Understanding your vehicle can maximize its efficiency and use it to its full capabilities. The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique series of 17-digit numbers and letters, and it serves as a one-stop code for all the specs you need to find out about a given vehicle. For your Chevy vehicle, the online Chevy VIN decoder can give you a lot of details about your car you might otherwise not know.
How Does a Chevrolet VIN Decoder Work?
To understand how an online VIN decoder works, we need to first understand what kind of information you can get from a vehicle identification number.
Suppose you want to decode the VIN number of your Chevrolet Corvette. Your Corvette VIN number will be divided into three sections when inputted into the decoder’s search bar.
- WMI - The first three characters are the vehicle’s WMI (world manufacturer identification). It provides information about the vehicle’s country of origin, manufacturer, and place of production.
- VDI - Digits 4 to 9 make up the vehicle’s VDI, which refers to the vehicle description section. It tells you about the properties of that specific vehicle including its engine size, engine type, trim level, etc.
- VIS - The last 8 digits represent the VIS or the vehicle identification section. This part indicates the assembly plant, model year, and the serial number of the vehicle.
When you run a specific VIN number through an online Chevy VIN decoder, it checks for the car's information by reference to the universal VIN coding system and provides you with the full details about the vehicle’s exact specs based on the provided VIN number.
A Chevy VIN decoder will also cross-check the digits with the authorized national databases such as the National Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) database, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), as well as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to gather additional vehicle records. Therefore, using the Chevrolet VIN decoder is one of the most reliable ways to learn everything about the background information of a Chevrolet car.
How Can I Use a Chevrolet VIN Decoder?
A simple-to-use and completely free online Chevrolet VIN decoder can be very useful by gathering every important detail about your Chevy in specific. Having the VIN can make a big difference in several scenarios.
When choosing a used Chevy
One of the most common uses of a VIN number decoder is when buying a used vehicle. It's helpful to look up the VIN with the Chevy VIN decoder whenever you are buying a used Chevrolet so you can collect every detail about the car. You can verify if the seller is making legitimate claims about the car.
A Chevy VIN decoder can reveal the true condition of the car in question by collecting information and official reports from government-authorized data sources. These major records include accident records, and service and maintenance history. Those are crucial when buying used vehicles as they may indicate if the vehicle has been through accidents or has been marked as a “lemon.”
More importantly, you want to see if the car has been reported as stolen; buying resold stolen cars can get buyers in big trouble. Most online tools can instantly communicate with the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) to verify if the provided VIN is reported stolen. This way, you can make sure you are buying a clean title used Chevy without any concerns.
When buying a new Chevrolet
You can also use a Chevrolet VIN decoder to verify the vehicle's specs when purchasing a new Chevy. An online VIN decoding tool can quickly analyze the provided VIN number and give you a detailed description of the vehicle specs including engine type, transmission, and trim level.
Looking up the VIN number of your brand-new Chevy through an online VIN checker will ensure you are aware of exactly what your new car offers. You can question the dealership if it doesn't provide all the specs it promises in the window sticker when the car was sold.
OEM parts & accessories
If you are currently a Chevy owner and you want to perform upgrades or quick easy fixes on your car, an online Chevrolet VIN decoder can help you get the right parts and tools.
Chevrolet offers a vast selection of modification parts and personalization accessories from GM as well as certified third-party accessory manufacturers through Official Accessories for Chevrolet. You can use the vehicle details from an online VIN decoder to search for genuine accessories developed precisely for your car.
Chevrolet trucks and vans are known for being heavy-duty vehicles because of their durability, but there will inevitably be damage to these reliable machines along the way. The online decoding services for Chevrolet cars can provide you with detailed information regarding the exact model and production year of your vehicle, allowing you to identify the right OEM parts and easily fix your car through the Official Chevrolet Parts.
Chevrolet owners can also get their vehicles maintained conveniently with easy-to-get replacement and consumable parts thanks to General Motors’ powerful after-sale network ACDelco. Simply enter the information from the Chevy VIN decoder into the GM Parts web portal, and the needed parts will be shown to you immediately.
How To Locate A Chevrolet VIN?
Before decoding the VIN number of your Chevrolet, you first need to know where to find it. The fastest way to find your car's VIN number is through the following documents that come with the car when you purchase it:
- Vehicle Registration
- Vehicle Title Certificate
- Maintenance Records (for second-hand vehicles in most cases)
If you are not able to access any of these documents, you can also find the VIN illustrated at the following places on the vehicle:
- Inside the engine bay next to the hood latch
- At the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side of the vehicle
- On the main sticker at the side door jam of the driver’s or passenger’s side of the vehicle
- On the vehicle’s rear chassis panel, under the firewall next to the spare wheel (if equipped)
Still not able to locate the VIN number? You can always check the printed owner’s manual where you can find detailed instructions about finding the VIN number of the vehicle at the right spot, along with other useful information and guides for using the vehicle correctly and effectively.
