Question 1

What is a VIN number?

Accepted Answer

A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique 17-character code assigned to every vehicle at the point of manufacture. It encodes the country of origin, manufacturer, vehicle type, model year, and a unique serial number.

Question 2

Where do I find my car's VIN?

Accepted Answer

The most common places are: the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windscreen from outside), the driver's door jamb sticker, your V5C logbook, or your insurance documents. It is always exactly 17 characters.

Question 3

What does a free VIN check show?

Accepted Answer

MOTCO's free VIN check shows the vehicle's make, model, year of manufacture, colour, fuel type, engine size, MOT history since 2005, and current tax status. All data is sourced directly from DVSA and DVLA.

Question 4

Can I check a VIN for a car I'm thinking of buying?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Enter the VIN you've been given by the seller and MOTCO will return the vehicle's official records. You can cross-check the make, model, year and MOT history against what the seller has told you.

VIN check

What does a VIN check show?

See the full vehicle history

Common questions

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