VIN Basics Blog

VIN Decoding 101 Part 3: The Market Effect

Have you ever driven in England? How about in India or Japan? Many US drivers, that have traveled abroad, have some colorful and nerve-racking stories about their experiences behind the wheel. These same people are probably confident, knowledgeable drivers in the US. In both situations, they are driving a car with much the same equipment and functionality. So what makes the experience driving abroad so challenging and perilous?

We came across this fun video, and while it is entertaining it also serves to really make the point that the right car for a potential buyer is really based on that buyers needs. Although we think few consumers will struggle to decide whether they will purchase a Ford Fiesta vs a Lamborghini - it is clear that vehicle comparison is a critical piece of vehicle marketing.

VIN Decoding 101:  Part 2

What's in the VIN?

As we discussed in the preceding article, What is a VIN, there are two ISO documents that established the 17 digit VIN standard and the WMI section of the VIN. However, these documents were only recommendations. The VIN standard created by the NHTSA and enforced starting with the model year (MY) 1981, was required of all vehicles manufactured for use in the US and was much more stringent in its requirements.

VIN Decoding 101:  Part 1 - What is a VIN?

On current automobiles, the VIN is located on the dashboard in a location visible through the windshield, as well as, on the driver side door jam. You have probably also noticed the VIN recorded on the title, insurance, and registration of your vehicle. The VIN acronym stands for Vehicles Identification Number. It refers to a unique number assigned to a vehicle that contains information to describe and identify the vehicle.

Consumers will pick the medium, format and content that best allows them to find the information that they need, prioritized by how quickly and efficiently they can browse it and digest it. As more and more consumers opt to research within mobile applications, space and functionality become increasingly important to design elements. 

Everything you wanted to know about VINs

Automotive VIN Data Primer

As a data company we come across many variations on needs from our Clients for VIN decoding. In the marketing segment, the term is used very loosely to describe data collections with a tremendous amount of information that can be queried by VIN.. but what is VIN decoding really?

The automotive industry is one of the largest industries in the US. Outside of housing, buying a vehicle is the single biggest purchase that most Americans make.  The downstream effects of vehicle purchases can be equal or greater than the actual vehicle sale considering the costs we all incur to finance, fuel, insure, accessorize and repair our vehicles. It is no surprise then, that some economists have suggested that one out of every four dollars spent by American consumers is linked to the purchase, use or maintenance of their vehicles.