Vehicle Identification Numbers: What's In a VIN?
By E. L. Eversman, Esq.
We all know that vehicles are tagged, recorded, and documented according to their vehicle identification numbers (VIN), but the majority of us have absolutely no idea what information is contained in a VIN or how a vehicle gets its number in the first place. It seems silly to believe that this tangle of letters and numbers is purely random, but there is no apparent consistency from which a pattern can be derived.
Although marking vehicles has been in practice throughout the last fifty to sixty years, VINs as we know them today only began to be widely used since the early 1980s. Recognizing a need for uniformity to encourage and simplify international trade, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) developed standard 3779 to create a vehicle identification system, which could be used by manufacturers worldwide. These standards have been codified in many countries including the United States and Canada.
17 Characters
Motor vehicle VINs are required to be 17 characters in length, and where the letter or number falls in the 17-character string has a particular meaning when "decoding" a VIN. The VIN is broken into 4 sections: The World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI), the Vehicle Description Section (VDS), the Check Digit (CD), and the Vehicle Identification Section (VIS). The WMI occupies positions 1-3; the VDS makes up positions 4-8; the CD consists of only the 9th character; and, the VIS is comprised of positions 10-17.
Character positioning and meaning can differ, however, if the manufacturer makes fewer than 500 vehicles per year, creating some variation of the general rules for makers of specialty cars. The information provided below only addresses the specifications for automakers producing more than 500 vehicles in a year. So what, actually, do all of those numbers and letters mean?
First Character
The very first character identifies the country of manufacture. If you are interested in discovering where your vehicle was built, the first VIN position will lead the way. Note, however, that vehicles may be manufactured in foreign countries expressly for a different country's market. For example, some vehicles are manufactured in South Africa for the German market, just as many are built in Canada and Mexico expressly for the American market.
Don't confuse these vehicles built for a particular foreign country with "grey market" vehicles. Grey market cars and trucks are those built for use in one country that find their way to a different country than intended, where they may not meet emissions standards, fuel efficiency, or other laws and regulations. A Canadian-built vehicle, equipped with odometer and speedometer calculated for kilometers rather than miles (intended for the Canadian market), would be considered a grey market vehicle if sold in the United States.
Second Character
The character appearing in the second position identifies the manufacturer of the vehicle. This requires some attention to detail because there are duplicates. Dodge and BMW share the letter "B" and, therefore, the country of manufacture and subsequent characters play a role in determining which company made a particular vehicle. Chevrolet is designated by the number 1, Buick is 4, Chrysler is C, Audi and Jaguar are both A, Toyota is T, GM Canada is 7, Ford is F, Mercedes-Benz is D, and Volvo and VW are both represented by V, to name a few.
Third Character
This character establishes either the vehicle type or the manufacturing division.
Fourth Through Eighth Characters
These characters are set by each manufacturer to designate body style, engine type, model, series, sub-series, transmission, or other particular characteristics, like equipment. Because manufacturers have discretion as to how they choose to identify a vehicle's description in the VDS, there is significant variation.
Ninth Character
This position is known as the "check digit". It is designed to ensure that the VIN is properly transcribed. The check digit is created by an algorithm - the complexity of which is akin to the U.S. tax code. In other words, no one but a mathematician, or someone with way too much time on his/her hands, can figure these things out. If you feel like challenging yourself, the specific method can be found in the National Highway Safety Administration's regulations at 49 C.F.R. § 565.6(c)
Tenth Character
Position 10 establishes the model year of a vehicle. As of the 2001 model year, position 10 is a number corresponding with the last digit of the model year. 2001 vehicles, of course, have the number "1"; 2002 have 2; 2003 have 3; and so on, until 2010. In 2010, the year character will be the letter "A" and subsequent model years will follow the next letter of the alphabet. In the past, year 2000 models were represented by the letter Y, 1999 were X, 1998 were W, etc.
Eleventh Character
The eleventh position identifies the assembly plant at which the vehicle was built.
Twelfth through Seventeenth Characters
These last six characters of a VIN document the exact sequence in which vehicles are assembled on a manufacturer's line. If you are interested in purchasing the first or last vehicle of a particular model, these last six characters will confirm whether you are, in fact, purchasing the vehicle of that particular sequence. These last six places also assist manufacturers when they need to notify customers about recalls. If a manufacturer discovers that 1,200 vehicles of a particular model and series were equipped with a defective part, this sequencing information enables the manufacturer to pinpoint the specific vehicles affected and target them for correction.
Resources
There are wonderful tools accessible via the internet, and if you are looking for more in-depth information about equipment codes, country identifiers, and manufacturer designations, try Angelfire's Vehicle Identification Numbers pages. If you are interested in running your VIN through a decoder, AnalogX presents the character breakdown in a clean, professional format. Decoding a VIN can sometimes surprise you with information you may not have expected or realized, but it is always interesting.
E. L. Eversman
The information provided in this column is for information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. You should always consult an attorney licensed to practice in your Country, State, and/or Territory as laws vary from Country to Country, State to State, and Territory to Territory. The author is delighted to share information but cannot be responsible for damage or adversity encountered by reliance upon that information and urges you to consult with local counsel.
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