Your VIN, or “Vehicle Identification Number,” can tell you and your auto insurance company a lot about your car’s history. Read on to learn what you need to know to find, decode, and use your VIN to your best advantage.

Decoding Your VIN

Decoding Your VIN

You’ve seen it on your registration papers, you’ve seen it on your insurance documents, and you’ve seen it on your title—but what does 2FMZU62E02ZB78590 mean? The short answer is—it’s your Vehicle Identification Number or “VIN.” Read further for the more detailed explanation of what a VIN is.

A VIN number is a 17-character alphanumeric identifier or a manufacturer’s serial number. Each character in the VIN number has a significant meaning. Together, they create a number that tells everything about the vehicle and its unique history.

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Classic Car VINs

Classic Car VINs

Since around 1980, the standard for VIN numbers has been a 17 digit alphanumeric code that represents a vehicle’s country or origin, manufacturer, manufacturing division, vehicle description, and accuracy of VIN, model year, assembly plant and serial number. But what were VIN numbers like before 1980? One of the major differences between then and now is that it was not mandatory for the VIN numbers of yesterday to include 17 characters.

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