Third Coast Auto Group Official Blog
Vehicle Identification Number: Where is it on your car and documentation?
By Product Expert | Posted in Tips and Tricks on Monday, November 12th, 2018 at 9:51 pm
The Vehicle Identification Number on your vehicle (known more commonly as the VIN) is a unique number for every vehicle in the United States. The VIN uses numbers and letters and contains a lot of information including the manufacturer, where the car was built, the model year, engine size and more. This unique identifier is required when you are filling out any paperwork involving your car, like making a claim after an accident or selling the vehicle. But where can you find the VIN on your car? And what documents have it?
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Where can you find the VIN on your car?
Different vehicles from different manufacturers will have the VIN on different parts of their vehicles. The most common location is on the dashboard on the driver’s side. It will be written low on the windshield very close to where the windshield and the dashboard meet, and will be written so that looking at the VIN from the outside gives the best view. Here are a few other places you may be able to find the Vehicle Identification Number on your vehicle.
- Driver’s Side Door – The VIN may be written on the doorjam or the door post.
- With the Wheels – The rear wheel well (directly above the tire) or underneath the spare tire are two possible VIN locations.
- Front of the Engine Block – If you open the hood, the VIN may be written on the engine block.
If you still can’t find your VIN, check your owner’s manual. While the manual itself will probably not have the VIN recorded, it will for sure be able to tell you where to find it.
What documents have the vehicle identification number listed?
Your automotive insurance, vehicle title and registration should all have the VIN listed somewhere. Because the VIN is a unique number for every vehicle, it is the main way that a company will know which vehicle is getting coverage, or an individual can check up on a vehicle that they are buying. While the license plates may be the way you find your vehicle in a parking lot, the VIN is how all official paperwork would identify it.
