VIN for car parts
The quickest way to be sent the wrong part is to order it by model and year. The VIN is how suppliers get it right.
Why model and year are not enough
Manufacturers do not change a car once a year. They change it whenever a new supplier, a cost saving or a fix comes along, sometimes part-way through a month. The same model sold in the same year can leave the factory with two different brake disc sizes, three different alternators, or a sensor with a different plug.
Catalogues deal with this by listing parts against chassis number ranges: “up to chassis number…” and “from chassis number…”. Without the VIN, neither you nor the supplier can tell which side of the line the car falls on.
What the supplier does with it
- Dealer parts deskstype the VIN into the manufacturer’s catalogue and see the exact car as built, with every option it left the factory with.
- Motor factors and online sellers use it to pick between the versions their catalogue lists for your model.
- Breakers use it to match a used part from a donor car of the same build.
Getting the VIN when the car is not with you
If you are at a desk and the car is on a drive, at work or belongs to a customer, look it up from the number plate. Enter the reg above and the full VIN comes back on screen, with a copy button so it goes into the supplier’s form without a typing mistake.
If the car is in front of you, read it off for free: where to find a VIN.
Reading a VIN out over the phone
A VIN never contains the letters I, O or Q, so anything that looks like one is a 1 or a 0. Read it in groups of three or four and have it read back. One wrong character is a different car. If you want to know what the characters mean, see what is a VIN.
FAQ
Parts and VIN questions
- Why does a parts supplier want the VIN and not just the reg?
- The reg identifies the model. The VIN identifies the individual car, so the supplier can see which version of a part was fitted when it was built. Mid-year changes and factory differences mean two cars with the same model and year can need different parts.
- Which parts most often need the VIN?
- Brake discs and pads, clutches, suspension arms, sensors, ECUs, body panels, glass and keys. Anything where the manufacturer offered more than one size or version on the same model.
- I am a garage. Can I look up a customer’s VIN before the car comes in?
- Yes. That is one of the most common uses. Take the reg over the phone, look up the VIN, and price or order the part before the car arrives. Each lookup is £2.50.
- Does the VIN tell me the paint code or engine code?
- Not directly in most cases. A dealer parts desk can pull the full build specification from the VIN, including paint and engine codes. Our lookup gives you the VIN to hand them.
More guides
- Chassis number from a regThe chassis number is the VIN. How to get it from the plate.
- Find a VIN without the V5CLost the logbook and need the VIN to replace it.
- Where to find a VINOn the vehicle, on the paperwork, and from the plate.
- What is a VIN?What the 17 characters mean, with the prefixes of common makes.
- VIN year chartThe 10th character and the year it stands for.
- VIN check UKWhat you can check once you have the VIN, and what is free.
Ordering a part and only have the reg?
£2.50 for one lookup, no account, and nothing to pay if we cannot find the VIN.
Find a VIN from a reg