7 min read · Oct 11, 2021
Selling your car can feel like a risky business. The used vehicle market is filled with potential scammers, tyre kickers and time wasters. It can occasionally be mildly frustrating to deal with indecisive customers or those who want to know every last detail. Such people have given rise to the “quick sell” market — companies such as We Buy Any Car.
For some lucky souls, it takes mere hours to sell their second-hand car with little-to-no hassle. They are the exception, not the rule.
Providing your VIN as part of the selling process is an excellent way to gain a potential buyer’s trust. They can then use it to see that the information you’re providing is accurate.
In this article, we’ll be exploring whether or not it’s safe to give your VIN to a potential buyer to easily sell your car.
Before selling your car, you should ensure you’ve ticked off a few of the items listed below. It’s, in most cases, crucial to sell your vehicle in a clean, properly working state. Of course, if you’re explicitly putting it on the market as being faulty, scrapped or “breaking for parts”, it’s another story.
- Check from a professional mechanic — this can be a significant step to help you easily sell your car, even if you know your way around vehicles. Getting some kind of certification from a mechanic, such as a full service, provides legal evidence that the car is in good shape. For transparency, you could show the service report to the potential buyer (if they ask).
- Parts replacement — the inspection might throw up some faulty parts, or you might be aware of some issues beforehand. To make the process of selling your car simpler, you should get these parts replaced for OE (Original Engineering — parts made to the same specifications as the original) equivalents. This is unlikely to make you any money, as the car’s slightly increased value will probably be cancelled out by the repair cost. However, it should make the vehicle much more attractive to buyers. Save any evidence of the new part, such as warranties, receipts or other documentation from the mechanic.
- Thorough cleaning — while cleaning clearly has absolutely no impact on the performance or history of your car, it vastly improves a buyer’s first impression. Scientific studies even show that first impressions often override factual information in terms of people’s internal values. As such, it’s absolutely crucial to create a good one. A clean car looks much more appealing to people looking for a new car and should help it sell quicker.
- Document checks — without the correct documentation, potential buyers will be very wary of your car. Make sure you have: ownership documentation, roadworthiness/MOT/Safety certificate, service history booklet.
Without these documents, most savvy buyers will look at your car as potentially stolen or possibly having a hidden history. Don’t post them on any listings but have them ready to show in person.
A Vehicle Identification Number, shortened to VIN, is a unique code found on any and all automotive vehicles. Each individual car has a different VIN from the next. They can be thought of as the fingerprints or DNA of a car — no two are the same.
In 1981, they were standardised and, since then, every new car has a 17-character VIN. This VIN can be used to identify a car and its detailed recorded history.
- The first character details where the car was built.
- The second and third show the manufacturer.
- Vehicles with flexible fuel options can be identified by the second, third and eighth characters.
- Characters four to eight (inclusive) show details about the brand, make, model and engine size.
- The ninth character is a security check, authorising the vehicle as being made by the manufacturer.
- The car’s model year is shown by the tenth character.
- Character eleven indicates the specific plant the car was built at.
- The last six numbers represent the car’s unique serial number.
Interesting fact: VINs never contain the letters I, O or Q, to avoid confusion with the numbers 1 or 0.
Interesting fact: people often use the term “VIN numbers”, but this is equivalent to saying “Vehicle Identification Number” number. It doesn’t quite make sense. For factual accuracy (although it doesn’t really matter too much), just say “VIN”.
Where can I find the VIN?
The VIN is most often found in one of two places: at the bottom of the windscreen or in the driver’s doorjamb or doorpost.
As you look at the car from the front, look down through the windscreen. The VIN could be anywhere along the base of the screen, etched inside the vehicle.
Alternatively, open the driver’s door and check the surface usually hidden when the door’s shut. You’ll often find the VIN close to either where the side mirror usually sits or where the seat belt plug is attached.
Other locations could include:
- At the front of the engine block
- At the front of the car’s frame, near the washer bottle
- In the rear wheel well
- Underneath the spare tyre
If you can’t find your VIN anywhere, check your owner’s manual (or vehicle handbook). This will give you accurate information, including diagrams, about where to find it. If you’re still struggling, check online — YouTube videos can often be beneficial for vehicles with hard-to-find VIN plates.
Should you be concerned if a potential buyer of your car asks for the VIN?
Somebody interested in your listed second-hand car might get in touch with you to ask for the VIN. Since the VIN is the unique identifier for your vehicle, it’s understandable — and sensible — to check whether or not it’s a good idea to hand it out. Rest assured, though, that the exchange of the VIN is a normal, legitimate part of used car selling and is usually the best option.
Giving out your VIN is one of the best ways for a buyer to see that your car isn’t hiding any nasty surprises for them. In some cases, particularly when selling to a dealership, it’s virtually a legal requirement to give them access to the code.
When someone uses a vehicle history checking tool, such as that offered by carVertical, they enter the VIN. As the VIN is associated with the car’s registration and other activities, they can track the vehicle’s entire history.
Vehicle history checking sites reassure buyers on things such as:
- that a car hasn’t been stolen,
- that it shows the correct mileage,
- and that it hasn’t been involved in any unresolved accidents
- (among many other things).
The VIN check won’t reveal any personal information. Don’t worry; your name, address, contact details and financial information are all safe. They aren’t associated with the VIN.
Who to show your VIN to?
As well as dealerships, you should be comfortable allowing potential private buyers to know the VIN. For an extra layer of security, you might like to show them the VIN in person during an inspection (or virtual or remote inspection carried out by someone else on their behalf). This wouldn’t usually be necessary, though.
You might like to gather a couple of personal details from a potential buyer before passing the VIN over to you, but that’s at your discretion. It’s essential to not push every person who approaches you away just because they want to be thorough. In fact, you might even be giving yourself a bad reputation.
Remember that many cars have the VIN etched into the car at the bottom of the windscreen. Anyone passing in the street could quickly note it down if they wanted to, but it very rarely happens. It’s not something to worry about too much.
When shouldn’t I give out my VIN?
You shouldn’t include your VIN on any public listings or advertisem*nts, such as Craigslist, Autotrader or eBay. This can leave you especially vulnerable to the practice of VIN cloning (see more from Rig Dig here). However, VIN cloning usually occurs with cars sitting in scrapyards, so it isn’t something you’d typically have to worry about.
In any situation, giving out your VIN isn’t ever completely guaranteed to be safe — unfortunately, that’s just human nature. However, it shouldn’t be anything to be afraid of. Even in a worst-case scenario (such as VIN cloning), everything should work out just fine for you in the end.
Remember that, although giving out your VIN might be scary — and technically isn’t 100% risk-free — the alternative might be never selling your car and the risk is very low. The benefits far outweigh the possible drawbacks.
We would recommend sharing your VIN with anyone who approaches you privately, as well as dealerships and reputable, legitimate “quick buy” schemes. However, never plaster your VIN or registration details onto the internet. If you have any pictures showing this information, it might be sensible to paint over the letters.
We hope this article has been helpful for you and that you know a little more about how VINs are used in the second-hand car market. Thank you for reading!
