An identification number vehicle(VIN) or, as motorists very often call it, the VIN code runs like a red thread when performing most actions with your car, such as: issuing OSAGO and CASCO insurance policies, making a sale, ordering spare parts and components, etc.
Vin-code is a unique 17-digit code that is assigned to each car. With it, you can not only get information about the car manufacturer, but also track its history, participation in an accident and other interesting details.
Vin code of the car and its structure
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)- it's unique an identification number vehicle that contains 17 numbers encoding all information about the vehicle. You can find it on a special plate attached to the body.
Thanks to full standardization the code can be easily deciphered in any corner of the world.
For the first time, the VIN code was applied in 1977, after it was adopted in the USA and Canada common standards. Prior to this, each concern or plant engaged in the production of vehicles used its own designations, which could differ greatly from each other and thus made it much more difficult car identification process.
The use of the VIN code made it possible to strengthen the protection of cars from hijacking due to its application to hard-to-reach areas of the body or chassis.
The VIN code is conditionally divided into three parts, called WMI (World Manufacturers Identification) - the worldwide manufacturer index, VDS (Vehicle Description Section) - the descriptive part and VIS (Vehicle Identification Section) - the distinctive part.
WMI part contains three characters in which it is encrypted car manufacturer information. The first number is the geographic area, the second is the country, and the third is the manufacturer.
It's worth noting that sometimes the last number in WMI can indicate the transport type. 
VDS consists of six numbers and contains vehicle technical data. VDS, as a rule, is determined by the manufacturer and can be quite varied.
IN VIS contains eight digits. Each plant itself determines what should appear in this section. A detailed decryption of the VIS is usually done when checking the vehicle.
By checking the vehicle identification number, you can get information about where your vehicle was manufactured and assembled, find out its model and year of manufacture, color, basic equipment and other information.
In addition, you can check by the VIN code whether the car left the country where it was, have you been in an accident.
If the result of the check does not match reality, then you most likely have stolen car.
When it becomes necessary to check the VIN
There are a number of situations where knowing the VIN code of the car will not be superfluous. This does not mean that you need to memorize it. To do this, it is enough just to know where it is located and How can I check it if needed?.
First of all, you need a VIN. when registering a car in the traffic police.
The service inspector will verify that the number specified in the passport data of the vehicle, a code that is stuffed either in the passenger compartment or under the hood, as well as the contents of the plate. In this case, you only need to show the code to the inspector, who will examine it and determine if they tried to fix it.
The bottom line is that falsifying paper or electronic documents is now quite simple. But it is very difficult to imperceptibly correct 17 numbers stamped on a metal plate.
Quite often, dishonest traffic police officers try to cash in, sending cars for examination. In this case, you can opt out and go to another MREO traffic police.
Also, buying a car, before signing the deed of sale it is necessary to check the VIN number indicated in the vehicle passport with the code stamped on the plate and in the body. It doesn't hurt to check the code yourself. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources for this on the Internet.
When buying cars in car dealerships, cases are quite common, when PTS does not match guilt indicated on the vehicle. Such situations arise due to staff inattention and customers, when the seller has a lot of passports for cars of the same model.
Buying a car for secondary market , you would certainly like to assess its condition, know the length of the run and its previous history. For example, did the car get into an accident, was it arrested, etc. Not to mention whether it was stolen or wanted.
By checking the VIN code before buying a car, you can better compare such an important fact as the price-quality ratio of transport.
Also, knowledge of the VIN code may be needed when ordering spare parts and accessories for the car.
How to check?
In the age of development information technologies checking the VIN in the database is not difficult. It's easy enough for this enter the appropriate query in the search engine.
There are many sites on the Internet that check the VIN code. Some of them are free, others provide their services for a price. The difference is in the amount of information that will be provided to you.
It will not be superfluous to check the car using the same VIN code and for prohibitions or restrictions on registration.
In addition, you can check the VIN code of the car also the presence of debts on the car of its seller. True, for this you will first need to ask his name and surname.
