A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique serial number used by the automotive industry to identify individual vehicles. It is usually stamped or displayed on your vehicle, and will always be 17 characters long. For example, Z8NTANT31AS001483.
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Each character has a meaning relating to the make, model, year of manufacture and vehicle. Most VIN's can be found either displayed under the bottom corner of your windscreen, inside your door panel or stamped on the inside of your engine bay.
A VIN is important because we can enter it into your manufacturers parts catalog and find the precise manufacturer part number for your vehicle.
Turon Auto recommend that you only purchase genuine auto parts for your vehicle. We currently stock Toyota, Mitsubishi and Nissan auto parts.
Do all vehicles have a VIN?
Vehicles manufactured before the 1980's may not have a 17-digit VIN as the standardized 17-character alphanumeric code format began in 1981. In such cases, you may find a ‘Chassis’ or ‘Frame Number’ and ‘Model Code’ on your plates instead.
Chassis numbers serve the same purpose as a VIN and are used for car registration, as well as for finding spare parts. By the 1990s the VIN system was standardized worldwide.
Some imported vehicles may also not have a 17 character VIN. The most common examples of this relate to Japanese imports.
Where can I find my VIN?
Your VIN can often be found on the inside panel of your engine bay, the inside panel of your door frame or the inside bottom corner of your windscreen
Your VIN should also be listed on your certificate of registration or car insurance policy.
What is a surrogate VIN?
A VIN must be issued to a vehicle in order for it to be registered within Australia.
A surrogate VIN is a newly created VIN issued by the Australian government to a vehicle that does not already have a VIN assigned.
This may be because the vehicle has been imported and the existing frame number is not recognised or where the original VIN has been removed because the vehicle has been repaired. Or perhaps the vehicle has been previously stolen and the VIN has been partially removed or ground off.
Turon Auto recommend that you only purchase genuine auto parts for your vehicle. We currently stock Toyota, Mitsubishi and Nissan auto parts. To get 10% off your first order at Turon Auto be sure to sign up.
If you have any questions or would like help confirming a part number please feel free to reach out to us via our Contact Us page.
