There are vehicle history services in several countries that help potential car owners use VINs to find vehicles that are defective or have been written off.
History
VINs were first used in 1954 in the United States.[2] From 1954 to 1965, there was no accepted standard for these numbers, so different manufacturers and even divisions within a manufacturer used different formats. Many were little more than a serial number. Starting in January 1966 the US Government mandated that a 13-character VIN be used. This specification was phased in over several years. US manufacturers used them starting in January 1966 – by January 1, 1969, all cars sold in the US were required to have the 13 character VIN.[clarification needed] The 1966 US specification only stated that the year of manufacture, engine type, and a six digit unique number (with that being the last six characters) were required -- the individual manufacturers could use the remaining five spaces for whatever they liked.[3] This was not much better than what was in use by some US manufacturers before 1966.
In 1981, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States standardized the format.[2] It required all on-road vehicles sold to contain a 17-character VIN, which does not include the letters O (o), I (i), and Q (q) (to avoid confusion with numerals 0, 1, and 9). This was largely based on the ISO 3779 standard, but is more stringent.
After the introduction of the ISO standard, the manufacturers which produced vehicles for the American market very quickly adjusted to this standard. ISO introduced recommendations for applying the VIN standard and its structure, and the VIN was also used in Europe. However, the sets of information contained in it were introduced gradually. For example, Volkswagen started to encode bigger chunks of information during 1995–1997, and the control digit during 2009–2015 for selected models from the group. The VIN control digit is also used, although not in all brand-models. In the European vehicles, it can be found e.g. in Audi A1.[4]
Classification
There are at least four competing standards used to calculate the VIN.
FMVSS 115, Part 565: Used in United States and Canada[5]
ISO 3779: Used in Europe and many other parts of the world
ADR 61/2 used in Australia, referring to ISO 3779 and 3780[6]
Components
Modern VINs are based on two related standards, originally issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1979 and 1980: ISO 3779[7] and ISO 3780,[8] respectively. Compatible but different implementations of these ISO standards have been adopted by the European Union and the United States.[9]
VIN in a GM-T-Platform body next to a passenger seat
World manufacturer identifier
The first three characters uniquely identify the manufacturer of the vehicle using the world manufacturer identifier or WMI code. A manufacturer who builds fewer than 1,000 vehicles per year uses a 9 as the third digit, and the 12th, 13th and 14th position of the VIN for a second part of the identification. Some manufacturers use the third character as a code for a vehicle category (e.g., bus or truck), a division within a manufacturer, or both. For example, within 1G (assigned to General Motors in the United States), 1G1 represents Chevrolet passenger cars; 1G2, Pontiac passenger cars; and 1GC, Chevrolet trucks.
The first character of the WMI is typically the region in which the manufacturer is located. In practice, each is assigned to a country of manufacture, although in Europe the country where the continental headquarters is located can assign the WMI to all vehicles produced in that region. (Example: When Adam Opel AG was still with General Motors, Opel/Vauxhall cars designed in that era used to carry a "German" WMI (e.g. W0L, W0V), because Adam Opel AG was based in Rüsselsheim, Germany, no matter if vehicles were produced in Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom or Poland. When Opel changed hands and became part of PSA, this changed for newer models, which obtained "French" WMIs.)
Company mergers and acquisitions can lead to seemingly confusing allocations. For instance, Stellantis, the result of the merger of PSA (France) and FCA (Italy), is technically a Dutch corporation headquartered in Amsterdam. VIN numbers of European-made vehicles or their brands, though, still carry WMIs from France and Italy. Additionally, it may not be immediately obvious what particular local subsidiary of the corporation manages type approvals of vehicles and application for WMIs, since this does not necessarily depend on the perceived country association of the respective brand. For example, in at least one case, a model that was newly released years after the merger by an Italian brand (ex-FCA) carries VIN numbers with new French WMIs (the 2024 Lancia Ypsilon – incidentally manufactured in Spain). It is to be expected that assignment policies of this kind, often for unpublished reasons, can be found at other manufacturers as well.
