Chassis Number Meaning

What is chassis number meanining? A chassis number is an encoded identification number developed to recognize motor vehicles manufactured since 1989. This is a pre-defined sequence of alphanumerical characters assigned to the vehicle by its manufacturer. The best place to find the chassis number is the engine’s hood or the frame.

chassis number

This number might also be placed on the registration papers and company’s registration letter or on insurance papers or any other legal papers related to the vehicle. This is basically the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) which is a unique alphanumeric number assigned to every vehicle at the time of production. This number consists of 17 characters. Every character has a unique coding and unique meaning with respect to its class and group.

Let’s elaborate this 17 character number. On the first spot there may be a number or an alphabet specifying the region of production. It contains A-H alphabets for Africa, J-R for Asia, S-Z for Europe, and 1-5 for North America, 6 and 7 for New Zealand and Australia, 8 and 9 for South America. At 2nd spot, a digit or alphabet explains the manufacturer of the vehicle. For example, 1 is used for Chevrolet, 4 for Buick, 6 for Cadillac, C for Chrysler, J for Jeep, T for Toyota, G for General Motors, H for Honda, etc. 3rd letter will explain the division of manufacturer.

Next division is a group from letter 4 to letter 8 elaborating information of vehicle description likewise brand of the car, size of the engine, type of vehicle etc. Next digit on the go comes on 9th spot. It elaborates the VIN originality. This number is used to check whether the VIN number is real or fake. Specific digits or alphabets are used on this spot and termed as security key of VIN number.

On 10th spot, it elaborates the vehicle manufacturing year or model. For example, starting from the year 1980 which is assigned A, 1981 is assigned B, 1982 is assigned C, and so on 2000 is assigned Y, 2001 is assigned 1 and 2010 is assigned again A and the series goes on. The alphabets I, O and Q are missed due to the misunderstanding with 1 and 0. On 11th spot, an alphabet indicates which assembling plant assembled the vehicle.

Moving forward with the characters, next spot from 12 to 17, a unique code is maintained by manufacturer which is serial number of the vehicle, assigned by manufacturer and is a unique number for every vehicle manufactured. This number elaborates the engine family on 12th spot, 13th spot elaborates the cylinder count in engine, and 14th spot elaborates the engine variant, 15th spot elaborates the fuel type used for vehicles, 16th and 17th spot are combined and elaborates the displacement of the engine. For example 32 for 3.2 liter engine, etc.

Chassis number might be found on the papers of registration, interior of the dashboard, on driver’s door or on the front of the engine block and in vehicle’s trunk area. In fact, a Chassis number is the coding detail of the vehicle’s VIN as according to the record of the manufacturer.

VIN has been pivotal in standardising vehicle registration. It’s safe to say that without the implementation of mandatory VIN on all modern vehicles. In fact, many countries would be troubled when it comes to keeping track of vehicles without the necessitation of VIN. This was a big issue faced by the US back in the 50s when automobiles were getting increasingly prevalent yet they find themselves lacking a concrete method of tracking them.

Such was the time back then. Without any sort of vehicle identification number, it was tricky to monitor the vehicle specs, engines and transmission fitted to a specific car. More importantly, it was hard to update the status of a specific car, meaning that you wouldn’t know if the car was salvage, or even worse, stolen. The latter of which was one of the original motives for manufacturers to start incorporating VIN onto every car they make.

A VIN is essentially the fingerprint of the vehicle. With a detailed fingerprint report, you can know all there is to know about a person. Such is also the case with VIN. Since almost everything to do with a car needs a VIN check, from service history to insurance claims, it’s a powerful tool to quickly spot a dubious car.

When it comes to VIN though, there remains an uncertainty that’s commonly brought up. Is VIN and chassis number the same thing? The answer to that would be yes, it’s certainly the same. A VIN number is typically affixed directly to the vehicle body through one way or the other, and it’s separate from the engine number and transmission number. This makes it possible for a car to legally have a replacement engine or transmission, given that proper procedures are taken afterwards to re-register the car with the new engine.

Hence, VIN numbers are also sometimes referred to as chassis number or body number. It’s also important to note, if not overt, chassis numbers are totally unique. There are no two cars on the world with the same chassis number since that’d defeat the point of having one. As a matter of fact, tampering with the original VIN in any way, shape or form is illegal.

Similar to your birth certificate or identification card, you are not permitted to change your VIN number. This is known as identity theft, and it has been a big issue amongst automotive sales. Changing the VIN is a common way for the unscrupulous to make it seem like a vehicle has higher specs, modify the history and alter the mileage of the vehicle. This allows them to sell it as something desirable, driving up the price and ruin someone’s day in the process.

There’s a caveat though, you are actually allowed to make changes to your VIN with permission from the DMV, or have proof that it’s unintentional. This is usually applicable for those custom-built kit cars or cars with their body panels replaced, typically for rust repair. It’s a bit of a grey zone, so you’d need to consult your local motor vehicle department beforehand to be certain. If you have a car identified solely by the engine number, this is also applicable for you after an engine change.

Nowadays, to discourage thieves, manufacturers have made it a lot harder to tinker with the VIN of a car. They’re often stamped into the steel, making it almost impossible to modify surreptitiously. Another method is manufacturers simply stamp the VIN in a lot of places throughout the vehicle body. Generally, you can find the number on the driver-side door frame, between dashboard and windshield, at the firewall, below driver’s or passenger’s seat, etc.