VIN decode
Confirm the car is what the seller says it is.
- Make, model and trim
- Year of manufacture
- Engine size and fuel type
- Body style and transmission
- Manufacturer and country of origin
VIN check
Check a vehicle by the number it can't hide.
Plates can be swapped, but the 17-character VIN stays with the car for life. Decode it for free to confirm the make, model and engine match the paperwork.
No VIN to hand? Check by registration instead
Anatomy of a VINExample
- ManufacturerCharacters 1–3 · WMI
- Vehicle descriptionCharacters 4–9 · VDS
- Vehicle identifierCharacters 10–17 · VIS
How it works
A VIN check in three steps
- 1
Find the VIN
Read the 17-character code from the V5C logbook, the base of the windscreen or the driver's door frame.
- 2
Enter it above
We check the format as you type. VINs never use I, O or Q, so we stop typos before you search.
- 3
Compare the result
Check the make, model, engine and year against the car in front of you and its V5C.
Free vs full
What a VIN check tells you
The free check decodes the VIN itself. A full report searches it against finance, police and insurance records.
Full history report
Find out what the car's history is hiding before you pay.
- Outstanding finance
- Stolen and police markers
- Insurance write-off categories
- Mileage records and discrepancies
- Previous keepers and plate changes
Reading the code
What the 17 characters mean
Every car built since 1981 has a standard 17-character VIN. It never uses I, O or Q, because they look too much like 1, 0 and 9.
- WVWCharacters 1–3 · WMI
Manufacturer
World Manufacturer Identifier: who built the vehicle and in which country.
- ZZZ3CZCharacters 4–9 · VDS
Vehicle description
Model, body style, engine type and key specification. In some markets digit 9 is a check digit.
- WE123456Characters 10–17 · VIS
Vehicle identifier
Model year, the factory it was built in and the vehicle's unique serial number.
On the car
Where to find the VIN
Check at least two places. If the VIN on the car doesn't match the V5C, don't buy it.
V5C logbook
Printed on the DVLA registration certificate.
Windscreen
Bottom corner of the windscreen, readable from outside.
Door frame
On a plate or sticker inside the driver's door jamb.
Engine bay
Stamped into the chassis or bulkhead.
Paperwork
Insurance and service records often repeat it.
Spotting a cloned car
A cloned car is a stolen vehicle wearing the plates of a genuine car of the same make, model and colour. It looks legitimate on a registration check alone.
Compare the VIN on the car with the V5C and decode it here. If anything doesn't match, walk away and call the police on 101.
VIN or chassis number?
People often use the terms interchangeably, but a chassis number is usually only part of the VIN, stamped into the frame.
For a history check you need the full 17-character VIN. A partial number won't match any records.