What is chassis number?
Unlike carmakers in the United States and elsewhere who use a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), Japanese manufacturers used a chassis number, 9 to 12 alphanumeric characters identifying model and serial number.
However, nowadays almost all carmakers use VIN as the exclusive car identification number. Chassis number, or frame number, becomes a synonym of VIN.
The first VIN dates back to 1954 when it came in a variety of configurations, ranging from 5 to 17 characters. It is mainly divided into 3 parts — world manufacturer identifier, vehicle descriptor sections, and vehicle identifier section.
The VIN or chassis number is crucial for various purposes, including vehicle registration, insurance, tracking recalls, and verifying the authenticity of a vehicle. For example, the 10th character indicates the model year of the vehicle, with A representing the year 1980 and 2021.
Where to find chassis numbers?
Locate the VIN on the car
- ✨ The lower left-hand side of the dashboard
- ✨ The front of the car frame, near the windshield washer container
- ✨ In the trunk, covered by the spare tire
- ✨ Driver-side doorpost or doorjamb with the door open
- ✨ Peek in the rear wheel well
Call the dealership or manufacturer
If you fail to find the VIN, call your dealer or manufacturer and provide your car’s make and model. They may specify where to find your VIN.
Find the VIN on the paperwork
- ✨ Title document
- ✨ Registration card
- ✨ Owner’s manual that comes with the car
- ✨ Insurance card or policy
How to look up chassis numbers?
To perform a chassis number lookup, there are official and third-party methods available.
1. NICB
As a non-profitable organization dedicated to fighting insurance fraud and crime, National Insurance Crime Bureau has been providing public service for years. Through its VINCheck tool, you can determine if your car has a record of an insurance theft claim or has been reported as a salvage vehicle. It’s of great importance if you plan to purchase a second-handed vehicle from an individual.
- Head to NICB’s official webpage.
- Enter a VIN or take a photo of a VIN to upload into VINCheck. Then check the box and click SEARCH VIN.
- It will list the search results.
2. BeenVerified
Powered by an approved NMVTIS data provider, BeenVerified dives deep into a vehicle’s past. By entering a VIN, you may find some facts hidden by car dealers in the report: theft records, accident history, salvage, damage, and others.
You’ll be redirected to a new page where a detailed report will be generated. Purchase a membership plan and browse the report to check for different sections: title records, recalls, market value, vehicle specs, warranties, and so on.
3. Bumper
To do a chassis number lookup, you cannot miss Bumper, a vehicle expert with over 1 million monthly visitors. Complying with reliable, regularly updated information from the government and other partners, it provides thousands of reports weekly to help people make informed car-buying decisions.
- Visit Bumper search page.
- Enter a VIN number and click Search to perform a vehicle identification number lookup.
- Your report will be ready in minutes. You may find abundant information in the report to help you have a clearer idea of the car and make better negotiations with the dealer.
Why should you run a VIN check?
Running a chassis number check can be important for various reasons. For instance, if you plan to buy a used car, here are the information you might get from a VIN report:
- Hidden problems: A report may reveal unnoticed problems that sellers want to hide from you to earn a higher price, such as accidents, salvage titles, flood damage, or odometer discrepancies.
- Title issues: You might not know if the vehicle has a salvage title or if it has undergone significant repairs without a VIN check. A salvage title indicates that the car was declared a total loss by an insurance company.
- Ownership history: You may find out the number of previous owners and how long the vehicle has been owned by each. If they shift the car shortly after purchasing, this may shows that the vehicle has significant issue.
- Fraud prevention: Scammers may describe a vehicle that even does not exist to get your payment. A chassis number report can confirm the vehicle’s details to see if they match the information provided by the seller.
- Liens and loans: Check if there are outstanding liens or loans on the vehicle. Purchasing such vehicles could lead to complications and troubles.
FAQs
 What if my VIN is less than 17 characters? |
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| If your vehicle’s VIN is less than 17 characters, it was likely made before 1981. We recommend using BeenVerified VIN decoder to get a post-1981 VIN report. |
| Is Chassis Number Lookup the Same as a Vehicle History Report? |
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| Yes, Chassis Number Lookup is often synonymous with obtaining a Vehicle History Report. Both processes involve using the VIN to gather information about a vehicle’s background. |
| Can I Perform a Chassis Number Lookup for Any Vehicle? |
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| Chassis Number Lookup can generally be performed for any motor vehicle with a valid VIN. This includes cars, trucks, motorcycles, RVs, and other types of vehicles. |
There’s no guarantee you’ll find the information you’re looking for with the tools discussed in this article. They all source their information from publicly available data sources, such as county, state and federal courts, government departments, and police records, and those sources may contain incorrect or incomplete data. It’s illegal to use these tools to make decisions about employment, admission, consumer credit, insurance, tenant screening, or any other purpose that would require FCRA compliance. Read the Fair Credit Reporting Act to learn more....About this article
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