Vehicle Identification Number and Vehicle History Reports
January 19, 2012
As cars were first being introduced into California, there was no orderly way to track the vehicles or the owners until 1905. To keep track of all vehicles, the state required cars, bicycles, carriages, carts and similar vehicles to be licensed. However, the automotive industry used a different method to track their vehicles- Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs). A VIN is a unique serial code that is assigned to every vehicle and was first used in 1954. They were typically placed on the driver-side door or at the bottom of the front windshield. Different manufacturers used different formats of VINs until 1981, when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration required VINs to be 17 characters and must exclude the letters I, O and Q. By excluding these letters, any confusion with the numbers one and zero was avoided.
A VIN is not merely a random set of 17 characters. Each digit signifies information about the vehicle. A VIN is a vehicles’ DNA; it is unique and unduplicated. For example, the first character identifies the country where the vehicle was made. Each country has a letter or number associated with it- the US is either 1 or 4. The second character identifies the manufacturer such as Toyota or Volkswagen. Each digit of the VIN provides more and more information on the vehicle.
VINs are also printed on several car parts to cut down on part theft. Car parts that are labeled with VINs include transmissions, front and rear bumpers, engines, hoods, right and left doors, sliding cargo doors, right and left quarter panels and side assemblies, pickup/cargo boxes, rear doors and hatchback/deck lid/tailgates.
VINs do not just assist the automotive industry in identifying their vehicles, but can help car buyers avoid fraud. A vehicle’s history is tracked by its VIN and can provide useful information to car buyers. Anyone can view a car’s history using the VIN. Simply enter the VIN into one of the many websites that offer this service (e.g. CARFAX, instaVIN, AutoCheck). Information that a VIN can disclose include:
- Vehicle registration
- Title information, including salvaged or junked titles
- Odometer readings
- Lemon history
- Total loss accident history
- Frame/structural damage
- Collision indicators, such as airbag deployments
- Service and repair information
- Vehicle usage (taxi, rental, lease, etc.)
- Recall information
Vehicle history reports not only help car buyers, but also assist dealers in their sales. Sellers check the history of the vehicle they are trying to sell so they are prepared to answer any questions regarding the vehicle’s background. Dealers often buy vehicle history reports to provide to their customers to ensure the potential buyer that all information about the vehicle is being disclosed. Dealers also run vehicle history reports prior to acquiring vehicles at auctions to help ensure they are obtaining the vehicle at a fair market value.
What started off as just a tracking system, the VIN has become a useful tool in buying and selling cars. The next time you plan on purchasing a vehicle, remember the VIN is a valuable asset, so use it to look up the vehicle’s history and arm yourself with the tools to make a sound purchase.
For more information on VINs, vehicle history reports and the DMV, please visit www.DMV.ca.gov. Save Time. Go Online!
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