The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), often referred to as your Vin Number Id, is a unique 17-character code assigned to every motor vehicle. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation, mandates this standard to enhance vehicle safety and reporting. This VIN encodes crucial details about your vehicle, and NHTSA provides a free online tool to decode it.
NHTSA’s VIN decoder, accessible on their website, allows you to uncover specific information embedded within your VIN number ID. One valuable piece of data you can retrieve is the vehicle’s plant of manufacture. Here’s how to use the NHTSA VIN decoder to find this information:
Step-by-Step Guide to Find Your Vehicle’s Manufacturing Plant Using the VIN Decoder
Step 1: Access the NHTSA VIN Decoder.
Navigate to the official NHTSA VIN decoder website: https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/decoder/. You will see a text box where you can enter your VIN.
Step 2: Enter Your VIN and Decode.
Carefully input your complete 17-character VIN number ID into the provided text box. Then, click the “Decode VIN” button to initiate the process.
Step 3: Locate the Plant of Manufacture Information.
Once the decoder processes your VIN, a detailed results page will appear. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the field explicitly stating the “Build Plant” and “Country” of manufacture for your vehicle.
Keep in mind that the information provided by the NHTSA VIN decoder is based on data reported by the vehicle manufacturer. For any further inquiries or discrepancies, it’s recommended to directly contact the vehicle manufacturer. Additional information may also be available on labels affixed to your vehicle as per 49 C.F.R. Part 583. Using your VIN number ID and the NHTSA decoder is a straightforward way to access important details about your vehicle’s origin.
