Why VIN can be useful
VIN is applied to the car body, and also indicated in the vehicle passport and registration certificate.
Additional plates with the number can be under the windshield, on the driver's or passenger door stand, on the platform under the mat in front of the passenger seat, on the platform at the left wing under the hood, on the glass of one of the front racks - in general, where the car manufacturer decides.
Pick up auto parts
Sellers of spare parts recommend, and some even insist on specifying the VIN when ordering. With its help, the manager finds out the modification of the car and minimizes the possibility of errors in the selection of spare parts.
Even two models with the same technical characteristics and complete sets can come off the assembly line at different times — and if the manufacturer has slightly changed some node or unit during this time, some details will differ. In addition, VIN will help in the independent selection of spare parts according to the original manufacturer's catalog - see VIN lookup for detailed overview.
Find out what engine and gearbox are in the car. But not all services cope with this task — there is a risk of making a serious mistake and buying the wrong part. Therefore, it is better to entrust the selection of spare parts for the engine and gearbox to the specialists of the spare parts store or service station.
Check for restrictions
Restrictions may be imposed on the car: for example, an arrest or a ban on registration actions. This can be done by the court, investigative authorities, traffic police, social protection agencies and customs.
The owner can use such a car, but cannot re-register it or remove it from the register. Therefore, such cars are given away cheaply to resellers who will easily find a trusting citizen who is ready to pick up the car under the contract of sale. The buyer goes to the MREO to register the car, and they tell him that there is a ban on registration actions on the car.
In order not to get into such a situation, it is important to find out information about restrictions by VIN. Moreover, it is necessary to check not only the car itself, but also the owner — after all, restrictions on cars may not yet come into force. The car can also be pledged, like shown here VIN check. This happens if the loan has not been fully paid for it yet.
Check for theft. If you buy a car that is wanted, then it will most likely be confiscated and sent to the impound lot. A car can be put on the wanted list if the owner left the scene of an accident or the car was stolen. Professional hijackers are unlikely to openly sell such a car, but it's still worth checking this moment by VIN and making sure that everything is in order.
Check for an accident
As a rule, when selling a car, the owner hides the facts of an accident. You can check this not only during a personal inspection of the car, but also in the VIN databases. The services will not only tell you about the number of accidents registered with the traffic police, but also describe the nature and places of damage. Perhaps the car was badly damaged, the geometry of the body is broken and it is not worth buying at all. Or vice versa, the accident was minor and only the rear bumper was damaged. In any case, this information will tell you which parts of the car you should pay special attention to when inspecting.
Check the registration history in the traffic police. Checking by VIN will give information about the number of car owners and show how long each of them owned the car. The personal data of the previous owners are hidden, you can only find out whether it is an individual or a legal entity.
If the car was owned by a legal entity, then there is a possibility that the car was rented, in a taxi or worked in delivery. If the owners of the car have changed frequently, this is suspicious: perhaps the car is technically defective and they want to get rid of it. The data from the report must match what the seller says and what is indicated in the documents. Read more: VIN lookup free.