The 0 or 1 that STARTS the last six digit of the VIN...ie 000001 or 100111...does anyone know what it refers to or what it means???

 

had the same thought...so does that mean that the last 5 five digit determines the # it came off the production line...ie 000001 is the first and 100111 is the 111st but on a second...not really a question to you jim but just a thought.

 

according to http://www.courtesyparts.com/specs/vin.html the character befor the Serial Number is the plant code. Anyone notice if the 1 goes with a different plant code than the 0?

 

Detail Of The Vehicle Identification Numbers

Each character or digit has a particular purpose.

They are as follows:
1 G 1 J F 2 7 W 8 G J 1 7 8 2 2 7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Country Manufactured
Manufacturer
Vehicle Type
Vehicle Features
Accuracy Check Digit
Model Year
Production Plant
Sequential Number

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The first character vehicle identification number (VIN) serial number identifies the country from which the vehicle was manufactured.

*

First vehicle identification number digit: U.S.A.(1 or 4), Canada (2), Mexico (3), Japan (J), Korea (K), England (S), Germany (W), Italy (Z)

*

Second vehicle identification number digit specifies the manufacturer. Audi (A), BMW (B), Buick (4), Cadillac (6), Chevrolet (1), Chrysler (C), Dodge (B), Ford (F), GM Canada (7), General Motors (G), Honda (H), Jaguar (A), Lincoln (L), Mercedes Benz (D), Mercury (M), Nissan (N), Oldsmobile (3), Pontiac (2 or 5), Plymouth (P), Saturn (8), Toyota (T), Volvo (V).

*

Third vehicle identification number digit indicates the vehicle type or manufacturing division.

*

Fourth through eighth vehicle identification number digit reveals the vehicle features such as body style, engine type, model, series, etc.

*

The ninth vehicle identification number digit is a VIN accuracy check digit, verifying the previous VIN numbers. This is how the check digit works

STEP 1
Assign to each number in the VIN its actual mathematical value and assign to each letter the value specified for it in the following chart:

ASSIGNED VALUES:
A=1 G=7 P=7 X=7
B=2 H=8 R=9 Y=8
C=3 J=1 S=2 Z=9
D=4 K=2 T=3
E=5 M=3 U=4
F=6 N=4 V=5

STEP 2
Multiply the assigned value for each character in the VIN by the position weight factor specified in the following chart:

VIN POSITION AND WEIGHT FACTOR:
1st = 8 10th = 9
2nd = 7 11th = 8
3rd = 6 12th = 7
4th = 5 13th = 6
5th = 4 14th = 5
6th = 3 15th = 4
7th = 2 16th = 3
8th = 10 17th = 2
9th = check digit

STEP 3
Add the products from steps 1 and 2 and divide the total by 11.

STEP 4
The numerical remainder is the check digit which would appear in the 9th position in the VIN. If the remainder is 10, then the letter "X" is used for the check digit.

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Tenth vehicle identification number digit tells the model year. 1988 (J), 1989 (K), 1990 (L), 1991 (M), 1992 (N), 1993 (P), 1994 (R), 1995 (S), 1996 (T), 199 7(V), 1998 (W), 1999 (X), 2000 (Y)------2001(1), 2002 (2), 2003 (3)

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Eleventh vehicle identification number digit reveals the assembly plant for the vehicle.

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The twelfth to seventeenth vehicle identification number digits indicate the sequence of the vehicle for production as it rolled of the manufacturers assembly line.



Vehicle Identification Number - VIN Numbers
Copyright © 1999-2002

 

nice post, now i know more about VINs than i really to..

So the last six digits determine the # it came off the production line, that's clear but we're still guessing on what the 1 means on some of the VINs...ie 100111 being last six digits but it can't mean the VINs with a 1 starting the last six digit means its the 100111th car off the production line...

if i sound kind of obsessive about this, its because i am...
i have a VIN and want to know what # my car came off the line...

 

I am apparently doing something wrong, or my VIN is completely screwed up. When I assign each number/letter in the VIN with a numeric value, then take each numeric value and multiply it by it's corresponding number, then add all these numbers up, I get 275! Which when divided by 11 gives me 25 as the value of the check digit. Did I do something wrong?

 

The check digit should then be 5.
???

Sorry, I re-read the algorithm after writing this. Other check digits work this way, where the lowest digit is used as the check digit, but in this case the above instructions indicate that the remainder is used. So I don't get it either; mine doesn't work out using those rules either.

 

Saying the 12th thru the 17th digits is the number of the vehicle off the production line does not explain our 0 and 1 Question we all have. If mine is 000275 (just an example) is mine the 275th one built? Or is it the one that is 100275?

 

If there are two assembly lines, it may be that one assemble line get the odd number production numbers and the other gets the even number production number. Where assembly line "1" first car is 1, second car is 3, third car is 5, etc.....assembly line "0" first car is 2, second is 4 etc....

We need enough vin numbers to tell.....

 

that's a very good point, it doesn't explain the 1 and 0, but i think we all agree the last six digits which is the vehicle's serial tells us the # it came off the line, right??? Cause Nissan is auctioning the first car off the line and it has 000001...so those six digits must some way determine the # the car came of the line...man, wish there's some way to find out...you think the dealers would have ideas???

Oh by the way abz123, looked at the VINs thats in scaf's "soup" and it doesn't coincide with the odd/even number theory, although it seems logical...

 

I would conclude that there are no duplicates if we are saying that the first digit is for the assembly line and the last 5 are the production number. Besides Nissan said they were making 30,000 (5 digit) not 100,000 (6 digit). This would also make sense in an assembly line process where there are several pieces that get the VIN number attached during the build (no need to have 2 of the same numbers except for the first 1 or 0).