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FAQ > General > What does your VIN mean?

Location of VIN:

Most cars have multiple places where the VIN number is located. Here are some of the common places to look to locate this important number.

On the door frame or post of the front driver’s door
On the dash near the windshield
On the machine pad in front of the engine
On the vehicles firewall
In the left hand inner wheel arch
On the steering wheel/steering column
On the radiator support bracket
On the vehicle’s title, registration, guarantee maintenance book
Under the dash

Meaning of your VIN:

All vehicle identification numbers (VIN) are standardized with 17 characters. These characters contain letters A-Z, with the exception of O, Q, and I to avoid confusion. If you have a car that is pre- 1981, the VIN will be between 11-17 characters.

1^st Character: Identifies what country your vehicle was made in.

1 or 4	2	3	J	K	S	W	Z
USA	Canada	Mexico	Japan	Korea	England	Germany	Italy

2^nd Character: Identifies your vehicles specific manufacturer.

A	B	H	A	D	N	T	V	V
Audi	BMW	Honda	Jaguar	Mercedes	Nissan	Toyota	Volvo	VW

3^rd Character: Identifies your vehicle’s type or manufacturing division. This varies among makes and models.

4^th – 8^th Character: Identifies different features and attributes your vehicle offers such as body style, engine type, model, series, etc.

9^th Character: This number or letter is an accuracy check. It verifies the previous numbers within the VIN.

10^th Character: Identifies your vehicle’s model year.

1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	A
1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990
B	C	D	E	F	G	H	J	K	L
1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
M	N	P	R	S	T	V	W	X	Y
2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	A

11^th Character: Identifies the assembly plant for your vehicle.

12-17^th Character: All other information relative to a vehicle will be identified in these characters. Characters 12-17 also identify the sequence of the vehicles production. These numbers will always be numerical.

What is the purpose of your VIN?

The VIN is used to show ownership of the vehicle. If your vehicle is involved in an accident and you make an insurance claim, your VIN will be linked to that accident.

Often times when applying for a loan or getting an insurance quote on a new vehicle, you will need to know your VIN. It gives insurance companies and loan officers the exact model of the vehicle, its safety features, performance type, etc. to help them accurately value your vehicle.