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(Photo : Obi - @pixel7propix on Unsplash)

Your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique set of numbers that is ascribed to your vehicle. This number translates to a ton of vital information about your car, the 17-letter combination is mostly displayed on either: 

  • The driver's side dashboard 

  • The driver's side door frame;

  • The owner's manual; and even 

  • The vehicle insurance records. 

Dissecting the VIN

The first three units of the number usually identify the country where the vehicle was assembled, as well as who the manufacturer is. 

The second six-unit sequence provides information regarding the make and model of the car and also provided further information on whether the parts of the car such as airbags and seat belts come with the car. Also, you get to know what type of class the car is under, and what type of parts were used. 

The eighth digit on this sequence sizes the type of engine that the vehicle uses. 

Finally, the last eight-unit sequence will help you to discern how or what makes your car distinct and unique, compared or other vehicles of the same model and make.

There are many platforms that can help you with getting your VIN checked, the most notable being EpicVin. For those in the U.S., you can get your USA free Vin check from EpicVin. 

You can check your VIN for free here because EpicVin is powered by Autoinspect.us LLC, which is an approved NMVTIS Data Provider. NMVTIS is a database designed to protect customers from unsafe, stolen, and fraudulent vehicles, so be assured that with our free service to check your VIN, you are in safe hands.

Why Is Your VIN Very Important?

There are many reasons why you need to check your VIN. These include: 

1. Safety Recalls 

First off if any part of your used vehicle has been previously recalled, your VIN will be able to identify such information within the database of information that stores such records of vehicle part recalls.

This helps to protect the safety of you and your vehicle,  ensuring that defective car parts are not in use. It also helps to prevent future accidents or injuries.

2. Used Car Purchase

EpicVin provides basic free VIN checks for those that are considering buying used vehicles. This is particularly important because you need to ensure you are not buying a car that is already defective in its functionality. 

With VIN, you can confirm whether the seller is genuine regarding the condition of the vehicle you are considering purchasing, or even whether the vehicle has been involved in any form of accident, or parts of it have been recalled. 

3. Theft

VIN helps to check whether such a vehicle is stolen or not. By using the vehicle's VIN, you can confirm whether the vehicle has the correct license plate on it.

4. VIN helps to verify the mileage information

When considering a used vehicle, it is also important to know the mileage information of the car. VIN will help to verify the genuineness of the advertised mileage, which can be a pivotal factor when thinking of buying such a used car. 

5. VIN will tell you whether the vehicle is flooded vehicle 

When you use the VIN, You will be able to decipher whether the car is a flooded car. Floods can create a significant adverse impact on vehicles. Fraudsters can withhold such information from unsuspecting car buyers to sell such a vehicle. A flooded vehicle is defined as a vehicle that has either been partially or wholly submerged in water, to such an extent that the body, engine, and other necessary parts of the car may have been damaged. Therefore, using the car's VIN will help you to know whether the car has been flooded or not. 

6. VIN helps to check the severity of accidents 

VIN will help you know the intricate details of any car accident that the vehicle may have suffered. Mere appearance may be deceiving, which is why you always need to check the VIN of the vehicle. 

7. To know whether the airbags have been deployed before 

This is also an important factor, as more assumptions of this information may lead to loss of life and property. If the airbags of the prospective car have been deployed, they will need to be replaced. Its airbag control module will also be reprogrammed or entirely replaced. 

8. Confirm the car's title document 

Finally, the VIN of the car can be used to know the official document of the vehicle before it was exported. The car title indicates several things about the car, including the certificate of origin, manufacturer's statement of origin, clear title, salvage title, etc. Therefore, through the VIN you can decide whether a car has a non-repairable title through the certificate of destruction. In such a case, one must avoid the car by all means. 

In conclusion, EpicVin will help you to verify your vehicle's important information that can help you to ascertain whether such a used car is a good deal for you or not.