Every Toyota vehicle has a unique combination of numbers and letters which is called a Toyota VIN number.
The Vehicle Identification Number, VIN, represents a unique vehicle identifier, which helps to record and retrieve several information about a vehicle. The Toyota VIN number is essential to keep track of events, maintenance, claim insurance and many more about your Toyota car.
You can use the VIN number to check for the history of a used Toyota car and also for searching for spare Toyota parts. The format of the VIN number is the same for all manufacturers except for some classic VINs with characters less than 17 digits.
What Does a Toyota VIN Number Represent?
To simply put, every Toyota VIN number comprises 17 characters, with each of them coding for the year, make, model, trim, engine information and other basic vehicle information.
You can access all the major past events of a Toyota car by performing a Toyota Check by VIN.
The Toyota VIN Number has been categorized into four sections:
- World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) – the first three characters of the Toyota VIN reveal the manufacturer and country of origin.
- Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) – the five characters in this section code for the vehicle’s brand, engine, transmission, body style, series, etc.
- The Check digit – the ninth digit identifies and proofs that the Toyota VIN number is legitimate and authorized by the manufacturer .
- Vehicle Identification Section – this section contains eight characters, where the last six characters represent the unique serial number. The other two characters reveal the model year and manufacturing plant.
Facts About a Toyota VIN Number
- A Toyota VIN number will only consist of numbers and letters (in capital).
- Letters “I”, “O”, and “Q” are never contained in a Toyota VIN number due to their optic similarities to numbers like “1” and “0”.
A Toyota VIN number cannot be decoded manually. This is only made possible with a Toyota VIN Check tool.
Where to Find a Toyota VIN Number
To reduce car theft and scam, the VIN number has been found at multiple locations on the car. A mismatch of VINs from multiple locations on a used Toyota car can indicate that the seller is trying to sell a car welded from separate pieces.
Here are five locations to find your Toyota VIN number:
- On top of the dashboard, behind the windshield.
- By the driver’s-side door jamb
- It’s also stamped into the chassis, under the driver’s seat.
- In important documents like the registration and insurance documents.
- In the Toyota Window sticker
Remember that the Toyota VIN number must be the same for every location. All the VIN characters must also be the same. If otherwise, you might be at risk of legal issues as a result of VIN tampering.
What Information Can a Toyota VIN Number Provide?
The Toyota VIN number can provide important information about a Toyota vehicle. These include:
1. Vehicle Specifications
The VIN number can provide access to a vehicle’s year, make and model. This also provides information about the model year, plant information and engine information.
2. Maintenance and Service History
Access records about a vehicle’s maintenance and service history using the VIN number. This will provide insight into how the vehicle was used and maintained by the previous owner(s). It will also reveal the repairs that were completed in the past.
3. Mileage Records
The mileage is the number of miles a vehicle has accumulated since it’s been in use. Knowing about the mileage of a car can put you in a better position when negotiating a price for a vehicle. This will also prevent you from being a victim of dishonest dealers who deliberately roll back the odometer in order to sell above the car’s value.
4. Accident history
Most times, sellers will try to be silent about the accident records of a used vehicle, even if they know about it. Running a Toyota VIN check is able to verify the accident records of a used Toyota car. If a vehicle looks clean, ascertain with a VIN check.
5. Previous number of owners
Get to know about the number of individuals that have owned a used car and the duration of their ownership. This will help you to perceive the reason why the vehicle is being put off for sale.
6. Title Brands
Buying a car with a branded title means you’re buying a used car without a clean title. Such a vehicle might have been involved in a collision, been in a fire, or have been damaged by flood.
7. Recalls
A recall is issued when a car manufacturer detects that a vehicle (its parts or components) has some safety risks or fails to meet minimum safety standards.You can check if your Toyota vehicle has been recalled using the Toyota VIN number.
Need to buy a used Toyota car, run a Toyota VIN Check to verify the full history now!
You may also want to know: How to Check Toyota Recall by VIN
