The reason why a VIN is important is because it will always show you more than what you can see on a car. It’s easy to know where the car came from and what the internals are like when you have the number with you.
If you want to learn more about the car options, that’s another way you can use the VIN. You however have to decode it or contact the manufacturer to learn about the alternatives. Let’s see how you can use the VIN to tell you what else is in store.
Finding the VIN
If the vehicle is with you, you can check the VIN on its different parts. You may find it as a sticker or embedded on a metallic plate depending on the car. You can look for it in the following areas:
● The dashboard on the driver’s side
● The engine block
● Under the hood
● The driver’s door pillar
● The electronic and transmission systems
You can also check out on the documents that relate to the car. That’s crucial if you are not near your car. If they are all within your reach (vehicle and paperwork), the documents will help verify what you saw on the different parts of the car.
The documents may include:
● The title registration
● Repair records
● Insurance cards
● The car registration form
If you are not the car owner yet, you can for the VIN from the seller. It’s easy to get it either from the car or from the records. To ensure that you are getting the right thing, ensure that the VIN has 17 characters. Next, it should be readily given and the seller should allow you to conduct your research.
Check Online VIN Lookup Platform Here>>
Heading to the Decoding Platforms
Here, you can search for a formidable online VIN lookup platform. They are quite plenty and in most if not all, all you need is to enter the number and press on the search button. There are free websites while others will ask for a fee or something in return like answering survey questions.
Depending on the website, you can get a full report or just some of the details. Ensure that your VIN is correct before entering the characters. If there are any special requirements from the platform, you need to fulfil them to get the report.
Once you get the report, check out for the specifications as entered by the manufacturer. You should see the car’s type and transmission among other features. If there was anything altered during the production, it should be evident based on the decoded information.
The records may however not include anything that the dealership added or any other alterations after the making of the vehicle.
The Decoding Process
Almost every car manufacturer has a decoding platform. It’s somewhat similar to the original website and there are resources to help in the decoding and understanding the whole procedure.
You can search for the website via your favorite search engine and then navigate through the tabs to find the decoding/lookup page. If there are accessible PDF files or links to more information, use that as a guideline base.
To help understand what the characters mean, you need information on what to expect. The first three digits represent the WMI (World Manufacturer Identifier). The first one is for the region, the second one is for the manufacturer while the third one is for the division.
The second part involves the 4th to the 8th characters and this is where you get the car’s specifications. This is where you get information such as the model, engine type and size, the body style and safety information.
There is no particular order here since different manufacturers embed the information as they wish. For purposes of checking for the car’s options, you can skip the 9th digit which is used to verify if the VIN is legit.
It’s however important in the sense that you will not get any results if the digit declares the VIN as invalid. The 10th one will tell you about the year of make and it can be a letter or a number. You can use the number to know about options since different models come with different specifications every year. You may not get the exact year though since cars released early in a year were most probably made late in the previous year. If that’s the case, there should be a manual explaining that.
The 11th digit is there to tell you about the plant where the car was assembled or manufactured. You will get to know the specific factory and also know if there are others that manufactured the model.
From the 12th to the 17th character, that is what we call the car’s serial number. It’s printed while on the assembly line and it can tell you more about the car. You can however find that information from the manufacturer’s website via the decoder.
These digits can reveal more about the seats and windows, the color, sunroof presence or absence, the electronic system and any equipment packages.
Getting a History Report for the Vehicle
There are third-party websites that can help you get more information about a car especially if it’s a used one. They depend on authoritative websites such as the NHTSA, DMV, car dealerships and insurance companies to give you the details.
You don’t get everything though due to the tight regulations that surround providing such information to the public. You may have to pay a fee to get the report and the charges will depend on the size of the report you get in terms of available information.
With that, make a small habit of searching for a better website before agreeing to pay a fee for the report. Once you find a better deal, stick with that and it may involve two or three websites.
The report will bring out details such as:
● Past ownership
● The number plate
● Crime involvement and theft
● Lien and repossession
● Accidents
● Repairs and maintenance
● Etc.
What you get here is based on what’s available about the car and it may include reports from individuals. Take a closer look at the history and see if there are repairs, accidents or anything else that will make you opt for an alternative.
Conclusion
A VIN can tell you a lot about a car and it starts with revealing what’s behind the characters. The information you get is what will allow you to see the options and what else is there through the guidance of supportive materials.
If there were no VINs, you may not know much about a car especially during purchase. That is why it’s the best number on a car to tell you what’s there and the alternatives available for the model you are checking.
