Understanding the VIN Number and Its Importance
While offering a broad range of commercial vehicle testing services to our customers across Dublin, we get asked a lot of questions. Through this blog, we try to provide some clarity on common subjects that people want to know more about, and today we look at Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN).
So, What is a VIN?
Ok, so a VIN is essentially a unique, 17-character code that’s assigned to every single motor vehicle in Ireland and, indeed, the world. This number serves as a kind of fingerprint and contains essential info about the vehicle’s make, model, engine type and the year and location in which it was manufactured.
If you look at your VIN, you’ll see that it’s broken down into several sections, with each conveying certain details.
The WMI - Characters 1-3: The first three characters represent the World Manufacturer Identifier. E.g. 1HG denotes a vehicle created in the USA.
The VDS - Characters 4-9: Next, you have the vehicle descriptor, which details the vehicle’s model, body style, engine type and more.
The VIS - Characters 10-17: Lastly, we have the vehicle identifier, which describes the vehicle’s place of manufacture, model year, assembly plant and unique serial number.
This means that if you understand VINs and you know what to look for, you can tell everything you need to know about any vehicle.
Why Are VINs Important?
VINs are very important as they help to ensure that all vehicles are safe to drive on the road. They can also be used to track a vehicle’s history to determine things like how many owners it’s had, whether it’s been in an accident and even if it was recalled. These things are crucial to know when buying any type of motor vehicle.
They’re also super useful when it comes to stolen vehicles, as VINs can be used by police to identify and recover vehicles that go missing.
Helping to Demistify Ireland’s Automotive Industry
A Vehicle Identification Number is more than just a code. It’s a number that tells a story of a vehicle's identity and history. Understanding what a VIN is is essential for ensuring safety and compliance, especially when talking about commercial vehicles.
We hope that our blog has demistified this particular subject from the automotive industry, and we’re also here to help you with all of your commercial vehicle testing needs, with services that range from HCV CVRTs to tachograph installation.
To find out more about us and what we offer, visit us today at www.argent.ie, where you’ll find directions and opening times of our Dublin locations. Alternatively, call us on 01 572 6500 and speak with one of our friendly experts today.