VIN stands for vehicle identification number. It is a kind of serial number that serves to identify individual vehicles so that owners can track their histories. Although the United States launched the VIN system in 1954, no national standard was established until 1981. Each VIN now consists of a combination of 17 letters and digits. The vehicle's owner can use the VIN to discover information
. such as recalls, major damage, emissions issues or accidents. The VIN is most often located on the firewall, dashboard, steering column or driver's door.On a Ford vehicle, the first character of the VIN is always a number that identifies the nation of origin. A 1 indicates the United States, 2 is Canada and 3 is Mexico. The second character, which names the manufacturer, is usually F for Ford. The third character stands for the type of vehicle, and the fourth character describes the weight rating. Next up are characters that indicate the line, series, body type, engine variety, check digit, model year and assembly plant. The final six characters combine to form the vehicle's assembly number.A Ford owner can go to https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenance/vin_tools/ and input the vehicle's VIN to find additional information. However, this search tool works only for vehicles that were made in 1982 or later. The search results explain what each section of the VIN means. Another way to use the VIN is to enter it at a commercial service after paying a fee. The searcher can then review the vehicle's history in a database. This type of service is often utilized by a potential buyer who wants to find out details about a vehicle's background before making a purchase. By checking the VIN in this manner, that individual can discover whether a particular vehicle has a record of rebuilding, flood damage, malfunctioning or various other issues. More reference links: http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/VIN_Codes.html http://www.vinguard.org/vin.htm
