What Does a VIN Number Check Reveal?

This article will reveal benefits of a VIN number check, what data is actually provides, and how it’ll help you avoid costly car buying mistakes.

VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) number check is new to many people and they are not aware of the importance of VIN number check in purchase of a motor vehicle. Because of ignorance of many individuals on this, people became victims of a bad deal.

There are many car sellers or agents who will do everything they can to sell their vehicles.  They will tamper everything to cover the truth, about the car or any vehicle. This is dangerous because many criminals will take advantage of the situation. They will just steal vehicles because they have a big market.

What are some of the results of bad sales from these bad sellers?

1. They bought vehicles which are stolen from different parts of the country. They just bring it from one place and deliver it to another.
2. They bought vehicles with damages in the body. They just have it repainted.  They are just trying to hide the true body condition.
3. They bought vehicles with damaged engines and parts. They will be an additional expense, considering that the present status of the car will not last. After a short while, it will stop working.
4. They bought vehicles with tampered odometers. All along, you were thinking that the mileage of the vehicle is still low without knowing that the odometer was just tampered.

What is the importance of VIN number check?

VIN is the identification of any vehicle manufactured in the United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada… or anywhere in the world.

It is a 17-digit number found in the chasses of a vehicle. This is like an ID of every vehicle and is required every time you register a car.

This is also important because it holds the history of a vehicle, so when you buy a secondhand vehicle, you cannot be fooled by a bad marketing strategy.

4 Facts that can be avoided when you check on the VIN of a vehicle:

1. Odometer – By using VIN, you can really indentify if the odometer was tamper by the first owner or by the seller. It will reflect the complete history or even the last month record of the odometer.
2. Collisions History – After an accident, cars can be sold as in mint condition and without an accident history.  In this event, only the most experienced and those with keen eyes can determine the difference.  But it can be spotted with the VIN verification. It will reveal the history of the car, if it was involve in any vehicular accident before.
3. Stolen – The VIN will also reveal if the vehicle has been reported stolen before. You don’t have to worry about buying a stolen vehicle.  It will be a disaster to be able to buy one.
4. Parts and Equipment – This VIN verification will involve reports on car serial numbers and parts’ brands, including the chassis. So whenever the seller tampers or alters the parts, you will know it.

4 important facts that the VIN number check can reveal:

1. Airbag Type – This will reveal the type of airbag. So if you see that the airbag is no longer the same as what is stated in the report, the car should have involved in an accident, which caused the explosion of the original airbag.
2. Country of Origin – It is also good that it will determine the country of origin. This way, you will have an idea if it’s stolen or not.
3. Engine size – The same with the engine size, the report will reveal the actual size.
4. Year Model – Year model will easily be tampered by the agent or the seller. With the VIN verification, you will know the exact year model of the vehicle.

How to check the VIN number of the car? 

There are several ways to check for the VIN of a car.  You can log on to certain websites and make an entry there. Entries required vary from one website to another. You just search for it on the web.

The verification process using VIN number check answers the following questions:

• Is this vehicle stolen? The true ownership of the car is revealed after the verification process, so you will know if it’s stolen or not. It will keep records of all the owners of the vehicle, from the first owner to the last.
• How far has this car gone in distance? If the odometer of the car was tampered, you will know it, as the result of the verification will reveal the true mileage of the vehicle.
• Does this car have any damages? Some people will do a repaint of the vehicle to cover up any scratches or any mark of an accident or damages. Others will bring the vehicle to the shop for rebuilding after an accident. But after the verification process, the record will be included in the report.
• Is there any functionality defects? The verification report will include any functionality defects of the vehicle e.g. the breaks or wheel alignment. But after the verification report comes out, everything will be revealed.
• Was this car used privately or publicly? Other cars which were used as a public utility vehicle will be sold as private to make the buyer believe that the mileage is still low and the vehicle has not depreciated yet.
• How did the car look before? They cannot hide the true look of the car because the original picture of the car will be included in the report.
• What is the present technical status and condition of the car? The present technical status also come out in the report.
• How many people owned this car ever since? The ownership of the car will also be included in the report.

There are few methods in seeking the VIN number check:

1. Car sale and Registration. In this situation, the applicant must do the following things:
   1. States requirement – It depends on the state. Some states require you to bring your car to the department of motor vehicles, while others require you to bring it to the local police. However, some have private license verifiers.
   2. Verify the car and paperwork – submit all the required documents to the authorities.
   3. Fee – pay the corresponding fees
   4. Complete the task – collect the verified documents and submit them to the Department of Motor Vehicle.

