The car configuration is one of the main criteria by which motorists choose a vehicle. You can find out the car configuration by the VIN code, a unique number assigned by the manufacturer to each car. What is a VIN code, what information is encoded in it, and how to find out the car configuration by VIN code, read further in the article.
What is a VIN Code?
The individual car code is a set of 17 characters (Latin letters, Arabic numbers). The code uses numbers from 0 to 9. All Latin alphabet letters are used except for Q, I, O. The exclusion of these letters is due to their similarity to the numbers 1 and 0, which could cause incorrect reading of the VIN.
What is Encoded in the VIN Code?
Characters of the VIN code are divided into three groups, each carrying its informational load. In the first three characters of the car’s VIN code, geographical data is encoded – the country of manufacture of the vehicle.
Next follows 5 characters, in which manufacturers encode data about the model and make of the car.
The ninth character of the code is the check digit. As a rule, it is a number. The function of the check digit is to verify the originality of the code. By the combination of characters, the buyer can check whether the VIN has been altered.
After it comes a set of characters containing complete individual information about the configuration, technical characteristics of the car, year of production. It is this, the third part of the code, that contains the most useful information if you are interested in the car’s configuration.
What Useful Information Can Be Obtained by the VIN Code?
When checking a car by VIN code, the buyer gets access to such data:
- exact date of manufacture;
- brand, model range, and model of the car;
- body configuration;
- type and characteristics of the engine;
- series and modification of the car;
- drive type;
- transmission type;
- vehicle emission level according to international standards;
- availability and type of air conditioning system;
- the country for which the vehicle was manufactured;
- paint shade, painting method, interior trim characteristics.
How to find out the car configuration by VIN code? To check the configuration, you only need to know exactly the VIN of the vehicle. What is a VIN code, and where it is located in the car, you can read in this article.
Why Do You Need Information from the VIN Code?
Checking a car by VIN code before purchasing gives the buyer many advantages:
- Verification of the accuracy of the seller’s data.
- The ability to determine the actual condition and identify possible defects or configuration changes during operation, which the seller did not report.
- Savings on time and repair costs, which would be inevitable if the car were in a worse condition than stated in the lot card.
- Possession of full information about the model and configuration, which will allow you to choose spare parts for repairs without problems in the future.
Based on the available data, you can either refuse to purchase (if discrepancies in the history are found), or finally make sure that the selected car meets all your requests.
How to Find Out the Car Configuration by VIN Code?
Checking a car by (VIN code) is very simple. You can use free and paid online check services. Both options are available in the Checkcar.vin service. In the free report, you will receive basic information about the car:
- year of production;
- body configuration;
- type and characteristics of the engine;
- steering wheel position.
To request such a report, you just need to enter the VIN code of the car into the appropriate field on the website, and within a couple of seconds, all the necessary information will appear on your computer (smartphone) screen.
How to find out car characteristics by VIN code? A detailed description of factory characteristics, as well as the car’s history, is the information you can obtain by purchasing a paid Checkcar.vin report. The verification algorithm is just as simple – you need to enter the number in the corresponding window, click on “search information,” make the payment, and immediately after the payment, you will receive a detailed report.
The Checkcar.vin service is extremely simple and user-friendly. No registration is required for verification. The information for the report is 100% reliable, as it is collected from the most reliable official sources.
Why Check the Car History Before Buying?
Car history is information:
- about its owners;
- about registration;
- about maintenance and repairs;
- about the replacement of components;
- whether the car was in an accident and was restored after an accident;
- whether the car is listed as stolen;
- about scrapping;
- about the actual mileage;
- about where and how the vehicle was used;
- about any other problems, including insurance cases, obstacles to import from the USA.
History is as important as the configuration. The automotive history can indicate how well it was maintained and assess the vehicle’s resource. Checking history is your insurance against an unfavorable or problematic purchase. It ensures the legal security of your transaction. You can find the car’s history, for example, a used car from the USA, as easily as checking the configuration – you just need to check the car by VIN code in the Checkcar.vin check service.