You can also check the debt on specialized sites and even V special application in social networks. For the same purpose, some applications for iPhone and Android have been created.
This, of course, will not protect you from a scammer 100%, but it can give you some confidence.
You can also send the car for examination to the traffic police. But this pleasure is definitely paid ( approximate cost- 2500 rubles), but there is no doubt about the quality of the data.
And finally, a question that worries many ordinary people: Is it worth it to try to independently check the car by its VIN code? After all, this is what the competent authorities do.
In some cases, this is simply necessary, since in the light of the adoption in October 2013 new administrative regulations all problems at the conclusion of the act of sale of a car with a criminal past fall on the shoulders of the buyer.
On the one hand, it is significantly simplified the procedure for registering a vehicle, but on the other hand, allowed scammers to sell stolen cars, which before that they simply could not remove from registration. 
Now, having re-registered a car with a bad past, the buyer receives as a bonus full set related headache.
Vin code is personal identification code car, consisting of 17 digits. With it, you can learn many technical features car, manufacturer's country, mileage, whether the car participated in car accident and a host of others interesting facts from his biography.
Wine check services are provided by a variety of sites - paid and free. When purchasing a car in the secondary market, it is very important to check it by the VIN code and make sure that its past legally clear.
In addition, even when buying a vehicle in a showroom or on a car park, Don't forget to check if the VIN matches. specified in the TCP, the code on the car body.
Video report on the examination of a car with a broken VIN code
The VIN code is the unique code of any car, necessary for its identification. According to the international standard ISO 3779-1983, VIN consists of 17 characters that display comprehensive information about the vehicle. The vehicle identification number is always applied to a non-removable part of the vehicle to prevent its removal, replacement or alteration.
The impossibility of changing the wine code is its main advantage, for which it is used to mark cars. The code issued to the car is with it throughout its entire service life and allows, if necessary, to obtain information about all the changes that have occurred to the car using a worldwide database.
VIN structure
The identification number always has 17 characters. Latin letters and Arabic numerals are used for marking. The international standard forbids the use of the letters I, O and Q in marking, since the first character can be confused with 1, and the other two can be confused with each other and with the number 0.
Decoding v in vehicle code consists of three parts:
1. WMI - individual manufacturer index. It consists of three characters and allows you to identify the manufacturer of the car.
2. VDS - a description of the technical characteristics of the car. Consists of six characters and displays the type of body, engine, configuration and other data about the car.
3. VIS is a distinctive part of the code. It consists of eight characters and contains information about the year of manufacture of the car and the manufacturer. The last four digits in without fail are numbers.
VIN location
Finding a VIN is easy enough if you know where manufacturers most often put them on. As a rule, the VIN is located on non-removable elements of the car. Today, the code can be found on the upper left of the instrument panel and the front left pillar of the body. In cars from the USA, the VIN code is often displayed on the dashboard between the windshield and the hood. In addition, the identifier is displayed on the body, under the driver's door.
VIN in cars is often duplicated to complicate its replacement by intruders. It is applied not only in the places described above - often the code is indicated on the cylinder block, door sills, body pillars or spars. In addition, the identifier is applied to a small plate attached to the rear wall of the engine compartment.
In addition to the vehicle itself, the VIN is also displayed in the technical documentation that comes with the car.
Why check the VIN?
Since the VIN code of each car is unique, identification by it allows you to get maximum information about the vehicle of interest, including data on sales, insurance, accidents and theft. In addition, the VIN also makes it possible to find out how many owners the car has had.
It is mandatory to check the car code when buying – carelessness can cause unwanted problems.
VIN is the main identification element of a car, so changing it is a top priority for scammers. Such actions on the part of attackers are quite understandable: only attentive buyer. Usually, the check ends with a comparison of numbers at two or three points located on the surface.
