Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), sometimes called chassis or frame number, is a unique code used by manufacturers to identify individual motor vehicles.

VIN code were first used in the United States starting from 1954 but did not have any acceptable standard until 1981 and varied in length from 11 to 17 characters. Its content and structure is now defined in ISO 3779, ISO 3780:2009 and its location in ISO 4030. In 1981 was required by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States that all on-road vehicles must contain a 17-character VIN. It should not contain the letters O (o), I (i), and Q (q) to avoid confusion with digits 0, 1, and 9.

The VIN is composed from 3 parts:

1. WMI (World Manufacturers Identification)
2. VDS (Vehicle Description Section)
3. VIS (Vehicle Identification Section)

1. WMI (World Manufacturers Identification) are the first three characters from VIN, that identify the manufacturer of the vehicle and the region where manufacturer is located. This part of the VIN is assigned to a vehicle manufacturer in order to allow identification of the manufacturer location. 

A manufacturer is issued with a WMI in accordance with international standard ISO 3780. A few manufacturers use the third character to identify the vehicle category or a division within a manufacturer. For example 1G is assigned to General Motors in the United States where 1G1 represents Chevrolet passenger cars and 1GC - Chevrolet trucks. 

Fore more details about WMI and to see the full list of region codes click here.

2. VDS (Vehicle Description Section) is the second part of the VIN and is represented by the characters from fourth to ninth positions. This part is aimed to identify the vehicle type, and may contain information about the vehicle platform, the model, and the body style.

VDS consist of 6 characters and is used to describe the general attributes of the vehicle. The coding and sequence of the VDS are determined by the manufacturer.

Fore more details about VDS click here.

3. VIS (Vehicle Identification Section) is the third and last part of VIN, and is represented by the characters from 10th to 17th position. This part is used to identify the exact vehicle and may contain information about engine and transmission.

VIS consist of 8 characters and have one important element - its first digit or the 10th digit from entire VIN. This character is required to encode the model year.

Fore more details about VIS and how the year code is assigned click here.

Where Can I Find the VIN?

On modern cars the VIN is usually printed on bottom corner of the windshield on the side of the steering wheel. As well you can find the VIN under the bonnet or inside the door pillar.