What does the VIN number represent?
2 Answers
VIN number meanings: 1. The first 3 characters represent the vehicle's production country, manufacturer, and vehicle type respectively; 2. Characters 4 to 8 all indicate vehicle characteristics, such as vehicle category, body type, engine type, and gross vehicle weight rating information; 3. The 9th character is a check digit used to verify the accuracy of the VIN; 4. The 10th character indicates the production year; 5. The 11th character represents the vehicle's assembly location; 6. Characters 12 to 17 of the VIN are the production sequence number. Through permutation and combination, vehicles of the same model won't have duplicate numbers within 30 years.
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is like a car's ID card, consisting of 17 characters in total. I usually rely on it to quickly access vehicle information during repairs: the first three digits represent the manufacturer, for example, domestic vehicles in China usually start with L. The middle six digits describe the vehicle's features, including the engine model and body structure. The tenth digit is the most crucial, using a letter to indicate the production year, such as M representing 2021. The last few digits show the assembly plant and the production sequence number. When buying a car, remember to check the VIN at the lower left corner of the windshield to avoid purchasing a salvaged or cloned vehicle. Once, I came across a used car where the VIN indicated it was a 2020 model, but the actual configuration was of an older version, clearly tampered with.