It's not that hard to avoid cheating - you just need to stay vigilant and check the code in several places. The fact that manufacturers put code in hard-to-reach places, primarily plays against scammers: it becomes very difficult to change the VIN, so it can only be changed where it is easy to do.
Most often, the wine code is interrupted on the engine - the plate is often fastened with screws, which simplifies its replacement. If the marking in engine compartment fixed with rivets, then it is almost impossible to kill it without leaving traces.
Changing the id is enough difficult process, and a high-quality fake is very difficult to visually distinguish from real code. But scammers often count on human inattention and change the code in a rather primitive and rude way. A fairly popular way is to remake similar characters - for example, the number 0 is very easy to change to similar in shape (6 or 9).
Manufacturers also sometimes facilitate the numbering by simplifying the technology of applying an identification number. Attackers are always on the lookout for such changes and take advantage of them as soon as possible. Fixing a label with screws, applying a code using a surface method, without stamping - such methods make life much easier for scammers.
How to check the Vin code of a car?
Checking the car by the VIN code is carried out according to the control number, which cannot be faked, even knowing the algorithm for its creation. OriginalVINdiffers in that not only characters matter, but also their sequence. This creates a lot of problems for the hijacker, because you can replace characters, but you can’t preserve the integrity of the cipher. In case of suspicion, you can contact any forensic expert, and he will calmly determine whether the car is stolen.
However, with the development of technology, the need to contact law enforcement agencies to check the car for theft disappears. For checkVINtoday you can use databases on specialized sites, special scanners or gadgets with the software necessary for scanning.
There is an erroneous opinion that open access to the VIN database gives attackers more possibilities. In fact, the identifiers themselves are not of particular value - it is completely pointless to interrupt numbers with existing ones, since there is always the opportunity to check them. Moreover, from a legal point of view VINis not personal information, so it can be safely made public - this does not pose any danger to the owner of the car.
To identify the wine code, you can use specialized online resources: the necessary information is supplied to sites by government and commercial organizations that have access to the identifier database. In addition to having the necessary data, this interaction guarantees constant updating of information. It is worth noting that sites do not request personal information its users, so you can not be afraid of its disclosure.
Price VIN check
The cost of checking the VIN code may vary and directly depends on the volume and accuracy of the requested information. So how to check the VIN code of a car for free? Most sites provide free reports that contain a minimum of information.
If the car was produced before 2000, then there may be inaccuracies in the free report (usually this concerns technical characteristics - engine type, power or drive). Ordering a paid report eliminates the possibility of obtaining false information.
Video: how to check the VIN of a car and what is it for?
Conclusion
VIN check is a reliable method to avoid buying a broken or stolen car. Having the results of the check in hand, you can safely make a decision about the reliability of the purchased car. There are several ways VIN checks- the choice of a suitable one entirely depends on the buyer.
VIN code (Vehicle Identification Number) is a vehicle identification number, consisting of a combination of numbers and letters symbols. The code is a mandatory element of marking and is individual for each vehicle (for 30 years).
It all started in 1977, when the US and Canada adopted the ISO 3779 standard, which described the format of VIN numbers.
Currently, the international standard ISO 3779:1983 (last edition - dated 1996) is in force, the world manufacturer index (WMI - part of the code) is determined by the ISO 3780:1983 standard.
The identification number is located on a non-removable part of the body in places that are least prone to destruction during an accident and is duplicated on a plate located in the front of the car. VIN modern cars located on the front left pillar of the body and the left upper part of the dashboard.
In the case of the manufacture of a vehicle by several enterprises in succession, it is permissible to apply the main marking of the vehicle only by the manufacturer of the final product.
The VIN number consists of 17 characters - Latin letters and numbers. At the same time, the symbols I, O and Q are not used in code combinations due to the similarity with the numbers 1 and 0.
Every VIN symbol- the number carries information about a particular characteristic of the car: about the country and manufacturer, date of issue, technical specifications etc.