In the notation below, assume that letters precede numbers and that zero is the last number. For example, 8X–82 denotes the range 8X, 8Y, 8Z, 81, 82, excluding 80.[11]
J Japan KA-KE Sri Lanka KF-KK Israel KL-KR Korea (South) KS-KT Jordan L China MA-ME,MH,MY-M0 India MF-MK Indonesia ML-MR Thailand MS Myanmar MU Mongolia MX Kazakhstan NA-NE Iran NF-NK Pakistan NL-NR Turkey NS-NT Uzbekistan NU-N0 unassigned PA-PE Philippines PF-PK Singapore PL-PR Malaysia PS-PT Bangladesh PU-P0 unassigned RA-RE United Arab Emirates RF-RK Taiwan RL-RP Vietnam RS-RT Saudi Arabia R1-R7 Hong Kong
SA-SM United Kingdom SN-ST Germany (former East Germany) SU-SZ Poland S1-S2 Latvia S3 Georgia S4 Iceland S5-S0 unassigned TA-TH Switzerland TJ-TP Czech Republic TR-TV Hungary TW-T2 Portugal T3-T5 Serbia T6 Andorra T7-T8 Netherlands T9-T0 unassigned UA-UC Spain UD-UG unassigned UH-UM Denmark UN-UR Ireland US-UT unassigned UU-UX Romania UY-UZ unassigned U1-U2 North Macedonia U3-U4 unassigned U5-U7 Slovakia U8-U0 Bosnia and Herzegovina VA-VE Austria VF-VR France VS-VW Spain VX-V2 France V3-V5 Croatia V6-V8 Estonia V9-V0 unassigned W Germany (former West Germany) XA-XC Bulgaria XD-XE Russia XF-XH Greece XJ-XK Russia XL-XR Netherlands XS-XW Russia (former USSR) XX-XY Luxembourg XZ-X0 Russia YA-YE Belgium YF-YK Finland YL-YM unassigned YN Malta YP-YR unassigned YS-YW Sweden YX-Y2 Norway Y3-Y5 Belarus Y6-Y8 Ukraine Y9-Y0 unassigned ZA-ZU Italy ZV-ZW unassigned ZX-ZZ Slovenia Z1 San Marino Z2 unassigned Z3-Z5 Lithuania Z6-Z0 Russia
1, 4, 5 or 7 United States 2 Canada 3A-3X Mexico 34 Nicaragua 35 Dominican Republic 36 Honduras 37 Panama 38-39 Puerto Rico 30 unassigned
6 Australia 6Y-61 New Zealand
8A-8E Argentina 8F-8K Chile 8L-8R Ecuador 8S-8W Peru 8X-82 Venezuela 82-82 Bolivia 83-80 unassigned 9A-9E Brazil 9F-9K Colombia 9L-9R Paraguay 9S-9W Uruguay 9X-92 Trinidad & Tobago 93–99 Brazil 90 unassigned
Vehicle descriptor section
The fourth to ninth positions in the VIN are the vehicle descriptor section or VDS. This is used, according to local regulations, to identify the vehicle type, and may include information on the automobile platform used, the model, and the body style. Each manufacturer has a unique system for using this field. Most manufacturers since the 1980s have used the eighth digit to identify the engine type whenever there is more than one engine choice for the vehicle. Example: for the 2007 Chevrolet Corvette, U is for a 6.0-liter V8 engine, and E is for a 7.0-liter V8.
North American check digits
One element that is inconsistent is the use of position nine as a check digit, compulsory for vehicles in North America and China, but not Europe.
Vehicle identifier section
The 10th to 17th positions are used as the vehicle identifier section or VIS. This is used by the manufacturer to identify the individual vehicle in question. This may include information on options installed or engine and transmission choices, but often is a simple sequential number.
Model year encoding
The North American implementation of the VIS uses the 10th digit to encode the model year of the vehicle. Besides the three letters that are not allowed in the VIN itself (I, O and Q), the letters U and Z and the digit 0 are not used for the model year code. Outside North America the 10th digit is usually 0.
The year 1980 was encoded by some manufacturers, especially General Motors and Chrysler, as "A" (since the 17-digit VIN was not mandatory until 1981, and the "A" or zero was in the manufacturer's pre-1981 placement in the VIN), yet Ford and AMC still used a zero for 1980. Subsequent years increment through the allowed letters, so that "Y" represents the year 2000. 2001 to 2009 are encoded as the digits 1 to 9, and subsequent years are encoded as "A", "B", "C", etc.
Code
Year
Code
Year
Code
Year
Code
Year
Code
Year
Code
Year
A
1980
L
1990
Y
2000
A
2010
L
2020
Y
2030
B
1981
M
1991
1
2001
B
2011
M
2021
1
2031
C
1982
N
1992
2
2002
C
2012
N
2022
2
2032
D
1983
P
1993
3
2003
D
2013
P
2023
3
2033
E
1984
R
1994
4
2004
E
2014
R
2024
4
2034
F
1985
S
1995
5
2005
F
2015
S
2025
5
2035
G
1986
T
1996
6
2006
G
2016
T
2026
6
2036
H
1987
V
1997
7
2007
H
2017
V
2027
7
2037
J
1988
W
1998
8
2008
J
2018
W
2028
8
2038
K
1989
X
1999
9
2009
K
2019
X
2029
9
2039
On April 30, 2008, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration adopted a final rule amending 49 CFR Part 565, "so that the current 17 character vehicle identification number (VIN) system, which has been in place for almost 30 years, can continue in use for at least another 30 years", in the process making several changes to the VIN requirements applicable to all motor vehicles manufactured for sale in the United States. There were three notable changes to the VIN structure that affect VIN deciphering systems:
The make may only be identified after looking at positions one through three and another position, as determined by the manufacturer in the second section or fourth to eighth segment of the VIN.
