Purchasing a car or motorcycle is a big decision. Aside your house, it is one of the costliest expenses that you will acquire. A lot of people buy exclusively used vehicles, and for good reason: according to Kelley Blue Book, the cast loses about 20 percent of its value in the first year and is down 60 percent over the first five years. With an average of around 13,500 miles driven per year by Americans, this means you can get into a five year old car with under 100,000 miles for under half of its showroom sticker price. But how much does that dealer really know about its history? Especially as you get into cars that are over a decade old, and the title may have traded hands a few times, you need to know the real, bona fide history of that vehicle. A vehicle identification number (VIN) check is the best way to get started figuring out the history of your vehicle.

What is A VIN Number?

So, what exactly is a VIN number? Well, basically it is unique combination of numbers and letters that identify a specific vehicle. Not a specific model, but a specific, individual vehicle. The VIN number is distributed across the vehicle in several places on purpose: it is the primary tool used in identifying stolen parts when a car stolen for parts. While certainly does not assist the owner in assimilating their vehicle, it allows the authorities to identify parts being sold as being associated with a specific car or truck that was reported as stolen; it becomes evidence for prosecution.

The VIN number is actually a very old component of automobile assembly, harkening back to 1954. However, it wasn’t until 1981 that the National Highway Safety Administration required that all over-the-road vehicles be standardized to have a 17-charater VIN.

Beginning with model year 1987 autos, the DOT mandated that designated high-theft car lines be marked with the VIN on its major components be marked. This way, again, an effort to aid local law enforcement agencies in tracing and recovering stolen parts and prosecuting the guilty parties accordingly. Okay, but we all know that “theft recovery” does not mean that the owner is getting the car or their parts back; those will all go into evidence for some trial many months or years down the road. Justice at work. This is why you should always make sure that your insurance coverage is adequate and has provisions for theft replacement, particularly if you fall in that category for high-theft car lines.

The composition on a VIN number is actually pretty important to the prospective buyer (you), because armed with a little bit of knowledge right off the bat, you will know if you are dealing with a fraud immediately or not. For example, all vehicles of origin in the United States will begin with a 1, 4, or 5. The second character will be a letter which designates the brand. B is Dodge, C is Chrysler, F is Ford, etc.

 The first characters are a the best way to quickly identify if it is correct on the surface. A more subtle giveaway is the 10th digit, which determines the year of manufacture. If you are looking at a 2004 vehicle for purchase, which would be the number ‘4’, and you find one of the VIN numbers on the car with a ‘1’ (2001), or anything other than a ‘4’, you will immediately know that some part of that vehicle is not original.

Why You Need to Request a VIN Check

So, assuming you have done your cursory check on the VIN number and are satisfied that the VIN numbers match, you need to request a VIN check to see about the vehicle as a whole. There are a lot of different events that can transpire that may or may not be reflected in the title branding, but the VIN is always recorded. You may find out that the title is clean, but the vehicle was in an accident that did not deem a total loss. That will not go on the title, but it will have been recorded. It does not mean that the vehicle is not worth owning, but it certainly might make a big difference in the relative value of the car, truck, or motorcycle.

But there are a lot of other reasons to have the VIN number checked. You might be looking at truck and the wear and tear on the truck do not seem to match the odometer reading. A VIN check is your first line of defense in determining odometer accuracy.

You also need to know about open liens because these can be a real headache in transferring a title. I personally have dealt with this abject horror is trying to get a replacement title for an old truck from my parents. That’s right. Even though the truck was purchased over two decades ago with cash, this old Toyota still shows that it has a lien against it. A lien that never existed. Let that sink in.

So before you go off plunking money down on your dream car, conduct due diligence in getting a VIN check done to make sure there are no outstanding liens against the title because it will absolutely come back to haunt you when you try to transfer the title to your name.

You also should want to know about the past sale listings of your vehicle. Why does this matter? A couple of reasons. First, if it was a rental or fleet vehicle along its life journey is important to know. There is nothing wrong with buying a used fleet vehicle; they can often be snagged up for a bargain if you play your cards right. But they also tend to be subject to abuse. Or if this car or truck originated or lived for a time in the North, where roads are heavily salted. This wreaks havoc on the chassis with corrosion which may not be totally visible on initial inspection.

Title problem checks is another issue that you need to be aware of before you go all in. Just because the title appears clean does not mean that the treasurer or DMV will not discover a hidden problem with the title when they go to process it. If you bought it from a con artist who potentially washed the title, you will get stuck holding the bag on this deal with a lame duck car that you can’t register and can’t sell.

We absolutely guarantee that the VIN check will be the best money you spend when you go to buy a new car, truck, or motorcycle. It is very inexpensive peace of mind that can save you a ton of time and money in the long run. There are a lot of scammers out there, and you don’t have to be a victim, so smash that button and order your VIN check today and you will get results in ten minutes!