VIN decoder
Enter a chassis number (VIN) and instantly see which country the vehicle comes from, who built it and its model year. For the full vehicle history (mileage, damage, theft), check it on carVertical with a 20% discount.
What the decoder can't see, the report reveals
The decoder only reads what is written in the number itself. The vehicle history lives in databases, and that is where the carVertical report helps.
Damage and accidents
Reported damage and accidents the seller may not mention.
Mileage
Mileage records over time, so you can see if the odometer was rolled back.
Theft
A check whether the vehicle is listed as stolen.
Earlier listings
Earlier sales and listings with photos of the vehicle.
Owners
Changes of owner and the countries where the vehicle was registered.
Warnings
Taxi, rental and other commercial use of the vehicle.
What the report contains depends on the data available for that vehicle. With the code ASFTUNING the report is 20% cheaper.
17 characters that describe the vehicle
A VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is the unique chassis number every vehicle gets at the factory. It has 17 letters and numbers, without the letters I, O and Q so they are not confused with 1 and 0. No two vehicles in the world share the same VIN.
Manufacturer
The first three characters identify the country and the manufacturer, for example WVW for Volkswagen or WBA for BMW.
Vehicle description
Model, body and engine, in the manufacturer's code. For many manufacturers the ninth character is a check digit.
This vehicle
The tenth character is the model year, the eleventh the plant, and the last six the serial number of that exact vehicle.
Where to find the VIN
- Lower corner of the windscreen, on the driver's side, visible from outside
- Driver's door pillar, on the sticker when you open the door
- Registration certificate, field E (chassis number)
- Stamped into the body, usually under the passenger's floor mat or in the engine bay
What to look out for
- The same VIN everywhere: the number on the windscreen, pillar, body and papers must match
- Signs of tampering: scratched or repainted numbers and new stickers are a reason to be careful
- Mileage: compare the odometer with the history in the report and the service book
- Damage and theft: the decoder can't see them, that's what the vehicle history report is for
About the VIN
What does the decoder show, and what doesn't it?
From the number itself the decoder reads the country and manufacturer, model year, plant and serial number, and verifies the check digit. It can't know the vehicle's history (mileage, damage, theft, earlier listings), because that isn't stored in the VIN. That's what the carVertical report is for.
Why doesn't the model year always match?
The tenth character repeats every 30 years, and many European manufacturers don't use it for the year. So the year from the decoder is approximate. The exact production year is in the registration certificate.
The check digit is not valid. Is the VIN fake?
Not necessarily. The check digit (9th character) is mandatory for North American vehicles, while many European and Asian manufacturers don't use it. First make sure you copied the number correctly; for European vehicles an invalid check digit is common and normal.
Is a VIN check free?
The decoder on this page is free. The carVertical vehicle history report is paid, and with our code ASFTUNING you get 20% off, applied automatically through our link.