| What is the VIN number and why is it important? |
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All vehicles contain a unique
VIN number. Here is some information
and helpful hints for you. A car's Vehicle
Identification Number, sometimes referred
to as VIN, the Chassis Number Format, or the
Vehicle Serial Number, is comparable to an
individual's DNA system.
In the mid 1950's, American automobile producers
began casting and stamping identification
numbers on vehicles and their parts for purposes
of accurately describing vehicles when large
quantities of production were beginning to
rise. Study shows that earlier VIN's
relied on the manufacturer and they varied
significantly. Vehicles prior to 1980
have 10 digit numbers and the 1980 vehicles
contain 10 digits and an A. Because
of the differentiation, in the early 1980's
the U.S. Department of Transportation decided
that all vehicles on the road contain a 17
character VIN, which is the system now used
in most major vehicle manufacturers. A
vehicle is like the DNA systemwhen it rolls
off the production line, it has its own identification
number!
In addition to the VIN differing by manufacturer,
the form and location may vary.
The form could be in:
- Plate (Aluminum)
- Label Form
- Bar Code
- Cast or Stamped
Common locations for a VIN are:
- Firewall of the Vehicle
- Left Hand Inner Wheel Arch
- Steering Column
- Radiator Support Bracket
- Dash by the Windshield
- Driver's Door
- Door Jam Frame
- Passenger Side Door
- Maintenance Book
- Vehicles Documentation
- Machined Pad on the Front of the Engine
Let's examine a vehicle with the following
VIN -1ZWFT61L8X5617536. It is broken
down as follows:
1 2 3
|
4 5 6
|
7 8
|
9
|
10
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11
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12
|
13
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14 15 16 17
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1 Z W
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F T 6
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1 L
|
8
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X
|
5
|
6
|
1
|
7 5
3 6
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1: The first character identifies
the country in which the vehicle was manufactured
(i.e., U.S.A. (1 or 4), Canada (2), Mexico (3),
Japan (J), Korea (K), England (S), Germany (W),
Italy (Z). This car was
manufactured in the U.S.A.
Z:
The second character identifies the manufacturer
(i.e., Audi (A), BMW (B), Buick (4), Cadillac
(6), Chevrolet (1), Chrysler (C), Dodge (B),
Ford (F), GM Canada (7), General Motors (G),
Honda (H), Jaguar (A), Lincoln (L), Mercedes
Benz (D), Mercury (M or Z), Nissan (N), Oldsmobile
(3), Pontiac (2 or 5), Plymouth (P), Saturn
(8), Toyota (T), VW (V), Volvo (V). This
cars manufacturer is Mercury.
W: The third character identifies
the vehicle type or manufacturing division.
This car's type is Cougar.
FT61L: The fourth through eighth characters
identifies the features as in the body style,
engine, type, model, series, etc. This
car is a 2D Coupe, Mid-size car with 2.5L V6
SMPI DOHC 24V.
8: The ninth character
identifies the VIN accuracy as check digit.
X: The tenth character
identifies the model year (i.e., 1988 (J), 1989
(K), 1990 (L), 1991 (M), 1992 (N), 1993 (P),
1994 (R), 1995 (S), 1996 (T), 1997 (V), 1998
(W), 1999 (X), 2000 (Y), 2001 (1), 2002 (2),
2003 (3). This cars
model year is 1999.
5: The eleventh character identifies
the production plant.
617536:
The twelfth to seventeenth characters
identifies the sequence of the vehicle as it
rolled off the manufacturer's assembly line. |
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