Where to find your VIN
Open the bonnet — VIN plate is typically near the firewall or on the engine block. On bikes, it's stamped on the frame near the steering column. Also printed on RC in 'Chassis No.' field.
Position 1-3 — World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI)
First 3 characters tell you the country and maker. Examples: MAT = Tata Motors India, MAH = Mahindra, MA3 = Maruti Suzuki, MBL = Hero MotoCorp, ME1 = Yamaha India, MD2 = Bajaj.
Position 4-9 — Vehicle Descriptor
Encodes vehicle type, body, engine, transmission, restraint system. Each manufacturer uses its own scheme. Position 9 is often a 'check digit' to detect tampering.
Position 10 — Model Year
Single character: A=1980, B=1981 ... Y=2000, 1=2001, 2=2002 ... 9=2009, A=2010, B=2011 ... Y=2030. (After Z, returns to A — 30-year cycle.)
Position 11 — Plant of Manufacture
Single character indicating factory. For Tata: A=Pune, F=Lucknow, T=Sanand. For Maruti: G=Gurugram, M=Manesar, S=Suzuki Motor Gujarat.
Position 12-17 — Serial Number
Sequential production number. Two adjacent vehicles off the same assembly line will differ in these 6 digits only. Use this to detect duplicate-VIN fraud (two vehicles claiming same VIN).
Most lookups in this guide take 30 seconds in the app — no login, no fees.
