What is a VIN number on a car?

If you’ve ever bought a car, especially a used car, then you have (hopefully) come across the term Vehicle Identification Number, VIN, or VIN number. And while you may understand that this is very important, the exact details of the VIN may have eluded you.

Well, if that is the case, don’t worry. We are here to give you a full breakdown of what the VIN is, what it means, and why it is such an important part of any car-buying journey.

What is a car VIN number?

In the simplest of terms, the VIN is a 17-character-long code, made up of both numbers and letters, that is given to vehicles when they are first built; basically, it’s the car’s fingerprint.

Each VIN is completely unique to that vehicle and is used primarily to identify specific cars – and for checking whether the vehicle has a criminal history!

The VIN itself can be found in a number of different places around your car, as well as in your V5C logbook.

When buying a used car, especially from a private owner, it’s very important to double-check that the VIN matches what is said in the V5C logbook; if not, your best bet is to simply walk away.

The history of the VIN

First introduced in 1951 by the National Highway Traffic Administration, VIN numbers used to vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

So, while they were useful, they weren’t as universally accessible as they are today, which made it difficult trying to identify cars from different regions and countries.

In 1981, a standardised VIN was introduced and adopted by every single manufacturer in the world.

This truly highlights how important and powerful the VIN is, as every country was in unanimous agreement that there should be an accessible and standardised way to identify each and every vehicle produced.

This standardised VIN format is still used to this day.

Where is the VIN number on a car

It’s actually very easy to check your car’s VIN. This is a deliberate choice, as having easy access to the VIN makes it much simpler for the police to ‘check the number’ and see if there is anything shady with a specific vehicle.

The VIN can be found in a number of places, and, if you are looking to buy the vehicle in question, we recommend checking all of them to ensure that everything is above board.

• The easiest to access VIN location is on your dashboard, just at the bottom of your windscreen.
• It can also be found on your car’s chassis (which is a little harder to check) and is why the VIN is also known as the chassis number.
• The VIN should also be found in the car’s V5C logbook.

How many digits is a VIN number and what does a VIN number look like?

A VIN has 17 digits. Unlike your fingerprints (as far as we know anyway), the VIN also conveys a good amount of information within it, such as the original manufacturer and when the vehicle was built.

This information is vital for identifying specific cars – and is extremely useful for things like car recalls or for letting garages know which parts are needed for the vehicle in question.

Check out the full breakdown of the 17 numbers in a VIN below:

In terms of what it looks like, please see the below illustration:

What is VIN number cloning?

It has been alluded to a few times already in this article, but one of the most useful attributes of the VIN is how it hinders illegal activities and helps to prevent buying a stolen vehicle.

Some nefarious types may try to hide a stolen vehicle by doctoring the VIN and replacing it with a different (legally acquired) car’s VIN. This is known as VIN number cloning and should be a major concern for anyone looking to buy a used car privately.

This is why it is so important to double check the VIN – if the VINs don’t match between the V5C logbook and the chassis/dashboard, there is probably something dodgy going on and you should immediately walk away.

Your questions answered

Is the chassis number same as VIN?

Yes, they are the same thing; however, it’s important that you don’t confuse them with the engine number.

The engine is such an important part of the car, so it is also given a unique number to help identify it: the engine number.

However, as the engine is a component of the car, rather than the car itself, it can be removed and replaced, unlike the VIN which is an unchangeable code for that car.

The engine number also offers plenty of information, such as what type of fuel is needed, the engine size, the power etc. This makes it much easier for garages to replace engines if needed.

What should I do if I my car’s VIN doesn’t match what is in the V5C logbook?

Report it immediately to the police! There are hefty fines (and even prison time in extreme cases) for doctoring a car’s VIN, so you could be in a whole heap of trouble if it is discovered you are driving a cloned car.

However, if you report this as soon as it is discovered, you should avoid any legal issues.