How to check a car VIN number
Buying from a classified advert? Checking the VIN before you travel to see a car saves time and filters out problem vehicles.
1. Get the VIN
Ask the seller for the full 17-character VIN. A genuine seller will provide it. Refusal is a red flag.
2. Find it on the car
Look at the base of the windscreen (driver's side), the driver's door pillar, and under the bonnet. All should match each other and the advert.
3. Decode and check history
- Decode it to confirm make, model and year match the listing.
- Run a recall check.
- Buy a history report to check title brands, mileage and theft records.
For a free technical decode of any VIN (make, model, year, plant, specs), use the official NHTSA VIN decoder.
If the VIN in the advert doesn't match the car when you view it, walk away — plate/VIN cloning is common in classified scams.