Apr 10 2025
This post has been republished with updates since its original publication date of December 2011.
It is not uncommon for some of the people who express interest in our VIN data to have little experience with automotive data in the past. They may be new to the company/position, or they may be looking to apply an existing business model in a new way that requires a VIN decoder or vehicle data. Many times, these people are not quite sure what to expect to get in return for decoding 17-digit VINs. Below is a list of 10 things that you can expect to be returned when decoding US passenger and light-duty vehicle identification numbers.
The model year is required to be identified by the 10th digit of the VIN (with a little help from the 7th digit)
The first digit of the WMI section of the VIN (positions 1-3) will identify the country where the vehicle was manufactured.
The manufacturer of the vehicle is identified within the WMI by the 2nd and 3rd digits of the VIN. And the 11th digit is used to identify the plant that produced the finished vehicle. These two details are required by law (NHTSA and Transport Canada) to be encoded in the VIN. This enhances traceability if quality and/or safety issues are discovered with the vehicle later on.
The brand represents the name under which the vehicle is marketed and sold. For example, the Toyota GR86 is sold under the Toyota brand, even though it is manufactured by Subaru. In the past, the brand and make could be uniquely identified using just the WMI (World Manufacturer Identifier). However, starting with the 2010 model year, the 4th digit of the VIN (the first digit of the Vehicle Descriptor Section) may also be required to accurately identify the vehicle’s brand or make.
Vehicle type is captured consistently in the VIN. It was once required to be captured in the WMI, but since the model year 2010, the vehicle type requirement has shifted to the vehicle descriptor section (VDS).
The VIN pattern is specific to a unique engine from the OEM. The engine block, cylinders, number of valves, and displacement are always specific to VIN, while aspiration and fuel type, though almost always captured by the VIN, can be excluded. There may also be minor differences in the horsepower, torque, and other technical details of the engine that are not VIN-specific.
The different variants of driven wheels available for each vehicle are almost always captured in the VIN. For example, the F-150 has unique VIN patterns that identify the 4X2 and 4X4 drivetrain variants available on the model.
When a year/make/model combination has more than one body type, cab type, or door combination, each variant is captured by unique elements of the VIN pattern.
The VIN does not usually capture all details of the passive (seat belts) and active (airbags) restraint systems. However, it does identify at a general level the restraint systems installed on the vehicle.
Though the GVW Rating and curb weight of the vehicle are not VIN specific, the GVW range or "tonnage" category of the vehicle is. This allows you to identify the category (light, medium, or heavy-duty) or "tonnage" of the vehicle. This is most often useful for insurance and extended service contract/warranty providers, as this detail is often factored into the quote provided to a potential customer.
In addition to the above vehicle's details that are tied directly to the VIN Pattern, DataOne Software can use our industry and OEM-specific relationships, as well as our expertise, to provide additional valuable details to the VIN reference. This may be data that is specific to a unique vehicle style decoded by the VIN. In cases where more than one vehicle style is tied to the VIN Pattern, common details that are shared between several vehicles, like upholstery or safety features, can be returned.
Continue to our next article, VIN Decoding 101 Part 6: Exceptions to the VIN Decoding Rules
Related post: 10 Vehicle Details Not Decoded by the VIN Pattern
VIN Decoding 101: Article Index
photo credit: Pixabay