VIN is a unique identification number that is assigned to each car during production. This is the standard used worldwide since 1981, although VINs have been around since 1954. VIN codes are an alphanumeric code that provides information about a specific vehicle (manufacturer, model, year, etc.). useful information). Many organizations, such as law enforcement and Insurance companies, use VIN codes. In this article, you will learn how to decipher the VIN code and find out the history of the car from it or purchase the necessary parts if the car has been modified.

Steps

Search VIN-code and its simple decryption

Find the VIN on the car to start the decryption process. Look for a long serial number consisting of 17 (usually) digits. It can be listed in one or more places. Do an internet search on how to find the VIN on your vehicle, and check out the list below.

• Look for a small plug on dashboard at the base of the windshield on the driver's side.
• Look for the sticker on driver's door.
• The VIN can also be found under the hood, at the front of the engine block.
• Also, the VIN code can be found under the hood or near the heat-insulating partition.
• On older vehicles, the VIN may be located elsewhere, such as on the steering column, radiator bracket, or left fender well.

1. Use online VIN code decoders. There are sites that can decrypt such codes automatically, such as VIN Decoder.net. If you want to quickly get a detailed transcript, then better way no.

   Use a special service to check if your car is broken. There are special VIN sites and VIN services that can be used to check if your car was involved in an accident, burned, drowned, and so on. Please note that you will not receive this information from the VIN code on your own, since this code will not change, even if only the skeleton remains from the car. The principle of operation of such systems is based on the fact that the police use VIN codes to fill out accident reports and so on.

   • The first thing to say is to go to The National Insurance Crime Bureau website. However, this option is more suitable for US residents.
   • If you cannot find free information online, you should apply for a Vehicle History Report - but this is also an option for US residents. Such a report can be obtained using the services mentioned earlier - in particular, the same VinAudit.

2. Use other methods for self-decryption. If you want to have some fun deciphering the code yourself (or if your car has a non-standard VIN), then read on. At the very least, you can easily find out where and when your car was assembled, but all other methods can already be more complicated.

   • In North America, these codes are completely standardized. Most of major manufacturers cars in other parts of the world also adhere to such standards, although they may add a 9th or even a 10th character for one purpose or another. In the USA, for example, the 9th character can be used as a "checksum" - to check if the VIN is real, and the 10th - to indicate the year of manufacture of the car.

   Search for the place and year of assembly of the machine

   1. • A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H- Your car is from Africa.
      • J, K, L, M, N, P, R- your car from Asia. And yes, the Middle East is also part of Asia. By the way, keep in mind that the VIN code never starts either with a zero or with the letter O - so that these characters are not confused.
      • S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z- your car from Europe.
      • 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 - your car from North America.
      • 6, 7 - your car from Australia or New Zealand. Note that neighboring countries such as Indonesia or the Philippines are considered Asian.
      • 8, 9 - your car from South America.

   2. By the first two characters, you can find out the country and the manufacturer. Actually, many cars are not assembled at all in the country where the manufacturer is registered. Compare the first two characters of the VIN with the one listed, including the "continent" code above, to find out where your car was actually assembled. At the same stage, you will find out what kind of manufacturer your car has.

      • Some companies encrypt the manufacturer or department of the manufacturing company in the third digit. However, even the first two digits are enough to find out where and by whom the car was produced.

   3. By the tenth character, you can determine model year. For North American cars, this method always works, for cars from other regions - often. However, it is worth considering that the year according to the code will be for one year later the actual production date of the vehicle. For example, if the model year is 2008, then the car could have been produced in either 2008 or 2007. The instructions for deciphering the 10th character are given below:

      • The characters A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H are the period from 1980 to 1987 in alphabetical order or period from 2010 to 2017.
      • The characters J, K, L, M, N are reserved for the following model years: 1988 – 1992 or 2018 – 2022.
      • The symbol P is 1993 or 2023
      • Symbols R, S, T are 1994 - 1996 or 2024 – 2026.
      • V, W, X, Y is 1997 - 2000 or 2027 – 2030.
      • 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 - this is 2001 - 2009 or 2031 – 2039.
      • In a real VIN, you will never see the characters I, O, or Q. The year code is also encoded according to special rules that exclude the characters 0, U, and Z.
      • If you're not sure if your car is new or old, check the seventh character of the VIN. If there is a number, then your car left the assembly line before 2010, and if it is a letter, then the model year of your car is 2010 or later (up to 2039).