The vehicle VIN number consists of three parts: WMI VDS VIS
- WMI(World Manufacturers Identification) - world index of the manufacturer (from the 1st to the 3rd characters of the number);
- VDS(Vehicle Description Section) - descriptive part (from the 4th to the 9th characters of the number);
- VIS(Vehicle Identification Section) - a distinctive part (from the 10th to the 17th characters of the VIN number)
WMI
WMI - international manufacturer identification code. Consists of three characters (letters or numbers).
The first symbol means a geographical area, the second - a country in this zone, the third - a specific manufacturer (sometimes - a type of vehicle).
If the manufacturer produces less than 500 DTS per year, then the third character of the code is the number 9.
Several WMIs can be assigned to a manufacturer, but the same number cannot be assigned to another vehicle manufacturer for at least 30 years from the moment it was first used by the previous (first) manufacturer.
So, first character WMI is a letter or number representing a geographic area code. Each of the zones is assigned several symbols:
- from A before H- Africa;
- from J before R- Asia;
- from S before Z- Europe;
- from 1 before 5 - North America;
- from 6 before 7 - Oceania;
- from 8 before 9 - South America;
Second character(country code) is a letter or number that represents a country. To ensure flexibility and unambiguity in identification, a specific country is identified by a combination of the first and second digits of the code:
| SA-SM Great Britain | SN-ST Germany | SU-SZ Poland | S1-S4 Latvia | TA-TH Switzerland |
| TJ-TP Czech | TR TV Hungary | TW-T1 Portugal | UH-UM Denmark | UN-UT Ireland |
| UU-UZ Romania | U5-U7 Slovakia | VA-VE Austria | VF-VR France | VS-VW Spain |
| VX-V2 Serbia | V3-V5 Croatia | V6-V0 Estonia | WA-W0 Germany | XA-XE Bulgaria |
| XF-XK Greece | XL-XR Netherlands | XS-XW USSR/CIS | XX-X2 Luxembourg | X3-X0 Russia |
| YA-YE Belgium | YF-YK Finland | YL-YR Malta | YS-YW Sweden | YX-Y2 Norway |
| Y3-Y5 Belarus | Y6-Y0 Ukraine | ZA-ZR Italy | ZX-Z2 Slovenia | Z3-Z5 Lithuania |
Despite the parameters clearly stated in the standard, the designation assigned to the country of origin is not always used. For example, cars of the European branch General Motors, headquartered in Germany, are marked as W0, regardless of the country of origin (be it Germany, Spain, Great Britain, Belgium or Poland).
Third character- a letter or number assigned to the manufacturer by the national organization. It can also mean the type of vehicle or the manufacturing department.
The number 9 as the third character is used if the manufacturer produces less than 500 vehicles per year.
As well as country identification, plant identification requires knowledge of all three WMI characters. For example, here are WMI codes that correspond to some factories located in the CIS:
Company |
|
| XTA | AVTOVAZ |
| XTB | Moskvich |
| XTC | KAMAZ |
| XTD, Y6L | LuAZ |
| XTE | ZAZ |
| XTH, X96 | GAS |
| XTJ | SeAZ |
| XTK | IzhAvto |
| XTT | UAZ |
| XWF | Avtotor |
| XWK | IzhAvto |
| X0C, X7M | TagAZ |
| X1C | KrAZ |
| X7D | RosLada |
| X9L | GM-AVTOVAZ |
| Y8A | LAZ |
In other geographic areas, manufacturers have the following indexes:
| 1-Chevrolet | A-Mitsubishi (USA) | G - General Motors | N - Infiniti |
| 2.5 - Pontiac | B - BMW | H-Acura | N-Nissan |
| 3-Oldsmobile | B-Dodge | H-Honda | O - Opel |
| 4 - Buick | B - VW (Brazil) | J - Jeep | P-Plymouth |
| 6 - Cadillac | C-Chrysler | J- mercedes benz(USA) | S-Isuzu |
| 7-GM Canada | D-Mercedes-Benz | L-Lincoln | S-Suzuki |
| 8-Saturn | F-Ferrari | M-Hyundai | T - Lexus |
| A - Audi | F-Fiat | M-Mercury | T- |
| A-Jaguar | F-Ford | M-Mitsubishi | U - BMW (USA) |
| A- | F- Subaru | M-Skoda | V- V-Volvo |
VDS
The second part of the VIN code is the description - the car's descriptor.
