What a VIN Lookup Can Tell You About Your Vehicle

What a VIN Lookup Can Tell You About Your Vehicle

A used car can look great when you’re considering buying it. Maybe it’s been cleaned well, seems to have low mileage and has a lot of features you want.

However, it can be hard to know the true history of a car without doing some digging. Thankfully, you have a big tool to help you find the information you need. Learn how to use the VIN or vehicle ID number to learn more about this big purchase.

A Cars Vehicle ID Cannot Be Changed

All modern cars and motorcycles have a unique VIN that is issued when the car is made. A few antique vehicles made before the 1950s may have engine numbers instead.

The vehicle ID system was created to be a consistent way to track a car from owner to owner and easily find out what a car’s history is.

Each VIN contains information that notes where the car was made and who made it, along with the vehicle’s unique serial number.

This number cannot be changed on a car. No matter how many times a car is registered or sold, the VIN will always be the same.

Holds the Entire History of Your Vehicle

Because a VIN is a permanent feature of a car, it can be used to find important information about your ride. Start with a VIN VIN lookup.

You can find key facts about the car including the specific manufacturer, locations where the car has been registered and how many official owners it has had.

A VIN will also tell you if any authorities have ever investigated the car as stolen. Some states may link the VIN to state inspection programs. This offers a chance to learn about any issues that inspectors may have found.

Track Recalls for Your Vehicle

One of the best things you can do with your VIN is track recalls. Most car companies do their best to send recall notifications to drivers in a timely manner, but when a car is bought and sold it’s possible to send messages to the wrong person. You also don’t know if there may be any previous recalls that a previous owner didn’t fix.

With the vehicle ID number, you can see all known safety recalls and defects associated with your car. You can then take your car to a mechanic and get it looked over to see if the work has been done or if you need to get new car parts to address issues. It’s a good way to make sure you aren’t caught of guard by problems that could have been handled.

Looking up a car’s vehicle ID number and checking out the history is just as important as test driving when it comes to finding the right car. You can learn about potential problems early and come up with a plan for dealing with them.

To get help with the process, search “AutoZone near me” on your phone or computer and stop by your neighborhood store to see what your VIN could tell you.

Read more business articles from our guest authors at SugerMint. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn