A lot of people are not aware of the vehicle identification number and its use. A vehicle identification number is a 17-digit number that carries a lot of information regarding that vehicle. It is unique for every vehicle and can help us identify the past of the vehicle. It is used a lot before buying a used car as it can help us identify the hidden information of the vehicle. If you are planning to buy a used car, then doing a VIN lookup can provide you with the history of the vehicle and help you learn about its real specs. It will also save you from scams. You can also use the VIN information for bargaining.
Well, all these things we have mentioned in the above paragraph are pretty basic. There are many other things that people do not know about VIN. So, in this article, we will provide you with some surprising facts about VINs. So, let us jump into it without wasting much time.

A LOT OF VIN DECODERS DO NOT DECODE ALL THE DIGITS OF THE VIN

We all know that there are 17 digits in the vehicle identification number. In order to get the information about the vehicle, we have to decode this number. But people who are experts in decoding VIN do not actually decode every digit. They do not do that because it is too expensive. So, the main aim of most of the decoders is to decode the digits that are present in the position of 1 to 8 and then jump to 10 and 11.
It is all about requiring the VIN pattern because that is the main thing that contains basic vehicle information, such as year, make, model, etc. If you want to get precise and detailed information, you will certainly have to spend more. But for basic information and doing basic things, such as check title status free, etc., only requires basic decoding services.

NOT EVERY VIN IS 17-DIGIT LONG

Well, this one is the most surprising fact about VIN. We all believe that every VIN is 17-digit long. But vehicles that were made before the year 1981 do not have 17-digit long VIN numbers. One of the main reasons for that is there never used to be any strict VIN standards at that time. The VIN format was no such thing back then. So, the number of digits used varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. When VIN was created initially in the 1950s, their length used to be around 8-10 characters long. The information they used to contain was also less. They could only tell about model year, assembly plant, and other basic information.
But it all changed in the later years. VIN became very important and now it is widely used as well. A lot of people use VIN to maintain their vehicles properly. VIN is used before buying a used vehicle, as well. But earlier, there were not many uses of it and that is why there was less important of it.

VIN DECODERS DO NOT TELL THE HISTORY OF THE VEHICLE

We use VIN online before buying a used vehicle to learn about the history of the vehicle. The history of the vehicle allows us to learn if there had been any illegal activity done by using this vehicle. It also tells us about the disaster damage, odometer rollbacks, and whatnot. Knowing the VIN history is very important to learn about the hidden facts of the vehicle that many sellers try to hide in order to sell the vehicle at a high price. When you search for a vehicle history online with the help of VIN, then the website is using many sources to provide you with that information. So, VIN decoders do not tell the history of the vehicle because the history is actually tied to the VIN, and not really encoded in it.

VIN DECODERS REQUIRE CONSTANT UPDATING AND MAINTENANCE

There is a lot of logic required to decode the VIN. The VIN decoders have to keep updated with the latest model years, model releases, etc. The prices do update as well. And that is why they have to keep updating their databases.

If you do not know how to run a VIN Number to identify your vehicle information, then it is very easy. Just go to any VIN decoding website and enter your VIN and hit the search tab!