4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th characters are used to identify the type of vehicle and describe the characteristics of the vehicle:
- model line,
- body type,
- engine's type,
- steering wheel position,
- power system and transmission type,
- drive unit,
- etc.
Each manufacturer has its own set of parameters, its own sequence and its own unique designations.
The 8th character is used in most cases to identify the engine type. Unused positions are filled with characters at the discretion of the manufacturer.
9th character- for manufacturers in the USA and China (as well as those who export cars to the USA) - a check digit, which is one of the means of protection against number overwriting. European, Japanese and Korean companies do not always follow the standard and use this symbol to additional information about the car.
VIS
The third part of the VIN code - the indicative part of the identification number (VIS) - consists of eight characters, and the last four characters of this section must be numbers. Moreover, information about the model year and the manufacturer is not rigidly fixed by the standard, but is only advisory in nature.
10th character The VIN usually denotes the model year of the vehicle.
At the same time, it must be remembered that the model year can be significantly ahead of the calendar year and be counted not from January 1, but, for example, from August (Audi) or July (VAZ) of the previous calendar year
Some manufacturers such as Renault, Mercedes-Benz, toyota model The year is not indicated in the VIN at all. The year of manufacture is indicated on the plate on the body.
However, cars made for American market, all marked strictly according to the standard.
Year of issue | Designation | Year of issue | Designation | Year of issue | Designation |
| 1971 | 1 | 1986 | G | 2001 | 1 |
| 1972 | 2 | 1987 | H | 2002 | 2 |
| 1973 | 3 | 1988 | J | 2003 | 3 |
| 1974 | 4 | 1989 | K | 2004 | 4 |
| 1975 | 5 | 1990 | L | 2005 | 5 |
| 1976 | 6 | 1991 | M | 2006 | 6 |
| 1977 | 7 | 1992 | N | 2007 | 7 |
| 1978 | 8 | 1993 | P | 2008 | 8 |
| 1979 | 9 | 1994 | R | 2009 | 9 |
| 1980 | A | 1995 | S | 2010 | A |
| 1981 | B | 1996 | T | 2011 | B |
| 1982 | C | 1997 | V | 2012 | C |
| 1983 | D | 1998 | W | 2013 | D |
| 1984 | E | 1999 | X | 2014 | E |
| 1985 | F | 2000 | Y | ||
In addition to the three letters (I, O and Q) prohibited for use in the VIN, the letters U, Z and the number 0 are also not used to encode the model year.
The European branch of Ford in the VIN-code indicates the date of issue as fully as possible: the symbol of the year of issue is in the 11th position, and the month is in the 12th position.
Date determination table manufactured by Ford:
11th character most often indicates the vehicle assembly plant (for each manufacturer - its own designation system - its own letters).
12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th characters assigned under serial number auto. They indicate the production sequence of the vehicle.