You can also download the electronic version of the owner’s manual at Chevrolet Vehicle Support. Select the production year along with the model of your Chevy, and you will see a list of online manuals and user guides for your vehicle instantly.
What Is The Process Of Getting A Vehicle Report Through VINPit?
Once you have the VIN number of your vehicle on hand, simply visit the online Chevy VIN decoder at VINPit and get your search going right away. Follow these steps and get the free online report with full details about your Chevrolet in just a few clicks!
- Enter the Chevy VIN in our search box.
- Click the “Start Search” button.
- Get a free vehicle report for your Chevrolet in no time.
What Can I Find In A Vehicle Report From VINPit?
VINPit partners with various third-party service providers to generate a fully detailed report for our customers. The report may include, but is not limited to, the following information:
- Vehicle specifications
- Odometer records
- Auction records
- Last sale price
- Recall announcements
- Services and maintenance history
- Major accident records
- Whether the car has total loss claims
- Whether the car has been identified as a “lemon”
How Can I Get Vehicle Reports From The Local DMV Office?
If you are not satisfied with the results you get online, you can also request a copy of your vehicle registration and driving report regarding a specific VIN number with more accurate information from your local DMV office.
Let's say you want to get an official vehicle report in Colorado. Simply visit the request submission portal on Colorado’s Division of Motor Vehicles website and enter your verification credentials. You will receive a copy of the vehicle report through your preferred channel soon after the application.
For more details regarding available channels for obtaining your vehicle report and driving records, as well as requesting documents for other vehicles in Colorado, visit here for additional instructions and information.
You can also visit the official website of the United States government to access the online platform of your local DMV office for other driver and vehicle-related services.
Can I Rely On a Chevy VIN Decoder When Buying Used Chevys?
We do not recommend you rely on the result from an online VIN decoder when buying used vehicles. It is important that you use one, but it should not be the only source of information that you get.
The purpose of a VIN decoder is simply to decode the provided VIN number and return the basic specs of a given vehicle. Most online VIN decoders will then generate a report with information from various government official databases and third-party service providers regarding the provided VIN for their customers.
The crucial information in most of these generated vehicle reports, including accident records, services history, and insurance claim records, relies on the service channel, which only the listed official Chevrolet dealers and certified workshops can access and modify the vehicle record in the backend system.
That is, if the vehicle had an accident but was not fixed by one of the listed dealers or certified workshops, there will be no related records available for that vehicle. That means you will be unlikely to find out the true condition of the vehicle relying solely upon a VIN decoder. Be sure to get your chosen vehicle inspected by a trusted mechanic and test-drive it before you purchase it.
/* VINPit’s Top Tip:
If you are planning to buy a used Chevrolet vehicle, especially a Chevy performance model, not only should you use a Chevy VIN decoder, but you should also contact professional third-party inspectors to thoroughly inspect the vehicle before you make any purchase decisions. */
People are also asking…
How can I browse the full recall history of a Chevy VIN number?
A vehicle report generated by VINPit will contain most of the recent recall information regarding the provided VIN number. If you want to check the full recall announcement history of the selected Chevrolet vehicle or other GM models, please visit GM Recall Centre for more details.
Does the Chevrolet VIN decoder at VIPit support Chevy trucks and Vans?
Yes, the online Chevrolet VIN decoder here at VINPit supports VIN codes belonging to any Chevrolet model vehicle including cars, vans, and trucks.
Is it safe to provide the VIN number of my vehicle when using the Chevy VIN decoder?
Yes, it is safe to provide your VIN number online. In general, the VIN number can be found easily under broad daylight, and you can locate it at the bottom of the windshield for most cars on the street.
Still, we do value your privacy. VINPit does not require users to log in or to submit their personal information in exchange for VIN decoding services, and we will not store any of your search data in any form and will not expose your search to anyone, including VINPit, other than you.
Can VINPit get the owner record of a Chevy VIN number?
Unfortunately, no. You are not able to get any records regarding previous owners of a vehicle through online VIN decoding services, as it is illegal according to the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and against our privacy security policy.
To learn more about obtaining vehicle title records or anything related to individual vehicle services, please contact your local DMV office.