   Getting more information

   1. Get a table with the decoding of the VIN code from the manufacturer of your car. All Additional Information, up to which particular conveyor line your machine saw the light of day, is encrypted according to the manufacturer's rules. Accordingly, to decrypt you will need to know it.

      By the third character, you can determine the type of vehicle or branch of the company. Depending on the manufacturer, the third character of the VIN code can either indicate a company division or describe the type of your vehicle. Typically, this character encodes something like " passenger car" or " truck". However, it can also indicate information that "did not fit" in the country code - for example, that the car was manufactured by "Honda Canada".

      Characters four through eight encode information about component types. All this is a vehicle description system ("Vehicle Description System", VDS). According to special codes manufacturer, these symbols encode information about the motor, transmission and much more.

      • Purely technically, the ninth character of the VIN code can also be attributed to "VDS". However, it only serves to confirm that you have a real VIN, and not to describe a particular vehicle component.

   2. By the eleventh character, you can find out at which factory your car was assembled. Accordingly, if you are interested, then you already know where to look. Of course, first you will need to find the information encoding rules adopted by the manufacturer of your car, but you should already be used to this. If so, read above.

      The serial number or other information is encoded in characters from the 12th to the 17th. Each manufacturer decides for himself how and why to use the remaining characters. Typically, the remaining 6 digits are your vehicle's serial number.

      • Some manufacturers never repeat serial numbers, and some start at 000001 every year.
      • Characters 10 to 17 are also known as the Vehicle Identification Section.

   Check if your car's VIN is fake

   1. To quickly check if your vehicle's VIN is fake, look up an online calculator. You can search for such a service and indicate there the full VIN number of your car. Remember, the code should be in capital letters.

      • The instructions below will come in handy if you want to learn everything on your own.
      • Unscrupulous car dealers sometimes change VIN stickers to hide, say, the fact that the car is broken. Using online services will help to bring to light a fraudster - although not every one (the smarter ones will replace the sticker only with a sticker of a car of the same model).

   2. Consider the role of the ninth character. Why is it needed? This is, so to speak, a "check-sum", which is mandatory for North American cars and is quite common among all others. This symbol is used to determine if you have a real VIN - and only for that.

      • Note: this character will always be a number or letter X. If the letter is different, then either the VIN is fake, or the car is older than 1980 (that is, its VIN is based on other standards), or the car was not made in North America, and its manufacturers decided to stand out and not use the digital check standard. -amounts.
      • Either write down the ninth character beforehand, or don't be too lazy to find it again when you're done with the calculations.

   3. Replace each letter of the VIN with a number, following the instructions below. This is where it all starts. The main thing at this stage is not to make a mistake and write the numbers in the same order as the letters in the code.

And the main units on separate places vehicle identification numbers.

The engine number (engine letter code and serial number) is located on the dividing joint (seam) between the engine and gearbox, and is also indicated on the timing belt guard. The engine number consists of nine characters (alphabetic and numeric). The first part (maximum 3 letters) contains the letter code of the engine and the second six-digit part indicates the serial number. If more than 999,999 engines with the same letter code, the first digit of the six-digit number will be replaced by a letter.

It is possible to include data on the engine displacement, type of fuel, etc. in the type code.

Other designations containing information may be stamped on the number plates of engines. technical nature(the degree of compression of the combustible mixture in the cylinders, the generation to which the engine belongs, etc.). Often, manufacturers' logos, year of manufacture, etc. are placed on cylinder blocks, which differ from other symbols in their convex shape and have nothing to do with the engine number.

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

In 1977, the US and Canada adopted the ISO 3779 standard, which described the format of VIN numbers. Vehicle Identification Number (hereinafter referred to as the VIN number) - translates as a vehicle identification number. The adoption of this standard has made it possible to create a simple and reliable way classification of machines and their protection against theft.

(VIN) is an ordered sequence of characters used by the manufacturer to identify the vehicle. This standard establishes the principle of uniqueness and the structure of VIN, and also defines its purpose as the main means of identifying cars, since VIN:

• individualizes the car as a whole as a final production product
• applied to rarely replaced and, as a rule, non-removable elements of the car
• contains data characterizing the vehicle as a whole

Identification numbers are applied, as a rule, by impact automatic or semi-automatic method in one line in accessible places with right side or in the center of the front of the vehicle ( engine compartment), in the passenger compartment on the bottom, pillar or side member of the body at the front passenger seat or on the vehicle frame or in another place replacing the frame. Special areas are provided for certain brands of cars.

VIN number consists of seventeen characters, these are Latin letters and numbers. The following characters never occur in code combinations: I, O, Q.

The vehicle identification number contains three parts that are mandatory for all manufacturers:

• world manufacturer number (WMI - World Manufacturers Identification) - world manufacturer index (1st, 2nd, 3rd characters of the VIN number)
• part describing, (characterizing) the vehicle (VDS - Vehicle Description Section) - descriptive part (4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th characters of the VIN number)
• different part (VIS -Vehicle Identification Section) - a distinctive part (10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th characters of the VIN number)

World Manufacturer Number (WMI)

WMI is a code assigned to a manufacturer to identify him. The code consists of three characters: the first indicates a geographical area, the second - a country in this area, the third - a specific manufacturer.

Is the first part identification number vehicle (VIN) and in accordance with ISO standards consists of three characters. This number is assigned or assigned to a specific vehicle manufacturer and allows you to determine the country and vehicle manufacturer.

Manufacturer - a person, firm or society responsible for the production of cars and the uniqueness of the VIN. Vehicle manufacturers can potentially include individuals who have permission from the authorities to manufacture (assembly) cars. It should also be noted that in many cases, the equivalent term "vehicle manufacturer" is used alongside the term "vehicle manufacturer".

First sign can be either a letter or a number that denotes a specific geographic area.

Second sign is represented by either a letter or a number that designates a country in a specific geographic area. The combination of the first and second characters is established for each specific country by the International Organization.

Third sign can also be both a letter and a number, which is selected (determined) for the manufacturer by the National Organization. Only the combination of the first, second and third characters provides an unambiguous identification of the car manufacturer. The number "9" as the third character can be used by national organizations only when it is necessary to characterize a manufacturer that produces less than 500 cars per year.

Each car manufacturer is assigned one or more WMI codes in accordance with ISO/3779. Together with the rest of the VIN code, WMI provides the identification of all vehicles produced in the world over the past 30 years. A WMI already assigned to one vendor must not be assigned to another for at least 30 years after its use has been discontinued.

VDS- This is the second section of the VIN number and it consists of six characters that describe the properties of the car. The signs themselves, the sequence of their location and their meaning are determined by the manufacturer. 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th characters- disclose vehicle characteristics such as body type, engine type, model, series, etc. The system for coding components in vehicle identification designations allows you to determine whether such vehicle elements, such as body type, engine, gearbox, correspond to these codes, which is important when deciding on the authenticity of the vehicle identification number.

9th character- VIN check digit, which determines the correctness of the VIN number.

The manufacturer has the right to fill in unused positions with characters chosen at his own discretion (most often "0" or "Z").

The VIS is the eight-character third section of the VIN, and the last four characters of this section must be numbers. If the manufacturer wishes to include a model year or assembly plant designation in the VIS, it is recommended to place the model year designation in the first position and the assembly plant designation in the second position.

10th- the symbol indicates the model year.

11th character- indicates the vehicle assembly plant.

