Is It Safe to Give Out the VIN Number When Selling a Car?

Is It Safe to Give Out the VIN Number When Selling a Car?

Many people don’t know whether it is a good idea to give out their VIN number or not. What they don’t know is, it depends on why you may need to share this detail. The rising number of car theft has made VIN numbers valuable details for car thieves. Some of them steal VIN numbers of cars similar to the ones they have taken so that they can sell them quickly.

Back to our question, it is totally safe to give out your VIN. That is because the number usually gets linked to the rest of your details. Therefore, it is safe to say that you own your VIN number, and in case of anything, it will always be traced back to you. Even if a car thief uses yours on a stolen car, they can never get away because there are high chances that their documentation will not add up.

What can someone do with my VIN number?

When you want to sell your car, it is advised to share the VIN number with the potential buyer. That is the only way that they can be sure that you are not selling them a stolen car. Using the VIN number, a potential buyer is also able to access the history data of your vehicle to help them make up their minds.

In case there is a legal process or investigation that puts your car on a crime scene, and you were not at the scene, your VIN number can be used to confirm the plate number. If it does, the number will still be used to get more detail about your car enough to prove that you are innocent.

It is, however, good to know that there is nothing much that someone can do with your VIN number that cannot be tracked. That is why you can find the VIN number of some vehicles on the license sticker on the windshield.

VIN number cloning and how to avoid being a victim

VIN cloning occurs when someone copies the number for another car and uses it on a stolen or another car of the same model with the original car. It is, therefore, vital to make sure that you check if the VIN number of the used car you want to buy matches the car’s legal documentation of the vehicle and owner.

Also, VIN numbers are usually placed on many different parts of the car like the dashboard, on the edge of the windscreen, inner parts of the door, etc. you can find out all the places you can check for VIN number by confirming online using the model of your car.

On the slightest realization that there is a problem with the VIN number details, you should not make the mistake of purchasing the car. That is because it might be stolen or worse, used for a crime that can put you behind bars for a very long time.

Know that VIN cloning is illegal, and it can happen to anyone because it is easy to get a cars’ VIN number even if you don’t share it. There have been instances were car thieves copy VIN numbers of cars that are still in a dealership. You can never know if the VIN number of your car is already being used on another vehicle. The car might be in a different state. However, as long as you have legit documentation, you are good to go.

How to look up a VIN numbers

Now that you are ready to buy that used car and the seller has provided you with VIN number, what next? Many people don’t understand how you can access history data of a car using just the VIN number. Nevertheless, most people don’t know that this number alone has enough details to tell you more about the car before even using it to access the history data of a car.

What you need to do with the VIN number is enter it in the search engine of the National Highway Traffic Administration website. You then need to confirm if the details being provided by the results are the same as the ones on the car’s documentation. Note that this process is free only if you find the right site. Some websites that charge for VIN checks are also available. The good thing with their services is they offer more detailed information compared to the free service.

For those who don’t know, the 17 digit VIN number contains some information, but only if you understand how to decipher it. If you don’t know, then this is your lucky day because you are going to find out that your VIN is more than random numbers placed on the edge of your windscreen.

The meaning of each digit of a VIN

The VIN is divided into groups. The first three digits or letters represent the country of origin, the manufacturer, and the type of car, respectively. The second group of numbers or letter are from position 4 to 8. These entail info like car model, engine code, body type, and transmission.

The 9th number is a special one because it is developed using a unique mathematical equation. That is because it is used to detect invalid VINs. The 10th number represents the cars’ model year, while the 11th one represents the manufacturing plant or the location where the vehicle was assembled.

The remaining figures and letters from 12th to 17th represent the production number or serial number from the production sequence. Up to that point, you can now tell so much about a car by simply checking the VIN. However, this is not enough information to help you make a sound decision when buying a car. For the 9th digit to work, you must run the number through the required search engine.

Conclusion

Now that you understand what VIN stands for and what it entails, you are in a better position to avoid buying the wrong car. Keep in mind that car thieves know are canning, and they know that many people don’t take a keen interest in checking the VIN. While you can be lucky not to get caught by the authorities, know that you can lose your car in a snap if the VIN does not match the information on your documentation.

Fake VINs are some of the reasons why some people can only buy brand new cars because some of them have lost vehicles that were quite expensive. Some have even had it worse when they bought cars that have a long trail of criminal records only to find out when it is too late. The good news is, you won’t be that guy.