The vehicle identification number (VIN) is a car's unique fingerprint. Plates can be swapped and logbooks can be forged, but the VIN is stamped into the car itself. Checking it is the simplest way to make sure the car in front of you is the one on the paperwork.
What a VIN looks like
A VIN has 17 characters, made up of letters and numbers. Modern VINs do not use the letters I, O or Q, so they cannot be confused with 1 and 0.
| Characters | What they tell you |
|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | The manufacturer and the part of the world the car was built in |
| 4 to 9 | Details of the model, such as the body and engine type, with a check digit on some cars |
| 10 | Often the model year |
| 11 | Often the factory |
| 12 to 17 | The car's own serial number |
You do not need to decode it. What matters is that it is the same everywhere you look.
Where to find the VIN
- At the base of the windscreen: look through the glass from outside, usually at one of the bottom corners.
- On a door pillar: open a front door and look for a plate or sticker on the pillar.
- Under the bonnet: often stamped into the bodywork or shown on a plate near the front.
- On the V5C logbook: printed in the vehicle details.
- Elsewhere, depending on the make: for example under a flap in the carpet by a front seat, or in the boot.
On some cars the windscreen VIN is hard to read in bright sunlight. Shade it with your hand or use your phone's torch.
The golden rule
Never buy a car if the VIN on the car does not match the VIN on the logbook, whatever the explanation.
How to check it, step by step
- 1Get the logbook VINAsk the seller for the V5C and note the VIN. Check the logbook is genuine: the DVLA advises looking for the 'DVL' watermark. See our V5C guide.
- 2Find it on the car in at least two placesThe windscreen and a door pillar are usually easiest. All the VINs on the car should be identical.
- 3Compare every characterDo not just check the last few. A cloned car may carry a similar VIN with one or two characters changed.
- 4Check it against the recordsThe full history check shows the last five characters of the VIN and the engine number on record. Make sure they match the car and the logbook.
- 5Look for tamperingScratches, uneven characters, stickers over the windscreen VIN, or a plate fixed with new rivets or glue are all warning signs.
Take a photo of each VIN location and of the logbook. It is much easier to compare them calmly afterwards than to squint at them on a driveway with the seller watching.
Why VIN checks matter: cloning
Car cloning is when criminals take a stolen car and give it the identity of a legitimate one, usually of the same make, model and colour. They copy the registration, and sometimes forge a logbook. Every record you check by registration will look clean, because it belongs to the real car.
The VIN is where cloning falls apart. The stolen car still has its own VIN stamped into its body. Unless the criminals have tampered with it, it will not match the logbook or the records. That is why a stolen car check works best combined with a careful VIN check. Cloned cars often come with a convincing story and a price that is a little too good.
VINs and private plates
A car's registration can change many times, but its VIN never does. That makes the VIN the link between a car's current plate and its past. MOT certificates and many service invoices record it, and the plate change check lists every registration the car has carried.
Older and imported cars
Cars built before the 17-character format came in, around the early 1980s, may have a shorter chassis number instead. Some imported cars, particularly from Japan, use a frame number in a different format. The rule is the same: the number on the car must match the logbook.
Other warning signs
- The seller cannot show you the logbook, or it is not in their name.
- The address on the logbook is not where you are viewing the car.
- The car's colour or engine does not match the logbook or our free DVLA vehicle check.
- The price is well below similar cars, and the seller wants a quick sale in cash.
- Plate changes or colour changes the seller cannot explain. The full check lists both.
- The VIN plate looks newer than the rest of the car, or is fixed on differently from the factory fixings.
What the full history check adds
The VIN tells you the car is the one on the logbook. The full history check tells you what has happened to that car: outstanding finance, write-offs, stolen and scrapped markers, previous keepers and plate changes. Together they cover identity and history. The full check costs £4.49, or £3.00 a check in a pack of 10, and the sample report shows where the VIN details appear.
What to do if the VIN does not match
Do not buy the car, and do not hand over a deposit. If you think the car may be stolen or cloned, contact the police with the registration and the details of the advert. Do not confront the seller. If you have already paid, report it to the police and keep every message and payment record.
If the VIN matches everywhere and the full history check comes back clear, you can move on to the rest of the viewing with confidence. Our used car buying checklist takes you through it.