VIN is a unique code that is assigned by the manufacturer to each manufactured vehicle. VIN codes are used to identify a car, and with their help, you can find out the equipment, characteristics and history of any car in the world. Despite the fact that the VIN number has a generally accepted standard size and structure, different manufacturers themselves decide what information the vehicle code will contain. If you are or are about to become the owner of a Mercedes car, it will be useful for you to learn how to check a Mercedes by VIN code.
Why do you need to check the history of the car?
When you buy a used car, checking the history is the only way to find out about the vehicle and all the necessary information about its operation, condition, and damage. Verification provides the buyer with many benefits:
- fraud risk prevention;
- verification of factory characteristics and configuration;
- assessment of the real state of the car and its working resource;
- eliminating the risk of buying a car with serious damage that requires expensive repairs or cannot be restored;
- protection against the purchase of a stolen car;
- eliminating the risk of buying a car with a problematic legal status, for example, if it is pledged, under arrest.
When buying a new car, there is no need to check the history, but even in this case, you can enter the car by the VIN number to find out the exact equipment of the vehicle. This information will be useful in further operation, maintenance, if repairs are necessary, and when purchasing spare parts.
To decipher the code of German brand cars, use the special Mercedes VIN decoder on this website, where you can get both basic data on the factory equipment and the complete history of the vehicle.
Where to look for VIN in Mercedes
Firstly, you should look at the documents for the car. The VIN code is indicated in the registration certificate, in the insurance policy, and in the vehicle registration certificate.
In the car itself, the VIN is located on the body, most often in several places to avoid falsifying the code. Where to watch:
- Under the carpet upholstery in front of the front passenger seat.
- Under the windshield on the driver’s side – this is the standard location of the code, where it can be seen from the outside of the car.
- On the door pillar on the driver’s side.
- In the service menu of the onboard computer.
How to decipher VIN Mercedes
The Mercedes VIN code consists of three character sets:
- WMI is an international identifier. Consists of the first three characters of the code and contains information about the brand, country of origin
- VDS – descriptor (description of the car – model, characteristics, etc.) This part of the code for the European and American markets contains different information data.
Deciphering the VIN code for the European market:
- 4-6 – vehicle series
- 7- body type
- 8-9 engine type and characteristics
VIN decoding for the North American market:
- 4-5 – model;
- 6-7 – equipment;
- 8 – security systems;
- 9 – check character.3. VIS is a vehicle identifier, namely a unique vehicle number. For the US market, the 10-code symbol indicates the model year, and for the European market, the location of the steering wheel. Further, in all cars, 11 characters are the code of the assembly plant and from 12 to 17 characters are the serial number.
Even if you know how to decipher the VIN code, you can use it to get a fairly limited set of information about the manufacturer and factory equipment. To find out the history of the car, you need to use a special VIN decoder that collects data on the operation of the vehicle, insurance claims and accidents, damage, repairs, maintenance and other useful data from various official sources.
