a check digit. It indicated the month in which the car is manufactured in most cases. It ensures that the two vehicles within the thirty years will not have the same VIN.
6. Tenth Character
This character indicates the manufacturing year of the vehicle. You will get an idea about the manufacturing year of the model you have.
7. Eleventh Character
It gives you an idea about the plan, where the vehicle is manufactured.
8. Twelfth to Seventeen Characters
This is the unique serial number of your vehicle. In which the last four characters are always numeric.
Conclusion
Whether you own a car or any other vehicle, VIN is one of the important terms in the basics of the automobile process.
Now you have a clear idea about what VIN stands for, what is VIN, and how to decode it. You can try to find the VIN of your car and decode it.