How do I find my car tow capacity by VIN number? Let’s dive into how you can find your VIN and figure out exactly what your vehicle’s towing capacity is.
If you lost your vehicle owner’s manual or planning to buy a used car without knowing any past records then VIN( Vehicle Identification Number) is to look at for getting complete details about the vehicle. Once you have the VIN, you can use it to look up the towing capacity in a database. With the data, you might be competent to calculate the towing capacity for your specific vehicle model and year. It’s dangerous to exceed your vehicles towing capacity, and it can cause a lot of damage to your vehicle.
What is the VIN number on a car?
The VIN stands for (Vehicle Identification Number) and is a unique code given to every engine vehicle when it’s manufactured. The VIN number on the car is a 17-character series of letters and numbers without any spaces. Each digit of the VIN provides a detailed description of the information about the vehicle, including the build year, country of origin, and factory of manufacture; the make and model; and the serial number. VINs are usually printed in a single line. Vehicles do not have the same VIN, which makes it a significant form to recognize a specific vehicle.
Although the long set of numbers and alphabetical letters may appear arbitrary, there’s really a code with various characters that have a specific meaning decoding into additional information about the vehicle. It’s like the social security number for your car. Here’s a brief description of what individual character in the VIN indicates:
- The first character denotes the country where the car is manufactured.
- The second alphabet letter for the vehicle manufacturer brand like F for Ford, G for General Motors, and so on.
- The third character is vehicle type or division which identifies the car manufacturer.
- The fourth to eighth combined four characters outline the vehicle model, body style, engine type, series, etc.
- The ninth character is a code completed by the manufacturer to confirm the accuracy of the VIN number after the combined letter security check digit.
- The tenth indicates the model year starting in 1980 and increasing incrementally from there of the vehicle.
- The eleventh reveals which plant assembled the car. For example, Toyota Tacoma is assembled in the USA plant.
- Finally, the twelfth to seventeenth with a combination of six characters represent the car serial number also the vehicle identification sequence, and they’re used to identify each individual vehicle.
Where is the VIN number on the car?
You may find the VIN number under the hood in front of the engine block on most gasoline cars. The front of the dashboard is on the driver’s side. You may also find the VIN number on the driver’s side door pillar inside the vehicle. The driver’s side interior dash is the most common place to locate VIN. The front end of the frame is on old cars. If you can’t find the VIN number on the vehicle, you should also be able to encounter it on your vehicle’s title or liability insurance papers.
Is it easy finding the VIN number on a car?
The VIN may appear in one or more places on a car as well as in some documents. The most common location is where the windshield meets the dashboard on the driver’s side of the vehicle. The driver’s side door jamb near where the door latch is another place to look. If you don’t have your truck’s VIN, there are other ways to find it. You can usually find it on the dash near the windshield on the driver’s side, or on the doorjamb on the driver’s side. You can also find it in your truck’s owner’s manual, or on the registration paperwork.
Note: Always pay attention to the VINs on a vehicle you’re considering buying. If the VIN seems in considerable places, but the variety of numbers and letters isn’t the same in each location, the car may have been revamped with stolen parts or recovered from accidents by replacing cheap parts and accessories.
How to check the VIN number on a car?
Enter your vehicle’s 17-character Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) in the field above to look up and receive an instant report on its manufacturer, brand, make and model, body style, engine size, assembly plant, and model year. The VIN Decoder lookup is intended for use with vehicles manufactured since 1981. If your vehicle was made before 1981, the VIN will most likely contain 11 characters. Every car in the United States that is manufactured in the year 1981 or later is required to have a VIN in the same standardized format. Vehicles made before 1981 had VINs, but their length and format varied by the automaker.
If you want to understand what a car’s VIN means, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration VIN decoder can help. Just enter the car’s VIN and model year, and the VIN Decoder tool will interpret the VIN for you. The information is provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) from the data submitted by the manufacturers to NHTSA. Also you can check by visiting the official brands company website or other trusted VIN checker website for knowing vehicle history reports detail information about your vehicle. To do this, you’ll first need the car’s VIN. There are several websites, such as Carfax, vehiclehistory, autozone and AutoCheck, using the VIN.
Why is the VIN number important?
The Vehicle Identification Number is unique think of it as a car’s fingerprint or you can compare it to an X-Ray where all internal factors can be known. When buying a used car, getting the details on a car’s history can help you make sure you don’t end up with an unauthorized vehicle. Dealerships and car-buying websites may provide vehicle history reports, owners, accidents, and repairs records but if you’re buying from an individual, you’ll likely need to get a report yourself. You can also find out if the manufacturer had ever allocated a recall of the vehicle and whether those repairs were made.
It’s essential to have VIN on hand in case your car or parts of your car are stolen. Law enforcement can enter the VIN into local and national databases and can use it to help recognize and recover a stolen vehicle or parts. Under the Federal Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard, vehicles with the model year 1987 or later that are designated “high-theft” also feature the VIN on certain major parts such as the engine, transmission, doors, and fenders. This can help police trace and recover parts from stolen cars.
Towing capacity by VIN number
How much weight a pickup truck can haul can differ eventually, even between two pickups that look similar in size and design. That’s why finding out your towing capacity by VIN is more precise and authentic. With so many variables between truck builds and manufacturers, it can take a few minutes to figure out exactly what the max towing capacity of your specific vehicle is. The combined weight of your truck plus trailer and cargo should not exceed the max tow capacity. You’ll need some information from the VIN or door sticker on the truck.
- GVWR: Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means the weight your vehicle with passengers, fuel, and cargo can carry.
- GCWR: Gross Combined Weight Rating is the max total weight of everything combined, ie. your truck, passengers, trailer, and cargo.
- GAWR: Gross Axle Weight Rating is the amount of weight that can be placed over each axle.
- Curb Weight: This is how much your vehicle weighs without anyone in it or any cargo.
- Tongue Weight: How much weight the hitch can handle.
Frequently Asked Questions: What is the 80/20 rule for towing? What exactly does Towing Capacity mean? What do I need to know before towing a trailer? Does towing capacity include the weight of the truck?
Finally, if you know how to find your car’s towing capacity by VIN, you can begin shopping for a trailer that comes within that weight limit. Also, keep in mind that the towing capacity listed by the manufacturer may be different than the towing capacity listed in the owner’s manual or online databases. Overloading your vehicle can damage the engine, transmission, brakes, and suspension which can also void your vehicle’s warranty. The maintenance cost for your vehicle might get expensive in case of serious damage so, you make sure that you don’t surpass the weight limit.
