Are you shopping for a new-to-you car and noticed that a VIN is included on the listing? What is that? VIN stands for Vehicle Identification Number, and it’s something like a social security number for every car sold in America.
The easiest place to find the VIN on your vehicle is to stand by the front driver’s side wheel facing the back of the car and look through the windshield in the lower right corner of the dashboard. You will see the number printed along with a barcode.
If the number is missing from that area, open your driver’s side door and look at the frame.
The exact digits can appear in up to 14 different locations on your ride. Some vehicles require more VIN badges if they are determined to be high-theft risks. The specific spots are not shared with the public. Every VIN badge on the car must have the same 17 digits.
The VIN also appears on your sales agreement, the MSRP sticker, your title, registration, insurance policy, and in many instances, in your dealership service center records.
The vehicle identification number is like a fingerprint for your car, truck, or SUV. Its 17-digit combination is unique to your vehicle.
The first three digits refer to the automotive manufacturer and the country of origin. The following five tell you about its engine, body style, model, transmission, etc. The ninth digit is a security check that verifies the first eight numbers and letters are a legitimate combination.
Next, it tells you the model year, which plant assembled it, and finally a serial number assigned by the manufacturer. When the VIN is entered into their records, it creates a full report of every feature included on the car when it left the factory.
The VIN came into existence as a consumer protection tool. Early serial numbers were often attached to removable parts like a glove box door and were not standardized. This made it easy for scammers to take a stolen or damaged car, chop it up into bits, attach a false number plate, and resell it as like-new and with a fake title.
Today’s number was standardized in 1981 and the VIN is readily shared between automakers, insurance companies, and law enforcement. This makes it very difficult to take a car damaged in a wreck and resell it with a clean history.
Every car listed for sale by any dealer in America — brick and mortar or online–must include its VIN.
By running its VIN through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall check tool, you can see if that particular vehicle has any outstanding recalls. It’s instant and it’s free. The website also features the specific model’s safety ratings, owner complaints, investigations, and recommended service updates.
It is also possible to request a complete background check from CarFax or the dealership. The report will state whether the car’s title is clean, whether it was ever stolen, whether there were insurance claims for damage and its routine maintenance records.
Checking the VIN is always a smart idea before you make an offer on any pre-owned vehicle.
If you shop for a new car in the Huntington Beach area, you can buy confidently at the Beach Boulevard of Cars. Every pre-owned vehicle on our lots comes with a complimentary CarFax report, which shows the car’s history based on its VIN. Come take your dream machine for a test drive today!Â
We will make our best efforts that posted prices are always accurate however, we are not responsible for any typographical or other errors that may appear on the site. If the posted price for a vehicle or service is incorrect due to a typographical or other error, such as data transmission, etc., this Dealership or Pixel Motion, Inc. are only responsible for the correct price, which will be provided as soon as we are made aware of such error(s). Ultimately, it is your responsibility to ensure that the information is 100% accurate with the Dealer.
Posted vehicle images and descriptions on our website is representative to what is provided by our suppliers. Please note that the actual vehicle may slightly differ from its specifications and/or images. The Dealership is not responsible for any typographical, pricing, product specifications, advertising or shipping errors. Advertised prices and availability are subject to change without notice.
In the event a vehicle is posted at an incorrect price due to these errors, or if an error in pricing was received from our suppliers, the Dealership reserves the right to refuse and/or cancel these orders.
While great effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, errors can occur. Please verify all pricing information with a customer service representative. This is easily done by calling us or visiting us at the dealership.
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