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How to look up VIN numbers

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Vehicle Identification Number Information

VIN code of the vehicle
VIN code of the vehicle

The VIN or rather the Vehicle Identification Number should be considered as the DNA of one’s car. This is a unique combination of seventeen characters which are assigned to a vehicle with each car having its own unique number. This number is assigned to the vehicle during manufacturing and is retained throughout the entire life of the machine. VIN is the most accurate detail that is used to track a vehicle as it changes hands and whenever it is serviced or repaired.

After a severe damage, a Salvage title may be assigned to a vehicle. When you use VIN to generate the history report of a vehicle, information such as Salvage titles will have to be generated. You will also be able to determine the year of manufacture, the model of the car, the original manufacturer accessories among other features associated with your car. Due to all these wonderful features, it is of great importance that you know where to get the VIN of your car and how to generate the desired information.

Locating the Vehicle Identification Number

Car's VIN
Car's VIN

There are several places both offline as well as online where one can source their VIN from. Offline, you can get your number from the registration card, the owner’s manual, the police reports, the body shop repairing records, the insurance documents, the vehicle title and the history report of the vehicle.

On the vehicle itself, the VIN is in often cases found at the dashboard, on its lower-left corner, just in front of the vehicle’s steering wheel. By simply looking through the windshield, you can be able to read the number. The number can also appear on a number of locations namely: on the front of your car’s engine block, on the front of the car frame, on the rear wheel well, inside the doorjamb on the driver’s side, the doorpost on the driver’s side and underneath the spare wheel.

There are several places both offline as well as online where one can source their VIN from. Offline, you can get your number from the registration card, the owner’s manual, the police reports, the body shop repairing records, the insurance documents, the vehicle title and the history report of the vehicle.

Recording Your VIN

After you have checked and found your VIN, it is prudent that you save and store or rather record the number somewhere safe away from your vehicle. There are a number of situations where this information is important. These include:

  • In helping the police officers to recover your vehicle in the event that it has been stolen
  • It helps in filling the bill of sale when you are selling your car to the next party.
  • It also helps in the registration of your new car or registering the car in a new state when you move.

From all these, it is clear that the VIN is a record of the identity of a given car. Each car has got its unique VIN. After finding your VIN, you can check on the online VIN checker to get more information about your car. You should never buy a car that you still don’t have full information about what it really is. By knowing the real facts about a car, you eliminate the risks of buying your car at an escalated cost.

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