Chevy - Vehicle Identification Numbers

Positions 1, 2 and 3 of a VIN represent the World Manufacturer Identifier - WMI. For example if the first three digits are '1G1', this represents a USA, Chevy.

Digits 4 to 9 represent the Vehicle Descriptor Section - VDS. Vehicle Descriptors vary with each manufacturer but are commonly used to describe the vehicle body type, transmission and the engine. Located at position 9, the Check digit value is used to verify that the VIN number has not been altered.

Digits 10 to 17 represent the Vehicle Identifier Section - VIS. Vehicle Identifiers are used to uniquely identify a particular make of vehicle. This includes the year of manufacture and the vehicle serial number.

A Vehicle Identification Number may appear in various places on a car: i) visible through the windscreen above the dashboard on the front passenger side ii) on a plate attached to the engine bay iii) on a label attached to the drivers door locking column and iv) on the vehicle registration document. More than one VIN label may appear on a car.

In 1983 the International Organization for Standardization issued revisions of ISO 3779 (Vehicle Identification Number) and of ISO 3780 (World Manufacturer Identifier - WMI). These standards describe a 17-digit code that is used to uniquely identify road vehicles - where the manufacturer builds more than 500 vehicles per year. The standards have been implemented in slightly different ways in North America and in Europe (European manufacturers are not required to assign an assembly year to a vehicle, also Check Digit values may not be implemented). In all cases the following letters are not allowed in a VIN: I, O, and Q.