12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th characters- indicate the sequence of the vehicle for production, in the course of the passage along assembly line(serial production number).

Recently, in order to protect cars, the body number has become, roughly speaking, “hidden”. He is knocked out in such a place and in such a way that in the future it would not be possible to kill him. Meanwhile, the VIN code is an important identification number by which you can find out everything about a particular vehicle. vehicle. For various reasons, car owners are interested in the question of where the body number is located. Each car company stamps this data in different places on the car. It should be said right away that VIN and body number are most often different things. Let's talk in more detail about each of them.

What is a body number?

This data hides information about the manufacturer. The body number is a code consisting of letters and numbers in different quantities, depending on the specific manufacturer. Its length can be from 9 to 12 characters. The first 4-6 characters tell about the type and brand of the car body. The remaining 5-8 - serial number specific vehicle.

What is a VIN?

VIN-number, as a rule, includes 17 characters. The code also reveals information about the manufacturing plant. In most cases, the body number is already included in it, but not always. Seventeen characters are letters and numbers, from which the car owner can easily find out about the country of origin and the date of manufacture. The code also contains data about the engine, including its volume, and the type of transmission.

VIN and body number - the same thing?

These alphanumeric combinations may not always match. And before you find out where the body number and VIN code are located, you should understand the differences between them in order to avoid misunderstandings with traffic police officers.

AT last years everything is changing and improving, which helps to simplify the life of modern people to some extent. So in the automotive industry, the VIN code is gradually replacing the body number. To date, 24 producing countries have abandoned the latter in favor of the former. It is important to know that if 17 characters are indicated on the car, they already include the body number.

Meanwhile, these numbers and letters may differ, which leads to no less surprise for the car owner than their complete coincidence. Most often, this phenomenon can be seen on foreign cars. The confusion arises due to the fact that the body number may be foreign, and the VIN code may be Russian. In any case, do not worry ahead of time and panic. If this information matches the data specified in the TCP, there is no crime. AT last resort you can refer to hotline dealer or the manufacturer directly to find out about the possibility of matching or not matching these data on a specific make and model of car.

Information of this kind can be found on the manufacturer's plate and on the body itself in engine compartment. In some cases, it is located under the front seats, or on the windshield in a special window.

Where can I find the VIN number?

Since recently these data are increasingly identical, the location of the VIN code may also coincide with the possible places for applying the body number. Depending on the brand, model, year of manufacture and some other parameters of the car, the data location area is different. So, the places where the VIN and body number are located:

• on a label under the hood;
• at the junction of the hood and windshield;
• at the bottom of the windshield, in the window with a barcode;
• on the floor covering driver's seat;
• on the driver's or front passenger's door pillar;
• on the dashboard on the driver's side;
• on the side member, block head, cylinder block;
• on the partition between the engine and the passenger compartment.

VIN designation

In 1977, the international organization for standardization ISO passed a law on the format of the VIN number of a car, thanks to which each code is unique and can never match any other in the whole world. It's simple but effective method protect your car from theft. Alphanumeric combinations are securely protected by a control calculation algorithm. Finding out where the body number is located on specific car, and also by calculating the values, any person will be able to protect himself from acquiring a stolen vehicle. Strict adherence to ISO is especially characteristic of cars from the USA. But Asian, Russian and European manufacturers follow this system, unfortunately, not always.

To compile a VIN number, it is allowed to use all numbers from 0 to 9, as well as capital letters of the English alphabet, with the exception of I, O and Q, which are similar to each other, with 0 and 1. The code is conditionally divided into 3 parts:

