The main locations
The VIN is repeated in several spots so it can always be read, even after an accident:
- ·Base of the windscreen, driver's side: visible from outside through the glass.
- ·Driver's door pillar (B-pillar) or door jamb: on a manufacturer sticker with the VIN and often a barcode.
- ·Registration document (V5C, carte grise, Fahrzeugschein): field E on most European documents.
- ·Under the bonnet and, on many models, stamped into the chassis near the front passenger seat.
Check that every VIN matches
This is the important part. Read the number in at least two physical locations and on the paperwork, and confirm they are identical, character for character.
A mismatch between the windscreen, the door sticker and the papers is a serious red flag: it can indicate a cloned car, a cut-and-shut, or replaced panels. Walk away, or at least demand an explanation and a professional inspection.
Reading it correctly
A VIN is always 17 characters and never uses the letters I, O or Q, to avoid confusion with 1 and 0. If you think you see one of those letters, it is almost certainly a digit.
Once you have the number, a structural decode confirms the make, country and plant. That already tells you whether the VIN is coherent with the car in front of you.