What is a VIN?
Every vehicle in the US is stamped with a unique number that can be used to identify it. This number is called a ‘vehicle identification number’ — or ‘VIN’, for short. Think of the VIN as the vehicle’s fingerprint.
Because the VIN uniquely identifies the vehicle, it’s used as the core identifier on all official documentation relating to that vehicle (e.g. registration papers, accident reports, insurance claims, etc.).
On all vehicles since 1981, the VIN is a 17 digit number. On older vehicles, it may be anywhere from 11 to 17 characters.
What the numbers in the VIN mean
Country of manufacture
Manufacturer
Vehicle category (e.g., bus or truck) or manufacturer division
Vehicle descriptors (e.g. model, body type, transmission type, engine code)
Check digit to assess the validity of the VIN
Model year
The plant where the car was assembled
Production line number
Where can I find a vehicle’s VIN?
These days, most manufacturers place the VIN on the lower-right corner of the dashboard (if you’re looking at the front of the car from the outside), just to the front of the steering wheel. They place it here so you can easily read it from outside the vehicle, just by looking through the windshield on the driver’s side.
Vehicles of all kinds are assigned a VIN, whether it”s a car, truck, motorcycle or even a boat.
- MOTORCYCLE
- CAR
- TRUCK
-
You might also find the VIN on a motorcycle
-
You might also find the VIN on a car
-
You might also find the VIN on a truck
What is a VIN Decoder?
A VIN Decoder is a VIN search tool that provides information about a car or other vehicle. Who owns it? Has it been in an accident? Is it stolen? Has it been recalled? How many owners has it had? How much has it sold for in the past? Does it have finance owing? A good VIN Decoder tool can provide all of this information.
Most VIN number lookups are web based (i.e. appear on a website) but some VIN checks have their own mobile phone apps.
VIN Decoder may include these information
Odometer Check
Has the odometer ever been rolled back?
Accidents & Damage History
Does this car have any undisclosed or hidden damages?
Stolen VIN Check
Has the car been registered as a stolen vehicle?
Title History
Current and historical state DMV title data from the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS)
Market Value
See the value of a vehicle compared to similar vehicles that are for sale and have been sold in the area
Ownership History
How many previous owners has it had?
Safety Recalls
Has your vehicle been recalled by the manufacturer?
Recorded Images
How did the car look in the past?
Vehicle Specification
What is the technical data?
Taxi or rental car use
What are the previous use of the car?
Odometer Check
Has the odometer ever been rolled back?
Accidents & Damage History
Does this car have any undisclosed or hidden damages?
Stolen VIN Check
Has the car been registered as a stolen vehicle?
Title History
Current and historical state DMV title data from the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS)
Market Value
See the value of a vehicle compared to similar vehicles that are for sale and have been sold in the area
Ownership History
How many previous owners has it had?
Safety Recalls
Has your vehicle been recalled by the manufacturer?
Recorded Images
How did the car look in the past?
Vehicle Specification
What is the technical data?
Taxi or rental car use
What are the previous use of the car?
When would I use a VIN Decoder?
You would typically use a VIN Decoder tool when you’re shopping for a used car or other vehicle. When you think you’ve found the right vehicle, you’d perform a VIN search to make sure the vehicle doesn’t have any known problems.
The VIN Decoder may provide you all the answers you’re after, and many more.
And yes, a good VIN check will also function as a motorcycle VIN check. They’re not just for car reports.
How to use a VlN Decoder?
Step 1: Look for the VIN
Find the VIN number on your vehicle.
Step 2: Start the VIN search
Enter the VIN into the search box. Hit “Decode VIN” and wait for the system to find the VIN in the data sources.
Step 3: Receive Vehicle Report
Receive your Vehicle Report immediately.
A typical VIN search has a field where you can type the vehicle’s VIN, and a button you click to start the search.
When you click the search button to search for a VIN number, the VIN check tool will search through billions of records across a range of public records databases, then if it finds a relevant record, present you with a page of information about that vehicle.
Depending on the tool you used, the car history report might include everything from photos and market value to owner details and accident history.
The VIN decoder relies on publicly available datasets and does not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided. Always confirm vehicle details independently before making any decisions.
- Make
- Model
- YearAge
- Body Class
- Engine
- Fuel Type
- Transmission Style
- Manufactured in
- Base Price ($)
Basic
Engine
Safety System
Passive Safety System
Positive Safety System
Exterior
Interior
Mechanical
- Make
- Model
- Vehicle Type
- YearAge
- Body Class
- Engine
- Fuel Type
- Transmission Style
- Manufactured in
Basic
Engine
Exterior
Mechanical
- Make
- Model
- Vehicle Type
- Body Class
- Engine
- Fuel Type
- Transmission Style
- Manufactured in
- Base Price ($)
Basic
Engine
Safety System
Passive Safety System
Positive Safety System
Exterior
Interior
Mechanical