What's A VIN & Why Does My Car Have One? - Direct Auto Insurance

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What is a VIN and where can I find my VIN?

Your VIN number can tell you a lot about your car, including its airbag type, country of origin, engine size, and even turning diameter. When you're performing a VIN check on your car and need to know how to decode VIN numbers, keep the following in mind:

  • The first character of your VIN indicates the continent where the vehicle was built. Was it built in North America or overseas?
  • The second and third characters tell you the manufacturer of your car, like Toyota or Honda.
  • Characters four through eight indicate the vehicle brand, as well as engine size and type. How many cylinders are you firing on?
  • The ninth character in your VIN number is a security code that indicates that the VIN number is authorized for use by the manufacturer.
  • The tenth character indicates the model year of the car, like 2008, 2009, etc.
  • The eleventh character indicates the assembly plant. Different parts of a car might be made in different countries, then sent to one plant to be put together to make your car.
  • The final string of characters in the VIN indicates the unique serial number of the car. These digits can help prevent VIN fraud.

Keep in mind that vehicle manufacturers use different coding systems and some devise their own codes for certain parts of a VIN. That can make it difficult to decode your VIN, which is why we recommend running it through a VIN decoder.

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