1. WMI (3 characters) - global manufacturer index. Each country has its own set of letters and numbers. The first reflects the geographical area: 1-5 - North America; S-Z - Europe; A-H - Africa; J-R - Asia; 6-7 - Oceania; 0, 8, 9 - South America. The second - the country: from 10 to 19 and from 1A to 1Z - the USA; 2A-2W - Canada; 3A-3W - Mexico; from W0 to W9 and from WA to WZ - Germany. And the third is set individually for the manufacturer.
2. VDS (6 characters) - vehicle description. In this part, data on a specific machine is presented to the attention, which corresponds to the design documentation of the manufacturer. Therefore, knowing where the body number is located on the car, it is possible to get necessary information about your car. So, from 4 to 8 inclusive - characters that tell about the type of body and engine, model, series, etc. For example, Toyota will have 4th and 5th characters 31 if it is a pickup truck with a single cab; 52- three-door hatchback; 53 - sedan; 63 - coupe, 72 - station wagon. The ninth character is a number by which you can determine the correctness of the VIN.
3. VIS (8 characters) - data on the model range and assembly plant. The last 4 characters in the VIN without fail are numbers. The first part of VIS is the lineup, and the second is an assembly plant.

VIN code on domestic cars

Where is the body number on the VAZ ("Lada")? In most cases, you can find the code in the engine compartment. If it is not there, you should look at the bottom shelf of the air intake box. Also, the VIN number can be stamped in the upper part of the right pillar of the body mudguard, on the upper shield reinforcement on the right and on the radiator lining panel. Location in equally depends on the VAZ model.

The same situation is with UAZ cars. Depending on the year of manufacture, except standard seats, the number can also be stamped on the hinges of the driver's or rear left passenger door. If you need to find out where the body number is located on the UAZ Patriot, then you should look for it in the engine compartment or in the opening of the right front door on the middle pillar.

In general, with older machines it is somewhat more difficult. It happens that the VIN code is simply nowhere to be found. In this case, it is recommended to search on specialized resources for the possible location of the number, depending on the specific model and its year of manufacture.

On GAZelle cars, the location of the VIN code is identical to the previous options. In order not to look for it for a long time, it is recommended that you first inspect the space under the hood, on the engine, and also on the frame of the open driver's door. These are the main areas where the GAZelle body number is located.

VIN number for a foreign-made car

With the aim of better protection vehicle from theft, manufacturing plants of both domestic and foreign cars duplicate numbers in several places of the vehicle at once. For example, on american cars most often you can see the VIN on the windshield where it comes into contact with the hood. The Americans also duplicate it on the nameplate in the driver's door opening or in other areas of the body.

On German cars, as is the case with Russian cars, the location depends on the year of manufacture. Especially when it comes to BMW. If we take for example the “troika” in the E36 body, then there are as many as 13 possible places for applying the VIN code, starting from the bumper beam under the decorative panel and ending with the front seat frame. But on the X5 it is in a small box under the hood on the right side. In the same places you can find the VIN on Volkswagen, and on Mercedes-Benz, the number is mostly hidden in the window on windshield.

On Asian cars, most often the number is on a plate placed on the bottom of the middle pillar of the driver's doorway. Also traditional places of application include the cylinder head and the engine compartment. The same answer can be given to car owners who are interested in where the body number is located on Renault and other European-made brands. Especially if the car is new. In this case, if it is not in the window on the windshield, the easiest way is to look in the doorway or under the hood.

A structural combination of characters assigned to a vehicle for the purpose of its identification. [GOST R 51980 2002] Topics for motor vehicles EN Vehicle Identification NumberVIN ... Technical Translator's Handbook

Identification number (VIN)- a unique 17-digit number assigned to vehicles by the manufacturer... Official terminology

An identification number- 15. Identification number A visible number written on the payment card, designed to identify the cardholder and containing the identification numbers of the bank account of the cardholder, industry and organization, ... ...

vehicle identification number (code)- 2.2 vehicle identification number (code) Vehicle Identification Number, VIN (hereinafter referred to as the VIN code): A structural combination of characters assigned to the vehicle for the purpose of its identification. Source: GOST R 51980 2002: Vehicles. ... ... Dictionary-reference book of terms of normative and technical documentation

FORGERY OR DESTRUCTION OF VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER- a crime against the order of management, provided for by Art. 326 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and constituting a forgery or destruction of an identification number, body number, chassis, engine, as well as a forgery of the state registration plate… … Dictionary-reference book of criminal law

