What is a car's VIN code and its explanation?
3 Answers
Here is the car's VIN code and its explanation: 1. Concept: The vehicle VIN code represents the vehicle identification number, also known as the chassis number. It is a set of 17 alphanumeric characters used to identify the car's manufacturer, engine, chassis number, and other performance data. 2. Explanation: The 1st digit represents the country of manufacture code; the 2nd digit represents the car manufacturer code; the 3rd digit represents the vehicle type code; digits 4-8 (VDS) are the vehicle descriptor section; the 9th digit is the check digit; the 10th digit indicates the model year; the 11th digit represents the assembly plant; digits 12-17 denote the vehicle's serial number.
The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is essentially a car's ID card. This 17-digit unique code can be found in the lower left corner of the windshield or on the door frame. When helping friends buy cars, I particularly enjoy decoding this number because it holds many secrets: The first three digits indicate the manufacturer and region (e.g., J开头 means made in Japan); Digits 4-9 are the vehicle descriptor section revealing model and engine type; The 10th digit is the model year code (T stands for 2024); The last seven digits are the production sequence number. I always check the VIN when buying used cars – by entering it on the traffic administration website, you can avoid purchasing wrecked or flood-damaged vehicles and verify the car's true specifications. This code is also crucial for maintenance, as mechanics can pull up exact repair manuals by entering the VIN.
Last week when I was car shopping, the sales manager explained VIN codes to me: a unique 17-digit code like a license plate number. I discovered these alphanumeric combinations actually follow patterns – the starting letter L indicates made in China, while 1 means US production. The middle string of characters reveals engine type and transmission configuration. Most crucially, the 10th digit letter corresponds to the production year, for example K is 2022, P is 2023. I recall during the last vehicle recall, the manufacturer precisely located my car using the VIN. Now when helping friends inspect cars, I always photograph this code and input it into the Autohome APP to check vehicle history, which helps avoid odometer rollback issues.
