Use A VIN Decoder to Verify the Identity of A Used Car

Knowing the history of a used car before you buy it is key to ensuring that you don’t end up wasting more money down the road. If you are considering purchasing a used car you should use a VIN decoder to verify its identity and get an idea of the history of the car.

A VIN tells you things about the car that you may not be able to see just by looking at it. You can also enter the VIN into a car window sticker lookup tool to see a copy of the vehicle’s original window sticker, which contains a great deal of information about the car.

Are you thinking about buying a used vehicle? Keep reading to learn the answers to these questions:

What information can I get with a vehicle’s VIN?
Why is it important to pull a vehicle history report by VIN?
How can I get a copy of my vehicle sticker by VIN?
Is there a tool I can use to obtain a free window sticker by VIN?

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What is a VIN Number?

A VIN or Vehicle Identification Number is like a Social Security number, a serial number, or a UPC for a car. Consider it a tracking number for your car. A VIN is given to a car by its manufacturer and no two VINs are the same.

The VIN is a unique string of 17 numbers that help identify a variety of things about a car including:

Where the car was built
The manufacturer
The brand, engine size, trim, and type
A Vehicle Security code (meaning the car has been verified by the manufacturer)
Where the vehicle was put together
The serial number of the vehicle

Using a VIN decoder to run a VIN check can tell many things, including:

Whether or not the vehicle has been involved in any accidents and had major repairs.
If it’s been stolen
If it’s been in a flood
If it has a salvage title
If it’s been recalled
A wide variety of other information

VINs can also tell you things like what kind of airbags are present in the car, what kind of restraint system it has (think seat belts), and even the year of the vehicle. The VIN offers a quick way to tell the details of a car.

VINs have been required since 1954, but began to appear regularly in 1981 when NHTSA or the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration began requiring all vehicles to have a VIN that followed the specific 17-number pattern we see today.

What does the VIN number mean?

The VIN has a set pattern that tells you a whole bunch of things about the car you are looking at. See Figure 1 below. The first three characters make up what is called the world manufacturer identifier or WMI.

The first number or letter identifies the country of origin or where the car is made. Cars made in the U.S., for example, get the number 1, while cars made in Germany get the letter W. You can find a list of the codes over at Wikipedia.
The second number or letter is part of the code that identifies the manufacturer. Sometimes this is the first letter of the name of the company, but not always. The third letter will help narrow down the manufacturer.
The third slot helps identify the vehicle type or manufacturing division. When reading the VIN, take this into consideration to narrow down the details of the car.

The next six numbers help identify the vehicle further.

The numbers in positions four through eight tell you about the model, body type, transmission, engine, and restraint systems in the car.
The number in the ninth position is a special digit that has been generated by a specific formula that was created by the U.S. Department of Transportation. This number helps identify whether or not a VIN is authentic.

The last seven numbers are the car’s special serial number for that particular car.

The letter or number in the tenth spot will tell you the model year with the letters B through Y representing the years 1981 to 2000. They don’t use the letters I, O, Q, U, or Z, however. From 2001 through 2009 the numbers one through nine were used and the alphabet started over in 2010. So a car from 2018 would get the letter J in the tenth spot to identify that year.
The letter or number in the 11th spot is for the code associated with the manufacturing plant where the car was built.
The six digits following are unique serial numbers that the car gets from the manufacturer as they roll off the line.

This unique VIN is then associated with a database of information about the history of ownership, accidents, and title information of a car and can tell you a ton of things about what the car has been through.

Where is the VIN number on a car?

The VIN is usually found in a variety of places on the vehicle. These include:

Stamped on a metal plate that attached to the dashboard near the windshield
Stamped on the driver’s side doorjamb
Inside the engine bay stamped on the firewall
On the engine
On the driver’s side door just under the latch
On the car’s chassis

You can also find a VIN on any ownership paperwork like the title, registration, and insurance paperwork.

How to decode a VIN number (all cars)

Decoding a VIN is relatively easy. Do a quick search for a VIN decoder online and you’ll find a variety of options. Enter the VIN and the system will show you a bunch of information.

As the team over at Edmunds noticed when they ran the VINs of some long-term cars they had, some VINs threw up interesting pieces of information that may be wrong. When they ran the details of their 2011 Chevrolet Volt, they found that VIN indicated that the car could take E85 gasoline, when in fact, the Volt cannot take that Flex Fuel option and never has been able to. It turns out that the manufacturer had intended to make that happen but it never did. The number, however, was already set so the VIN still reveals this.

It’s best to use VIN decoders as a jumping-off point to find out about a car, and its ownership and accident history. VIN decoders and vehicle history reports should be combined with an inspection from a certified mechanic to make sure that you are getting a good used car. Never rely on the vehicle history report alone to determine whether or not you should purchase a specific used car. There can be errors and omissions that could cause problems. Read on below to find out more.

Why use a VIN decoder to verify the identity of a used car?

Using a VIN decoder is a good place to start to find out the history and verify the identity of a used vehicle you are looking at purchasing. It does more than just look under the hood and gives you a more complete idea about the actual condition of the car and its previous ownership, title status, and any major repairs.

While it won’t guarantee that you are getting a perfect used car, it will give you more information to make an informed decision.

