VIN Definition and How to Locate It
A VIN string is a unique identifier implemented by automobile manufacturers to help distinguish and track motor vehicles (including motorcycles, mopeds, scooters but also towed vehicles). Although used before 1982 by various US automobile producers, only in 1981 the format was standardized, yielding the 17-character string we use nowadays.
The string could be located in one of several places: underneath the windshield in front of the driver’s seat (this is the case for most vehicles), on driver’s side door (inside), under the hood (engine), on the front end of the frame, above the wheel (in older cars). It could be also be looked up in documents (e.g. vehicle registration).
Using the VIN Code to Retrieve Car History Data
Checking the VIN code in specialized online databases yields a comprehensive CAR FAX VIN report helping to gain knowledge about the car’s history in just a few clicks. This enables you to transparently sell your car and very importantly, to evaluate vehicle history whenever participating in a transaction as a buyer.
One could expect to find the following data parameters in a VIN check report:
• odometer readings (that can help determine odometer rollback fraud);
• car history (e.g. registration history);
• car type/ model/make/body/style;
• road accident history (collisions);
• theft incidents and successful recovery;
• damage from fire, flood, hail, accidents or other disasters;
• records of repossession and lien (you don’t want to have legal problems with your property);
• use as a police or taxi vehicle (this is typically associated with greater exhaustion);
• inspection records/ car service records;
• other details.
This information is normally aggregated from several sources such as: the U.S. NMVTIS, state inspection stations, Canadian vehicle agencies, manufacturers, auto or salvage auctions, insurance companies, collision repair facilities, car dealers, auto rental companies, and more. The online services allowing to perform a VIN lookup manage to automatically access all this data stored in various online repositories and to assemble it in a consolidated comprehensive and actualized report.
Part of the data generated by such online services is usually free, while more detailed/ complex information can be accessed at a cost (this is also necessary to ensure the service’s high quality and development). Should you need to check multiple VIN codes, you will also likely need to pay a fixed fee or a subscription.
Considering all stated above, it is obvious that VIN checks prove extremely useful in obtaining a comprehensive car report whether you are a car dealer or an individual buyer/seller. It can help you make value judgments about the correspondence between the car’s true shape/state and its value.
