The vehicle identification number (VIN) is composed of 17 characters (digits and capital letters) that act as a unique identifier for the vehicle. A VIN displays the car's unique features, specifications and manufacturer.
The VIN can be found in a couple of places including on the car's registration label (1), on the compliance plate in the engine bay (2) or on the passenger side windshield (3), or on one of the door posts (where the door latches when it is closed) (4). See the image below:
We're back with another handy guide to what you should be keeping in your car, so that should you one day find yourself in a bit of a pickle, you'll have everything you could need to deal with a sticky situation.
One of the easiest ways to be prepared is to make sure you're starting out with a safe and reliable vehicle which is in excellent working condition - reducing your chances of running into mechanical troubles down the line.
A CarHistory report can help illuminate the past of a used car, informing you (where applicable) of any past insurance claims and a possible odometer roll back, so that you can make the best informed choice possible.
Once you've chosen your ride however, you may want to consider chucking a few of these gems into the boot.
Driving with improperly inflated tyres can be both inefficient fuel-wise and impact handling. Most of us will tell ourselves that we'll check our tyre pressure the next time we go to the garage to fill up with fuel, but how many times do we forget?
Ensure that your tyres are up to the job by carrying a tyre gauge with you. That way you can check your tyre inflation before you leave the house, or after a lot of travelling to ascertain whether you need to pay a visit to the air station.
If air pressure is continuously decreasing even after you refill your tyres, it may be worth checking for a puncture. You can usually find the correct tyre pressure for your particular car's tyres usually on the inside of the driver's side door.
This is a great stand-by, even if your car appears to be running fine. Checking your dipstick for the state of your engine oil is a basic part of car maintenance 101, but when things go wrong it can be the cause of some serious problems.
By keeping a small bottle of oil on hand (car, not cooking oil!) you can rest assured knowing that if your car begins to complain and you pop the roof to find the oil gone, you'll be able to give your car an emergency top up.
This can mean the difference between being stranded and nursing your car to the next service station, so although it's unlikely you'll end up needing it, this is one of those things it might just be worth keeping on hand.