Whenever you deal with vehicles, you will eventually hear about VINs. These unique numbers serve a very important purpose in identifying specific vehicles.

What VIN Means

VIN stands for vehicle identification number. Every vehicle has one, and it is unique. It is the only way to identify a specific vehicle. All vehicles get their VINs upon manufacturing.

You can find the VIN in various places on a vehicle. Edmunds explains that it not only identifies a specific vehicle, but also provides additional information about that vehicle, such as country of origin, engine size, airbag type, and trim level.

Decode a VIN

To further understand a VIN, you can decode it. VIN decoding for auto dealerships can help these businesses to gather information about used vehicles that they may be unable to find elsewhere. For you, decoding the VIN can let you get important information, such as whether your vehicle has any recalls.

The VIN is a very long number and letter hybrid. When decoding, you will look at the groups of numbers. The first three digits are the identifier of the world manufacturer. The first digit is the country, the second is the manufacturer, such as Ford or Nissan. The last digit is for the division.

The next six digits are the most important to you because they reveal information about your specific vehicle. They can tell you the body type, engine code, and model, among other information. This group also includes a fraud digit that allows for spotting issues in the VIN.

The remaining numbers give you additional identifiers about your vehicle, such as the year and manufacturing plant location.

Final Words

The VIN is important because it can be helpful during repairs, selling a vehicle, or recovering a stolen vehicle. It can also identify vehicles where someone has changed the VIN.