ExampleVIN- Audi car code
(from carinfo.kiev.ua)
Description |
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LFV - Made in China |
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"Z" - filling empty spaces. In the VIN codes for the American market, the model line is encrypted in the 4th position, the 5th engine type is encrypted, and the security systems are in the 6th position. |
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The lineup: 43 - 100/200 (..-1982) 43 - 5000/5000S, Turbo (1983) 44 - 100/200 (1982-1991) 44 - 5000S, 5000S Turbo, 5000CS Turbo Quattro (1983-1988) 44 - V8 Quattro (1989-1991) 4A - 100/S4 (1990-1994)/A6 (1994-1997) 4B - A6 (1997-2004) S6 (1995) 4C - V8 Quattro (1992-1994) 4D - A8 (1994-2002) 4E - A8 (2002...2010) 4H - A8 (2010...) 82 - 80 (1972-1978) 85 - 80/90/Coupe/Quattro 86 - 50 (1974-1978) 89 - 80/90 (1990-1992) 8B-Coupé Quattro 8C - 80 (B4) (1991-1996) / 90 (1993-1994) 8D - A4 (1995-2000/11) 8E - A4 (2000/12...2008) 8G - 90 Cabriolet (1994) 8J-TT (2006...) 8K - A4 (2008...) 8L - A3 (1996-2002) 8N-TT (1999-2006) 8P-A3 (2003...) 8R-Q5 (2008...) 8T-A5 (2007...) 8Z-A2 (2000-2003) 9L-A3 (2003...) |
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Free sign "Z". In VIN-codes for the American market - the checksum. |
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Assembly place: A - Ingolstadt/Germany B - Brussels/Belgium D - Barcelona/Spain E - Emden/Germany G - Graz/Austria H - Hannover/Germany K - Osnabrück/Germany M - Pueblo/Mexico N - Neckar-Sulm/Germany P - Mosel/Germany R - Martorell/Spain S - Salzgitter/Germany T - Sarajevo/Bosnia V - West Moreland/USA and Palmela/Portugal W - Wolfsburg/Germany X - Poznan/Poland Y - Barcelona, Pamplona / Spain until 1991 inclusive, Pamplona / |
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Serial number |
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The Audi decoding table looks like this (the photo is enlarged):
ExampleVIN- code of Skoda cars
(from carinfo.kiev.ua)
Description |
||
1A9 - made in USA, |
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Body type and equipment level: Octavia: B - Octavia SLX (Elegance) C - Octavia GLX (Ambiente) D- Octavia Combi L&K (Classic) F-Octavia Combi SLX G-Octavia Combi GLX (Elegance) H - Octavia Combi LX (Ambiente) J-Octavia Combi 4x4 (Classic) K-Octavia Combi R-Octavia armored (class B4) U-Octavia Combi RS B - Fabia Elegance C - Fabia Comfort/Ambiente (sedan) D - Fabia Classic G-Fabia Elegance (combi) H - Fabia Comfort/Ambiente (combi) J-Fabia Classic (combi) M-Fabia Elegance (hatchback) N-Fabia Comfort (hatchback) P-Fabia Classic (hatchback) T - Fabia Praktik (van) (paneled van) Roomster: M-Roomster Style T - Roomster Praktik (van) (van with blind sides) A-SuperB II combi B-SuperB Elegance C-SuperB Comfort D-SuperB Classic |
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Engine: A - 1.6 (75 kW), gasoline; A - 1.4 TSI (92 kW), petrol with direct injection and turbocharged B - 1.4 (50 kW), gasoline; B - 1.8 TSI (118 kW), petrol with direct injection and turbocharging C - 1.4 (55 kW), gasoline; D - 1.4 (74 kW), gasoline; D - 2.0 (1.9) TDI (125 kW), turbocharged diesel with intercooler; E - 2.0 (85 kW), gasoline; F - 1.9 SDI (47 kW), diesel; G - 1.9 TDI (66 kW), diesel; H - 1.4 (44 kW), gasoline; J - 1.6 (55 kW), gasoline; I - 1.8 (92 kW), gasoline; K - 1.6 (74 kW), gasoline; L - 1.8 (110 kW), turbocharged petrol; N - 1.9 SDI (50 kW), diesel; P - 1.9 TDI (74 kW), turbocharged diesel; R- 1.8 (132 kW), turbocharged petrol; S - 1.9 TDI (81 kW), turbocharged diesel; U - 1.9 TDI (96 kW), turbocharged diesel with intercooler; Y - 1.2 (47 kW), petrol, 3 cyl. |
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Passive safety systems: 0 - no airbags 1 - driver's airbag 2 - two front and two side airbags 4 - two front airbags 6 - two front, two side airbags, inflatable curtains |
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Model code: |
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Assembly place: 0...4 - assembly line in Mladá Boleslav 5 - Kvasiny 7...8 - Vrchlabí B - Solomonovo, Ukraine (???) K - assembly from SKD kits (Russia, Kaluga) N - Mlada Boleslav X - Poznan (Poland) |
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Serial number |
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How to "interrupt" VIN numbers
In order not to become victims of scammers, you should know the basic methods and signs of “killed” VIN codes.
