Glossary
VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)
A VIN is the 17-character serial number that uniquely identifies a road vehicle worldwide, standardised by ISO 3779.
Standard: ISO 3779:2009
Definition
A Vehicle Identification Number is a 17-character alphanumeric serial that uniquely identifies a single road vehicle. The format is defined by ISO 3779 (1983, last revised 2009) and has been mandatory on cars sold in most major markets since the 1981 model year. A VIN never repeats: the same string identifies the same physical vehicle for its entire life, across owners, countries, and number-plate changes. It splits into three parts. The first three characters are the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI). The next six are the Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS), which encodes model, body, engine, and a check digit. The final eight are the Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS), which records model year, plant, and a unique serial. VINs exclude the letters I, O, and Q to prevent confusion with 1 and 0.
Why it matters when buying a used car
The VIN is the only identifier that survives a re-registration across borders. When a German car is imported to Poland it gets a new plate, but the VIN stays the same — that is what lets a buyer trace its real history.
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Often confused with
WMI
The first three characters of a VIN. The WMI identifies the manufacturer, the country of assembly, and (for high-volume makers) the vehicle category.
VDS
Positions 4 through 9 of a VIN. The VDS encodes model, body style, restraint system, engine, and the check digit.
VIS
The last eight characters of a VIN. The VIS records model year, plant of assembly, and a per-vehicle serial number.
Check digit
Position 9 of a VIN. A single character (0-9 or X) computed from the other 16 to detect typos or forgery.