2. Checking if the car was stolen or damage. The applicant must do the following things:
   1. Look for the car’s VIN in these areas of the car: dashboard, front of the engine block, rear wheel on the driver side or maybe in the driver’s door. The location however varies depending on the make.
   2. Use a vehicle theft website such as National Motor Vehicle Title Information bureau (NMVTIS) or the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
   3. Enter VIN number: Be careful to enter the correct VIN because a mistake will give you the wrong output

Understanding you cars VIN number:

• The first digit indicates the code of the country where the car originated. Each country was assigned a number.
• The second number indicates the company, such as Nissan, Mitsubishi or Toyota.
• The 3^rd one is the type of vehicle.
• 4-9 number digits designate the description section, designate model, body type, transmission type and others.
• The remaining one designates the model year, manufacturing plant and the number assign to your car in the manufacturing plant.

Below are some frequently asked questions about VIN number check:

1. Is it okay to tell other people about your car VIN? Yes, it’s ok. When you are selling your vehicle, let the buyer know of the VIN so they can check the record of the vehicle. It is to make sure that they will get the value for their money.
2. Are there two cars with one VIN number? No, there are no two cars with one VIN number. VIN number is assigned uniquely for each vehicle.  So, there can be no two vehicles with one VIN.
3. What can you get out of your car’s VIN number? You can get a lot of information out of a cars VIN number. It will reveal the history, the mileage, the owner, the make and everything you need to know.
4. Where can you find the VIN of the vehicle? You can find it in the windshield, door and many parts of the vehicle.

This VIN verification method as you can see above is a good development for the society. It helps a lot and it has many benefits for the car owners, car buyers and the authorities. It deprives criminals the chance to fool others in selling stolen and defective vehicles.

Do people know about VIN verification?

In most of the developed countries, VIN verification is popular among the public.  People there are aware of the need to have their cars verified during registration.

They are also aware of the need to have their cars verified. While in other underdeveloped countries, it is not the case. People in those countries are not aware of it.  They don’t even know what a VIN is and how it is used. They buy vehicles using their own instinct.   That is the reason many were fooled to buy even stolen and damage cars .

The market for second-hand vehicles is huge. That is why sellers and dealers are taking advantage of it.

Many developing countries are a huge market for second-hand vehicles.

Philippines, Vietnam and other South Asian countries are still a dumping site for used vehicles from the developed countries like Japan and Korea and even Taiwan.

You can see a big market of these vehicles in such countries.

Do all Vehicle Manufacturers provide VIN on their vehicles?

Yes. All major companies provide VIN on their vehicles. Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Kia and other manufacturers usually follow the standard procedure.  They know that if they want to sell their cars in those developed countries, they should comply with the requirements.

They are well-aware that their products cannot be registered in those countries, unless they have a VIN number.

How does the VIN number promote public safety?

VIN verification is helpful to promote safety among the public. It gives the public the opportunity to be able to evade criminality.  It provides them with a tool to make sure that their purchase was legitimate and legal.

How does VIN help the government?

VIN through its verification helps the government in curving criminal activities. Because of this, the number of stolen car incidents as well as tampering and syndicated selling of used or damage cars decreases.

A VIN is just like an identification number of an individual. It contains records and every data regarding that person. It holds information on their past activities, addresses, works and businesses and many more, which are essential in identifying the person involve.

So, next time you will decide to buy a vehicle, don’t rush even if you like the vehicle so much. Have it verified by the proper authorities. Of course, there is a fee just like any other transactions.

Take time and continue the process.  This is important because you want a good buy. You want a value of your hard-earned money and you don’t want to be in trouble with authorities.

Imagine if you have bought a stolen vehicle, what is the consequence?  People sometimes are very impatient.  They don’t want to spend time on the verification process.  They are always in a rush and with this attitude, they often make mistakes.

Does this really matter?

Yes, it does matter a lot. It is worth the wait and effort.  It is worth the money spent and the energy exerted. It not only adds value to your life, but also peace of mind.

There are many authorized verifiers available online. Seek them, visit their websites and try to enter the required data. You will get what you need to know sooner than you expected.  Whatever it is, it is up to you to decide.