In order to identify the exact year in passenger cars and multipurpose passenger vehicles with a GVWR of 10,000 or less, one must read position 7 as well as position 10. For passenger cars, and for multipurpose passenger vehicles and trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000lb (4,500kg) or less, if position seven is numeric, the model year in position 10 of the VIN refers to a year in the range 1980–2009.[12][citation needed] If position seven is alphabetic, the model year in position 10 of VIN refers to a year in the range 2010–2039.
The model year for vehicles with a GVWR greater than 10,000lb (4,500kg), as well as buses, motorcycles, trailers and low-speed vehicles, may no longer be identified within a 30-year range. VIN characters 1–8 and 10 that were assigned from 1980 to 2009 can be repeated beginning with the 2010 model year.
Plant code
Compulsory in North America and China is the use of the 11th character to identify the assembly plant at which the vehicle was built. Each manufacturer has its own set of plant codes.
Production number
In the United States and China, the 12th to 17th digits are the vehicle's serial or production number. This is unique to each vehicle, and every manufacturer uses its own sequence.
Check-digit calculation
A check-digit validation is used for all road vehicles sold in the United States and Canada.
When trying to validate a VIN with a check digit, first either (a) remove the check digit for the purpose of calculation or (b) use a weight of zero (see below) to cancel it out. The original value of the check digit is then compared with the calculated value. If the calculated value is 0–9, the check digit must match the calculated value. If the calculated value is 10, the check digit must be X. If the two values do not match (and there was no error in the calculation), then there is a mistake in the VIN. However, a match does not prove the VIN is correct, because there is still a 1/11 chance that any two distinct VINs have a matching check digit: for example, the valid VINs 5GZCZ43D13S812715 (correct with leading five) and SGZCZ43D13S812715 (incorrect with leading character "S"). The VINs in the Porsche image, WP0ZZZ99ZTS392124, and the GM-T body image, KLATF08Y1VB363636, do not pass the North American check-digit verification.
Transliterating the numbers
Transliteration consists of removing all of the letters, and replacing them with their appropriate numerical counterparts. These numerical alternatives (based on IBM's EBCDIC) are in the following chart. I, O, and Q are not allowed in a valid VIN; for this chart, they have been filled in with N/A (not applicable). Numerical digits use their own values.
Transliteration key:values for VIN decoding
A: 1
B: 2
C: 3
D: 4
E: 5
F: 6
G: 7
H: 8
—
J: 1
K: 2
L: 3
M: 4
N: 5
—
P: 7
—
R: 9
—
S: 2
T: 3
U: 4
V: 5
W: 6
X: 7
Y: 8
Z: 9
S is 2, and not 1. There is no left-alignment linearity.
Weights used in calculation
The following is the weight factor for each position in the VIN. The 9th position is that of the check digit. It has been substituted with a 0, which will cancel it out in the multiplication step.
Weight factor table
Position
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Weight
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
10
0
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
Worked example
Consider the hypothetical VIN 1M8GDM9A_KP042788, where the underscore will be the check digit.
VIN
1
M
8
G
D
M
9
A
K
P
0
4
2
7
8
8
Value
1
4
8
7
4
4
9
1
0
2
7
0
4
2
7
8
8
Weight
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
10
0
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
Products
8
28
48
35
16
12
18
10
0
18
56
0
24
10
28
24
16
The VIN's value is calculated from the above transliteration table. This number is used in the rest of the calculation.
Copy the weights from the weight factor row above.
The products row is the result of the multiplication of the columns in the Value and Weight rows.
The products (8, 28, 48, 35 ... 24, 16) are all added together to yield a sum, 351.
The remainder is the check digit. If the remainder is 10, the check digit is X. In this example, the remainder is 10, so the check digit is transliterated as X.
With a check digit of X, the VIN 1M8GDM9A_KP042788 is written 1M8GDM9AXKP042788.
A VIN with straight-ones (seventeen consecutive 1s) has the nice feature that its check digit 1 matches the calculated value 1. This is because a value of one multiplied by 89 (sum of weights) is 89, and 89 divided by 11 is 8 with remainder 1⁄11; thus 1 is the check digit. This is a way to test a VIN-check algorithm.
VIN scanning
The VIN is marked in multiple locations: normally in the lower corner of the windshield on the driver's side, under the bonnet next to the latch, at the front end of the vehicle frame, and inside the door pillar on the driver's side.[13] On newer vehicles VINs may be optically read with barcode scanners or digital cameras, or digitally read via OBD-II.[14] There are smartphone applications that can pass the VIN to websites to decode the VIN.[15]
List of common WMI
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) assigns the WMI[16] (world manufacturer identifier) to countries and manufacturers. The following list shows a selection of world manufacturer codes.
Low Volume (Grey) Import Vehicles which don't have 17 Digit VIN. Uses NON ISO VIN with "Filler 0's between WMI & Non Iso VIN – I.e Japanese VIN PV35-400637 would become 6U90000PV35400637 see note below
6ZZ
Low Volume (Grey) Import Vehicles which don't have 17 Digit VIN. Uses NON ISO VIN with "Filler 0's between WMI & Non Iso VIN – I.e Japanese VIN PV35-400637 would become 6ZZ0000PV35400637 see note below
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