The recent attempted car bomb attack in Times Square has brought to light the importance of the vehicle identification number (VIN) in tracking a car’s owner. (Read from NY Times: “Unexploded Car Bomb Left Trove of Evidence.”)
The VIN that is usually found on a vehicle’s dashboard was removed from the 1993 Nissan Pathfinder involved in the incident, according to published reports. (Read from CNN: “Times Square bomb suspect arrested 'at last second'.”)
Investigators were able to retrieve the VIN elsewhere and used it to find the name of the registered owner who then led them to 30-year-old Faisal Shahzad. He had recently purchased the vehicle via Craigslist. While it was a cash purchase, it appears the parties did not exchange paperwork. The discovery of the VIN was a key piece of the puzzle that led to the suspect’s quick arrest.
The VIN is like a car’s fingerprint. The 17-digit serial number is found stamped on a metal plate or etched in several places, including where the windshield meets the dash in front of the driver. It's also printed on the car's title document and registration. You can confirm the vehicle's place of manufacture, model year, and other information by referring to the VIN.
The first number or letter corresponds to the country where the vehicle is made: 1 or 4 means USA, 2 is Canada, 3 is Mexico, J is Japan, K is Korea, S is England, W is Germany, and Y is Sweden. The second letter stands for the manufacturer. The 10th letter or number indicates the model year. The digits 7, 8, 9, stand for 2007, 2008, 2009. The letter A stands for 2010. The rest of the numbers relate to the assembly plant and the model serial number.
In 1981, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began to require VINs on all vehicles to provide an identifying mark. From the VIN, a vehicle’s history can be tracked and the model can be identified for recall and other service work.
Related:
How to read a VIN
What's in the VIN?
How to write a NHTSA complaint
How to read a window sticker
Previous
Post a comment
Comments: