| As you very well may know, your vehicle is | | | | all automobile manufacturers to provide a 17 digit |
| identified by a unique number found on your | | | | identification number for every auto produced. |
| automobile's dash, windshield, and various other | | | | This resulted in the modern 17 character VIN in |
| parts. But have you ever given thought as to | | | | which we are familiar with today, giving every |
| what these numbers are actually used for? Just | | | | individual vehicle a unique "fingerprint". |
| what purpose does this number serve? In fact, | | | | VIN Meaning |
| your car's VIN is used in several very important | | | | The VIN on your vehicle is not just a random set |
| ways. | | | | of characters, nor are VINs simply sequential. |
| What is a VIN? | | | | Rather, each individual digit of the VIN has a |
| Every vehicle that is manufactured is given a | | | | specific purpose. For example, the first character |
| unique identifying number, referred to as a Vehicle | | | | of the VIN identifies which country the car was |
| Identification Number, or VIN. This series of 17 | | | | manufactured in. If the means of transportation |
| alpha-numeric characters is basically your car's | | | | were produced in the United States, the first digit |
| automotive fingerprint. It is what distinguishes | | | | would be a 1 or 4. Japanese cars' VINs begin with |
| your particular automobile from all the others, and | | | | a J, Korea with a K, Germany with a G, and so |
| provides a form of identification that is used | | | | on. |
| throughout the lifetime of your auto, from the | | | | The second character of the VIN identifies the |
| factory to the scrap yard. | | | | manufacturer. As with the manufacturing country, |
| The VIN is used to track everything related to | | | | each manufacturer has a specific character |
| that automobile, including insurance coverage, | | | | symbolizing it. Chevrolet uses a 1, Chrysler-C, |
| warranty claims, thefts, recalls, and registrations. | | | | Ford-F, General Motors-G, and Pontiac is identified |
| Without the VIN, there would be no effective | | | | by a 2 or 5, etc. |
| way to track all of this information. | | | | The third digit refers to the vehicle type or |
| History of the VIN | | | | manufacturing division, and digits 4-8 are known |
| The roots of this coding and tracking system can | | | | as the Vehicle Descriptor Section, or VDS. This |
| be traced back to the mid 1950's. It is then that | | | | section describes individual attributes of the auto, |
| Detroit automobile manufacturers began stamping | | | | such as body style, engine type, model, etc. |
| and casting identification numbers into cars and | | | | Each of the 17 VIN characters describes yet |
| their independent parts. This practice began in an | | | | another aspect of the automobile it is found on. It |
| effort to accurately describe vehicles as they | | | | is these codes that provide the vehicle |
| began to be produced on a large scale. | | | | identification number, giving your car, truck, |
| In the early 1980's the U.S. National Highway | | | | motorcycle, or moped its own unique fingerprint. |
| Traffic Safety Administration effectively required | | | | |