These methods are enough:
- remove and replace part or all of the marking board (there are various ways and options)
- add elements on signs that have a similar style (for example, 1 turns into 4, 6 or 3 into 8);
- reverse transformation - "extra" elements are melted, turning, for example, 4 into 1, 8 into 3 or 6.
Signs of broken VIN codes
- traces of surface treatment and putty residues in the marking area;
- increased thickness of the coating or panel;
- welded seams on the marking panel;
- discrepancy between the marking and its display on reverse side panels;
- fuzzy character design, displacement of characters vertically and horizontally;
- different depth of characters;
- extraneous strokes and differences in the execution of the same characters;
- difference paintwork marking panel and adjacent areas;
- etc.
Outcome
Car manufacturers have a sufficient degree of freedom to use their own designations in the VIN code structure, and it is not possible to list all the features and designations within the framework of one article.
Therefore, for complete information and identification of the car, you should contact the manufacturer (importer, dealer) who can provide information on all VIN codes of “their” brands.
And general, universal principles VIN decoding- codes - see above.
For most people, the mysterious VIN code of a car is just an incomprehensible and long set of characters that, in some incomprehensible way, store almost all information about the purchased car in themselves - like human DNA.
Today, employees of the online store of Korean auto parts Korean dot ru will tell you how to decipher the "magic" characters of any VIN code.
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN code) is a unique identification number of the machine, in which almost all Technical information. A kind of DNA or a car passport, by correctly deciphering which we will receive complete and up-to-date information about it. Automotive VIN codes regulated by ISO 3779-1983.
At the moment, the group that affixes VIN codes to their cars includes 24 countries. The VIN code contains 17 alphanumeric characters.
Previously, instead of the VIN code, the car was marked with two signs - numbers on the body and engine, when the car was stolen, they were interrupted or cut down, but as a rule, any auto-examination easily determined such frauds.
Now engines and car bodies are not marked, there are only VIN number, which is usually applied not to the car body. The 17-digit VIN code appeared only in the 90s of the previous century, before that it consisted of only 7 digits and was applied to automotive chassis. Modern VIN codes are longer and more complex - they contain not only numbers, but also Latin letters, which allows you to encrypt the history and characteristics of the car as accurately as possible.
The VIN code of a car consists of 3 important parts:
1.World Manufacturers Identification (WMI) - world manufacturer index. It contains all the information about the manufacturer of the car and is assigned by the country where the company that produced the car is located and registered.
The first part of the VIN code contains 3 capital letters, which mean the following:
- The country of manufacture is the first character;
- The car manufacturer is the second character;
- The manufacturer's division is the third character;
2. Vehicle Description Section (VDS)- this part contains 6 characters, they describe most of the individual features of the car. How and in what order to arrange the symbols in this part is determined by the manufacturer himself, as well as its semantic component.
3.Vehicle Identification Section (VIS) - in this part of the VIN code, all distinctive features car. It consists of 8 characters, last - 4 must be numbers, because they indicate the year the car was built.
However, if you have a car brand Audi, Isuzu, Hyundai, Jaguar, KIA, Nissan, Opel, Peugeot, Renault, Rover, Saab, Toyota, Volvo, Volkswagen, the last 4 characters are denoted by numbers according to the standard, and European and Japanese manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Toyota may not indicate the year of assembly of the car at all.
Compliance with ISO 3779 is a recommendation, That different manufacturers they themselves choose what to indicate in the VIN code, some do not indicate the place of assembly and years of manufacture. It is because of this that some VIN codes are difficult to decipher.
