VIN

A Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN, is a standardized 17-character alphanumeric code assigned to essentially every car, truck, and motorcycle built for road use since the mid-1980s, when the format was standardized worldwide. No two vehicles are supposed to share the same VIN, which makes it the primary key used by manufacturers, dealers, insurers, and government agencies to track a specific vehicle throughout its life, from the factory to the scrapyard.

The 17 characters are divided into sections that each encode specific information. The first three characters form the World Manufacturer Identifier, identifying the manufacturer and country of origin. The next five characters describe the vehicle's attributes such as body style, engine type, and trim level. The ninth character is a check digit used to validate the VIN is not fraudulent or mistyped. The tenth character encodes the model year, the eleventh identifies the assembly plant, and the final six digits are the vehicle's unique production serial number.

For buyers, the VIN is the key to pulling a vehicle history report, checking for open recalls, verifying that a title, odometer, and accident history match the physical car, and confirming factory options and specifications. Because the VIN is stamped, etched, or plated in multiple places on a vehicle, comparing those locations against the paperwork is also a standard way to check for a stolen or reconstructed vehicle before a purchase.