VINs serve as a unique fingerprint for motorized vehicles. Standardized in 1981 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for security and identification purposes, they enable operators across the automotive industry to easily access vehicle information.
This article explores sectors that can benefit from automatic VIN scanning, and from mobile VIN scanning solutions in particular.
About VINs
A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique sequence of 17 alphanumeric digits that serves as an identity code for automotive vehicles. Many of the digits provide vehicle-specific information, like the model year. Digit 9 is a special check digit used to detect fraudulent VINs.
A VIN consists of three main sections:
- Digits 1-3: World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI), indicating the country of origin or final assembly point, manufacturer and region of production
- Digits 4-9: Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS), with information on the vehicle model, body type, restraint system, transmission type, and engine code
- Digits 10-17: Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS), with the year, manufacturing plant and unique production serial number
Traditionally, Vehicle Identity Numbers were precisely that: numbers. However, after VINs were standardized in 1981, the use of VIN barcodes became more common. They are a scannable, machine-readable counterpart to the human-readable VIN. They enabled faster, more accurate checks and data entry.
VINs can usually be found in the following locations:
- Top of the dashboard on the driver’s side: Easiest to see from outside the vehicle when looking through the windshield, where the hood joins the windshield
- Inside the driver’s door: Only accessible when the door is open, near the latch on the doorpost
- Near the engine block: Usually on a sticker
- On the vehicle documents
The placement can differ on motorcycles and vehicles like trailers and campers.
VIN applications
When run through online databases, VINs enable access to comprehensive information about a vehicle’s history and characteristics. Users can look up its accident history, maintenance and service logs, as well as previous ownership records.
Because they tie these records together, VINs are valuable for various operations across and beyond the automotive industry.
Fleet management
VINs allow fleet managers to quickly access detailed information about each vehicle. VIN information is essential for vehicle inspection reports, for instance. Managers can quickly identify vehicles affected by recalls due to reaching mileage thresholds and schedule necessary repairs – with the right parts.
Automotive dealerships and car auctions
With knowledge of a vehicle’s history, used car dealers can correctly appraise cars based on their accident history, damage sustained, maintenance history, loan and lien checks, or active recalls. Besides that, car dealers can identify stolen vehicles by cross-referencing their VINs against registers of stolen cars.
Auto repair services and body shops
Referencing the car information contained in VINs, vehicle maintenance and repair services can order correct parts specific to the vehicle’s make, model, year, and production batch. This minimizes errors in part selection and ensures repairs are in line with the vehicle’s original specifications.
Government facilities
Law enforcement officers, certified inspectors, or authorized motor vehicle department personnel can verify a vehicle’s identity and legal status with VIN inspections.
Extracting VINs automatically
In all of these use cases, VINs have to be recorded somehow. Doing so manually is error-prone and cumbersome. Like other vehicle parts, VINs are affected by wear and are often located in difficult-to-reach spots, further complicating things.
This is why automatic capture of VIN numbers and VIN barcodes is gaining traction.
OBD2 scanners
One way to retrieve the VIN is through the vehicle’s onboard diagnostics (OBD2) system. Here, a dedicated OBD2 scanner is connected to the OBD2 port usually located by the gas pedal. Today, the data from the scanner is usually accessed through an OBD2 mobile app.
VIN barcode scanners
VIN barcodes are a machine-readable representation of VINs. Most often, and especially on older vehicles, VIN codes use a subset of Code 39, a common barcode type in the automotive industry.
However, the trend is towards more advanced barcode symbologies that offer a higher data density, and enable additional functionalities, such as tracking. Some automotive manufacturers are now adopting 2D VIN barcodes, such as Data Matrix.
Today, VIN codes are often found on a sticker inside the driver’s door. They can be scanned with all types of barcode scanners, from traditional dedicated devices to modern barcode scanner software for smartphones or tablets.
VIN OCR scanners
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology extracts text, such as a VIN, from vehicles or vehicle documents. Modern software returns the VINs in key-value pairs ideal for further processing, such as running it through a VIN database.
Mobile VIN scanning on the rise
Mobile VIN scanners combine OCR with barcode scanning technology, creating an all-around VIN scanner solution that can scan both the VIN number and the corresponding barcode.
This double functionality is useful in real-world conditions. Since VINs are often scanned through windshields, there are many complicating factors: dirt and shadows through reflecting glass, wear, and an awkward scanning angle. VIN barcodes serve as a backstop for accurate scans.
Mobile VIN scanners have several advantages over dedicated scanners.
VIN scanner mobile apps can be installed on virtually any smart device, and web app versions need no install at all. They utilize the device’s camera to scan and its computing power to extract VINs and barcodes – with modern cameras and image processing techniques, they produce significantly more accurate scans.
Due to their familiar app-based user experience, mobile VIN scanners are simple to operate, meaning there is no learning curve and little need for training.
At the same time, the smart devices can be used for other purposes, such as running a dealership or fleet management system, communicating with clients, and more. They can thus replace several expensive dedicated devices, not just scanners.
Mobile VIN scanner software
The Scanbot VIN Scanner SDK offers fast and accurate VIN scanning. It replaces slow, error-prone manual VIN entry with fast, reliable automatic data extraction.
The SDK is easy to integrate into your mobile or web dealer management system (DMS) or fleet management app, and gives users quick and easy access to vehicle information by simply pointing a smartphone or tablet camera at the vehicle’s VIN.
The Scanbot SDK was developed for real-world conditions. Damaged, curved, or dirty barcodes and poor lighting conditions pose no challenge, perfect for VIN scanning on used vehicles and in hard-to-reach spots.
Read more about how ETE REMAN, a U.S. remanufacturer, enabled its B2B customers to scan VINs directly from vehicles or work orders. Thanks to the Scanbot VIN Scanner SDK, looking up pricing and delivery information for transmissions is now a breeze.
Contact us at scanbot@sdk.io to learn more about our VIN Scanner solution.