What a standard car VIN code should look like:
We decode the VIN code in the correct order:
Any VIN code is deciphered from left to right in the order of the numbers, starting from 1 to 17 characters.
The first character of the VIN code indicates the region where the vehicle was manufactured:
- Africa - A B C D E F G H;
- Asia - J K L M N P R;
- Europe - S T U V W X Y Z;
- North America - 1 2 3 4 5;
- Oceania - 6 7;
- South America - 8 9 0;
The second character indicates the car manufacturer's company:
Audi(A), Acura (H), BMW(B), BMW(USA)(U), Buick(4), Cadillac(6), Chevrolet(1) Chrysler(C), Dodge(B or D), Ford (F), Ferrari (F), Fiat(F), General Motors (G), GM Canada(7) General Motors(G), Honda(H), Hyundai (M), Infiniti (N), Isuzu(S) , Jaguar(A), Jeep(J) Lincoln(h), Land Rover(A), Lexus(T), Mercedes Benz(D), Mercedes Benz (USA) (J) Mercury(M), Mitsubishi(M), Mitsubishi (USA) (A), Nissan(N), Oldsmobile(3) , Opel(O) Pontiac(2 or 5), Plymouth(P), Saturn(8), Skoda(M), Subaru(F), Suzuki(S), Toyota(T) VW(V), Volvo(V) .
The third character indicates the type of vehicle - passenger car, truck, minibus.
In rare cases, it may denote a division of the manufacturer. This symbol is most often understood by car owners.
4, 5, 6, 7, 8 characters most often mean various individual characteristics of the car - model, series, engine type, body type.
The ninth character is a test character.
It determines the validity of the VIN. This symbol is calculated by a special mathematical formula. Below we will give links to services where you can independently and quickly check the authenticity of the VIN code of your car.
The tenth character indicates the year of manufacture of the car.
However, not all manufacturers indicate it.
Below we have given a decoding of the symbols and the years of manufacture of the car:
1 - 2001
2 - 2002
3 - 2003
4 - 2004
5 - 2005
6 - 2006
7 - 2007
8 - 2008
9 - 2009
A - 1980
B - 1981
C - 1982
D - 1983
E - 1984
F-1985
G - 1986
H - 1987
J - 1988
K - 1989
L - 1990
M - 1991
N - 1992
P - 1993
R - 1994
S-1995
T - 1996
V - 1997
W - 1998
X - 1999
Y-2000
A - 2010
B - 2011
Remember! Model year and calendar year are different. The model year is encrypted in character 10.
A model year is the year in which a new line or model of car was launched.. It is determined by the manufacturer independently. Most often, the model year is ahead of the calendar year and may not coincide with the one indicated in the TCP.
Important! The following characters are NEVER used in the model encoding: the number 0 and Latin letters - I, O, Q, U, Z.
The eleventh character indicates the factory where the car was assembled.
12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 characters - contain information about the serial number of the machine.
Where to look for the VIN code of the car:
- On the vehicle registration certificate;
- In the vehicle's PTS;
- On one-piece body parts (most often the left front pillar of the body);
- On the chassis of the car.
Can there be errors in the VIN code?
Errors in the VIN code are allowed in the following cases:
- VIN code read incorrectly;
- Error in the order and decoding of characters;
- If decryption programs are used, the language keyboard layout is incorrect. There are no Russian letters in the VIN code;
In all other cases, errors will indicate that the VIN code of your car is not genuine and most likely has been broken.
Additional useful materials for checking and decoding the VIN code of cars:
Online services for decoding VIN code:
- vin.auto.ru
- vinexpert.ru;
- vinid.ru.
On these sites, you simply enter the VIN code of your car in a special field and set the search parameters you need - car brand, year of manufacture, etc.
For reliability, check the VIN code of your car at several services. Also in this section of our site you can find other useful for the motorist
