VIN decoder. 17 chars in, the truth out.

A VIN is 17 characters split into three sections. Positions 1–3 are the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) — country and maker. Positions 4–9 are the Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) — body, engine, model — and they're maker-specific. Position 10 is the model year. Position 11 is the plant code. Positions 12–17 are the serial.

Three places: on the V5C logbook (page 2, top); stamped on a plate visible at the base of the windscreen on the driver's side; and printed on the door-shut pillar (driver's side). Many cars also stamp the VIN on the chassis or engine bay for theft tracing.

The ISO 3779 check digit is mandatory in North America but optional in the UK and EU. Many European and Asian manufacturers don't compute it correctly. A mismatch on a North American car (first character 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5) usually means a typo. On a European VIN, it's typically just unenforced.

VIN model-year characters cycle every 30 years. The same letter that means 2017 also meant 1987. We assume the most recent cycle and show the older alternate where relevant. Manufacturers often disambiguate via the WMI's plant or serial range, which is paid manufacturer data.

Not from the VIN alone. UK finance and stolen records are keyed off the registration, not the VIN. Run a Full HPI check by registration to see those signals — and the VIN match itself is one of the things the HPI report verifies.