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:
A Today Tonight investigation has uncovered a major car selling scam, with thousands of cars having their odometers wound back to increase the sale value.
Cars are being sold at $10,000 to $20,000 more than they're worth
This scam is being now investigated by police and Government.
The investigation centres around a number of dealerships in Sydney, knowingly selling dodgy cars to unsuspecting consumer without giving them the full history.
One story in the investigation is that of Michele and David, who almost bought what turned out to be a dodgy Mitsubishi Grandis. Luckily they took the initiative to visit CarHistory to run some checks for themselves. The report stated that the vehicle was a repairable write-off, something which the salesman did not disclose.
Michele and David managed to get their deposit back on the car, and the dealership promised to return the car to it's previous owner. However it has remained for sale.