The 17-character VIN
For modern vehicles, the VIN is normally a 17-character combination of letters and numbers. It is designed to identify the vehicle and encode information such as manufacturer, vehicle attributes, model year and production details.
VIN character groups
The first three characters generally identify the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI). Positions 4 through 8 describe vehicle attributes according to the manufacturer's coding. Position 9 is commonly used as a check digit in North America. Position 10 identifies model year, position 11 commonly identifies the plant, and positions 12 through 17 form the vehicle's sequential production identifier.
Where to find the VIN
- Driver-side dashboard near the windshield
- Driver-side door or door jamb label
- Vehicle title or registration
- Insurance documents
- Manufacturer-specific frame or body locations
Characters not used
Standard 17-character VINs do not use the letters I, O or Q because they can be confused with the numbers 1 and 0.
Look up a VIN
VIN Lookup Direct uses the NHTSA vPIC service to retrieve available manufacturer-reported vehicle information. If you have the complete identifier, you can run a free lookup without creating an account.