What a VIN is for
No two vehicles built in the last few decades share a VIN. Registration authorities, insurers, finance companies and the PPSR all record vehicles against it, which is why a VIN check is so useful when you buy. Number plates can move between vehicles; the VIN stays with the car.
In Australia, vehicles built from 1989 onwards generally have a 17-character VIN. Older vehicles, and some imports, trailers and machinery, have a shorter chassis number instead.
How a 17-character VIN is structured
VINs follow an international standard (ISO 3779) and are split into three sections.
| Characters | Section | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) | The manufacturer and the region or country it was built in. For example, VINs beginning with J are from Japan, and VINs beginning with 6 are from Australia. |
| 4–9 | Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) | Model, body type, engine and other features, coded by the manufacturer. On some vehicles the 9th character is a check digit. |
| 10–17 | Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS) | Identifies the individual vehicle. On many vehicles the 10th character shows the model year and the 11th the assembly plant; the last characters are the serial number. |
How manufacturers use the middle characters varies, so decoding a VIN yourself only gets you so far. A report tells you what’s on record for that exact vehicle.
Why a VIN never contains I, O or Q
The letters I, O and Q are left out of VINs because they’re too easy to confuse with the numbers 1 and 0. If you think you can see an O, it’s a zero. Other common mix-ups are 8 and B, 5 and S, and 2 and Z, so double-check before you pay for a report.
Where to find the VIN
On a car, the VIN is usually visible through the base of the windscreen on the driver’s side, on a sticker or plate on the driver’s door pillar, on the build plate under the bonnet, and on the registration papers. Motorbikes, boats, caravans and tractors use different spots. See Where’s my VIN? for photos.
Always compare the VIN on the vehicle with the papers. If the numbers don’t match, or a VIN plate looks tampered with, don’t buy the vehicle.
Using the VIN to check a vehicle
Enter the VIN into our check and we’ll search the PPSR for finance owing, written-off and stolen records, with odometer and full history options.