What is a VIN?

An abbreviation for Vehicle Identification Number, VIN refers to a distinctive set of numbers and characters allocated to every car upon its production. It is a linear sequence of 17 characters without spacing, and excluding characters that could potentially be confused with numbers like Q/q, I/i, and O/o. Each segment of the VIN contains particular information about the car like when or where it was made and by whom.

VIN can be used when you want to buy a second-hand car, to obtain information about it. It can also be used to track the history of the particular vehicle i.e. if there was a safety issue or defect related to that model.

VIN can be found:

When decoding VIN, it is best to approach it by sections:

1. The first 3 digits are the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI):

• The first element refers to the location of production. Each country is assigned a unique character code under WMI
• The second digit refers to the name of your car’s brand, and is commonly the first letter of that brand.
• The third element, when combined with preceding two characters, refers to the classification of your car or production segment.

2. The next 6 elements are the “descriptors”:

• The fourth through eighth elements refer to the model, type, various systems, and engine classification.
• The ninth element is a security digit, used to prevent fake VINs.

3. The last 8 digits are the “identifier”:

• The tenth digit refers to the car’s model year.
  * B-Y each tally with the model years 1980-2000.
  * 1-0 each tally with the model years 2001-2009.
  * Counting returned to A in 2010, and will move along the alphabet up to 2030.
• The eleventh element refers to the location of car assembly. Each manufacturer has distinctive code combination for its plants.
• The twelfth through seventeenth elements contain numerals that each car is assigned while in assembly.