Using a VIN decoder to pull a vehicle history report

You should pull a vehicle history report before buying any used car. Usually, those come at a cost of anywhere from $40 for one report to $100 for multiple. The most well-known reports come from CARFAX but they are also the most expensive. Other companies like AutoCheck (owned by Experian) also offer vehicle history reports.

Why is CARFAX not enough?

There is an ongoing battle for top-dog in the VIN check world between CARFAX and Autocheck and each one has its drawbacks.

You should also run the VIN through the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System. This system is free and run by the Federal Department of Justice. All salvage yards, insurance providers, junkyards, and auto recyclers, are required, by law, to report details to them regularly.

For $10, you can get a basic report that shows if the car has any branded titles on it. A branded title is issued when a car has been in a major accident or been the subject of some other major damage.

CARFAX has become synonymous with vehicle history reports and yet getting a CARFAX report may not be enough to see if a car has been stolen or had other issues in its past. This is because auto reports can contain false or incorrect information. It may not include things like:

Salvage titles
Flood damage
Odometer rollbacks
Other serious damage
Whether a car has been stolen

In fact, Consumer Reports found that CARFAX often didn’t show significant damage that may not have resulted in a salvage title but seriously compromised the car in other ways. These errors happen for a variety of reasons including:

The car didn’t have insurance at the time it was damaged
The vehicle was part of a rental fleet or corporate fleet and was self-insured
The damage to the vehicle wasn’t so bad that it met the total loss threshold

How to get the best information when pulling a vehicle history report

The best way to ensure that you are getting the most accurate information is to pull reports from multiple places, compare the results, and get the used car you are looking to buy inspected by a certified mechanic.

There are a number of services out there that offer VIN decoders and VIN checks and by comparing the reports across the services you may be able to spot anything that could be a problem. Follow it up with a trip to a certified mechanic and you can be sure that you are getting a good used car.

Other Uses for a VIN number

You can use a VIN for other uses including:

Vehicle recalls: Use the VIN to see if the car you are inspecting is subject to any recalls.
Finding window sticker information
Service and repair information: If a vehicle has been serviced at a manufacturer’s service center, you may be able to get a look at the service records for that car at that location.
Vehicle usage: A VIN can tell you if a vehicle was used as a taxi or livery car, or if it was part of a rental fleet.

These are all good things to look into when using a VIN decoder or pulling a vehicle history report. The more information you have about a used car you are looking to purchase the better off you are and a VIN decoder is a great place to start.

Can you look up a window sticker by VIN?

Every new vehicle that is manufactured is issued what is known as a window sticker. This sticker, which contains a wealth of information regarding the vehicle, is placed in the window of the vehicle so customers can see it when shopping in an automotive showroom.

Every new car on a showroom floor will have a window sticker. But window stickers are not provided for used cars, which is why it’s so important to find this information on your own.

Fortunately, there are a number of VIN window sticker lookup tools that allow you to pull a copy of the vehicle’s original window sticker using the vehicle’s VIN.

How to get a window sticker from a VIN number?

You can pull the details of a window sticker (the kind you find on cars at a dealer’s lot) by using the VIN. To do this, visit Monroneylabels.com and put in the make and model of the vehicle. Then, enter the VIN.

The Moroney VIN window sticker lookup is free, so you won’t have to pay a dime to access this important information about the vehicle.

Why should you use an online tool to find a window sticker by VIN?

It’s important to do your research if you plan on purchasing a used vehicle. You may think that pulling the vehicle history report is enough, but that’s not the case. You should also take another few minutes to use a window sticker lookup by VIN tool.

A Moroney window sticker offers details like:

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price, or MSRP: This is the recommended retail price or the price at which the dealer should sell the vehicle. But keep in mind that this price refers to the value of the new vehicle, not the value of the vehicle in its current condition.
Engine and transmission type: The window sticker will tell you what type of engine the vehicle has, including its size and the number of cylinders. It will also note the type of transmission, such as whether it is manual or automatic.
Standard equipment: Every window sticker will have a list of the vehicle’s standard equipment, which may include safety features, interior features, and exterior features.
Warranty information: The sticker will outline the warranties for basic, powertrain, and roadside assistance. Each warranty is listed in both years and miles. For example, if a warranty is 2 years/24,000 miles, this means the warranty will cover issues that arise within two years or the car’s first 24,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Optional equipment and pricing: If the vehicle has additional features outside of those considered standard equipment, the sticker will include this information. The sticker will also tell you the price for each of these additional features.
Fuel economy: Automotive manufacturers were required to provide information on the vehicle’s fuel economy on the window sticker starting in 2013. This section includes fuel-cost estimates, emissions ratings, and more.
Crash test ratings: All National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) safety ratings can be found on the vehicle’s window sticker. The highest rating is five stars.
Parts content: The final section of the window sticker will tell you more about where the different parts of the vehicle were made. You will be able to see what percentage of the vehicle’s parts were produced in the U.S. and Canada, other countries where vehicle parts were produced, where the vehicle was assembled for the final time, and the country of origin for the vehicle’s engine and transmission.

This is important information that every shopper should have access to before purchasing a used vehicle. For this reason, it is in your best interest to use a window sticker lookup tool when researching used vehicles.

If you are looking for information on a specific vehicle, check with the manufacturer to see if they have a window sticker lookup tool similar to the Ford VIN decoder window sticker QR code.

If not, you can always use the free tools online. These tools are not specific to one manufacturer.