Vehicle passport is a document containing information about the main technical characteristics of the vehicle, identification data of the main units, information about the owner, registration and deregistration. In TCP, ... ... Wikipedia

vehicle passport- noun vehicle passport (abbr. Title) A document containing information about the main technical characteristics of the vehicle, identification data of the main units, information about the owner, registration and removal from ... ... Universal additional practical explanatory dictionary by I. Mostitsky

GOST R 51980-2002: Vehicles. Marking. General technical requirements- Terminology GOST R 51980 2002: Vehicles. Marking. General technical requirements original document: 2.8 year of issue: The calendar year in which the vehicle was manufactured. Definitions of the term from various documents: year of manufacture 2.2… … Dictionary-reference book of terms of normative and technical documentation

Vehicle identification number (VIN) is a unique 17-character code for a vehicle. The code provides information about the manufacturer and characteristics of the vehicle and ... ... Wikipedia

This article or section needs revision. Please improve the article in accordance with the rules for writing articles ... Wikipedia

What is a VIN or Vehicle Identification Number? Auto experts and vehicle owners know the importance of this seventeen-digit code combination.
The VIN-code or VehicleIdentification Number is assigned to each technical vehicle at the manufacturer's factory to identify its personality, it is indispensable for protection against counterfeiting.
Uniform world standards for compiling an identification number for technical means no, and each manufacturer can generate a security code arbitrarily, but when exporting products, it is customary to adhere to certain standards.
Based on the standards in force in 24 countries that are members of the International Organization for Standards ISO. These standards are designed so that the VIN is unique for each vehicle. The repetition of combinations of characters is not allowed for thirty years.

• ISO 3779-1983 - Road vehicles. vehicle identification number (VIN). content and structure. “Road vehicles. Vehicle identification number. Content and structure.
• ISO 3780-1983 - Roadvehicles.Worldmanufactureidentifier (WMI) code. “Road vehicles. Identification code global manufacturer.

These directives serve as the basis for Russian standards and other EEC countries, therefore all machines intended for delivery to European countries and Russia are marked according to these documents.

Location and design of the identification code

The location of the VIN number on the vehicle also does not have clear rules. The generally accepted location is under the windshield, on the left side of the dashboard and on the driver's door.

Other options for the location at the request of the manufacturer.

The security code is written on a special nameplate or certification label. The application method is also not standardized; it can be embossing, laser burning, etc. The height of the VIN signs for the chassis, frame, body is at least 7 mm, on the nameplate and other labels at least 4 mm. On the vehicle, the code is written in one or two rows, transfers and breaks should not violate the semantic structure. In documents, only in a single-line version without spaces. Numbers should be easy to read and durable.
Building a VIN code according to ISO 3779 and 3780:

