Confirming a Car's True Identity

Vehicle Identification Number

There are two searches you should do when buying a car: one against the VIN and one against the name of the business or individual selling the car. You may wish to search the names of any previous owners as well.

The VIN is the identification number the manufacturer affixes to the vehicle, usually on the dashboard. The VIN should be obtained directly from the vehicle - the VIN on the vehicle permit may be incorrect.

VINs of stolen cars

Car thieves are try to hide the fact that a car is stolen by:

• Removing VIN plate;
• scratching out VIN number;
• altering the VIN
• replacing the real VIN with a fake one; or
• replacing the real VIN with a duplicate of another car's VIN