Only letters or symbols of the Latin alphabet A B C D E F G H J K L M N P R S T U V W X Y Z and Arabic numerals 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 are allowed in the VIN.
The symbols of the letters I, O, Q are abandoned for use due to the similarity in writing with the Arabic numerals 1, 0.
The VIN code contains three main parts WMI (World Manufacturers Identification), VDS (Vehicle Description Section) and VIS (Vehicle Identification Section).
The first three characters are the WMI Worldwide Manufacturer Index. The first character indicates the geographical area, the second character indicates the country in the given zone, and the means is encrypted in the third character. AT rare cases the last WMI character can display the vehicle type. Manufacturers producing less than 500 copies per year put the number 9 as the third character of the VIN code, and the manufacturer is indicated by 12-14 characters of the VIN.
The 1st character encrypts the geographical location of the country of origin.
Combinations A–H for countries of the African continent, for example AA-AH is South Africa or CL-CR is Tunisia, the following combinations are not used in this subgroup - AP-A0, BS-B0, CS-C0, DS-D0, EL-E0 , FL-F0, GA-G0, HA-H0.
J-R combinations for Asian countries, for example JA-JT is Japan, KF-KK is Israel, KL-KR is South Korea, LA-L0 is China. Not used in this subgroup combinations - KS-K0, MS-M0, NS-N0, PS-P0.
S-Z combinations are used for car manufacturers in Europe. For example SA-SM is UK, SN-ST and WA-W0 is Germany, VF-VR is France, ZA-ZR is Italy, X3-X0 and Z7-Z0 Russia and XS-XW for USSR/CIS countries. The following combinations are not used in this subgroup - T2-T0, UA-UG, U1-U4, U8-U0, ZS-ZW.
Combinations 1–5 for North American countries. For example, A-10, 4A-40 and 5A-50 are USA, 2A-20 is Canada.
Combinations 6-7 for countries in Oceania, for example - 6A-6W is Australia and 7A-7E is New Zealand.
Combinations 6X-60 and 7F-70 are not used.
Combinations 8-9 for countries in South America, for example - 8A-8E is Argentina, 9A-9E and 93-99 is Brazil, 8F-8K Chile, 8L-8R Ecuador, 8S-8W Peru and 8X-82 Venezuela. Combinations 83-80, 9X-92 and 90 are not used.
The 2nd character encrypts a specific manufacturer. For example - 1 - Chevrolet, B - BMW, F - Ford, Ferrari, Fiat and Subaru. M - Mitsubishi, Skoda and Hyundai. T stands for Toyota and Lexus. V-Volvo and Volkswagen.
The 3rd character encodes the production department, manufacturer's branch or vehicle type.
VDS descriptive part - consists of a combination of six characters, symbolizing specifications vehicle. The order of the signs and symbols and their semantic meaning is chosen by the automaker himself.
In characters from the 4th to the 8th, the type of body and engine, model or series, etc. are encrypted.
The ninth of the seventeen characters of the VIN or the sixth in the VDS is considered control, always used by automakers of American and Chinese cars. The check digit, if applied by the manufacturer, is calculated by mathematical operations with other characters of the VIN code. This is the way additional protection from breaking the VIN code. Often, hijackers change characters selectively, and in order to change the check digit, you need to know the mathematical action by which it was encrypted.
Japan, Russia, Korea and most European car manufacturers checkmark is not used.
VIS distinctive part - consists of a combination of eight characters and closes the VIN. The final four characters are written only in Arabic numerals.
The 10th character encodes the year of manufacture of the model. The so-called model year starts earlier than the calendar year.
The 11th character encrypts the specific plant where the vehicle was assembled. In the US and Japan, the 11th position is the model year.
In characters from the 12th to the 17th, the assembly sequence of the vehicle is encrypted.
In any case, there should be seventeen characters in the identification number, even if the manufacturer does not reflect information on all number columns, they are simply filled with zeros.


Vehicle identification number in Russia in accordance with GOST and OST WMI - the code of the manufacturer and type of vehicle (indicated in the descriptive section of the VDS) is issued by NICIAMT FSUE "NAMI" to manufacturers upon official requests. The check digit is not applied.
The VIN code must be placed on the right side of the frame, chassis and hard-to-remove parts of the body. The number of locations is not regulated.
The structure, content and location of the VIN code of vehicles produced and certified in the Russian Federation must be described in detail in the operation manual.
So, the identification number can tell better than any owner about the vehicle.
When buying a car, the accuracy must be checked against the data in the TCP. Look for several places with the VIN location and verify the identity.
Carefully inspect the number, the signs must be exactly the same in height, width and depth of application. The location of the characters in the line should also be the same - exactly along the ruler with the same interval.
The presence of corrosion, traces of paints and varnishes or mechanical cleaning may cause refusal to register. Get tested for the authenticity of the VIN code. Also, the above modifications may be evidence of a number plate change on a stolen or emergency vehicle.
Currently, there are Internet sites and printed reference books that allow you to get accurate information about a vehicle by VIN code. There are also special programs for decoding the identification number. To read the VIN code, a decoder is used or the data is entered manually, after processing you will receive all the information about the configuration provided by the manufacturer.