What is a VIN?
A <strong>Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)</strong> is a unique 17-character code that serves as your vehicle's digital fingerprint.
Your VIN is essential for:
When buying a used car, checking the VIN can reveal:
The VIN appears in multiple locations on your vehicle and serves as its unique identifier throughout its entire lifecycle.
European Type Approvalis a comprehensive certification process that ensures vehicles meet all safety, environmental, and technical regulations before they can be sold in the European market.
This certification verifies that your vehicle complies with over 70 different EU directives covering everything from:
| Safety Standards | Crash tests, braking performance, seat belts, airbags |
| Emissions Controls | Exhaust emissions, fuel efficiency, noise levels |
| Technical Requirements | Lighting systems, mirrors, windshield design |
| Pedestrian Protection | Front-end design, impact absorption |
The Type Approval number(often starting with 'e' or 'E' followed by a country code)confirms your vehicle meets these harmonized standards, which is particularly critical when importing vehicles or purchasing used cars from other countries.
<strong>Passenger Cars:</strong> Check the front of the dashboard on the driver's side. You can see it from outside the vehicle through the windshield. Also inspect the driver's door pillar and under the hood. On older cars, the <strong class='text-indigo-600'>VIN</strong> may be located at the front end of the chassis.
<strong>Motorcycles:</strong> Usually found on the steering neck below the handlebars, or sometimes on the engine or frame near the engine.
<strong>Semi-Trailers:</strong> Check the front left side of the trailer.
The <strong class='text-indigo-600'>VIN</strong> is also listed on your insurance or vehicle inspection sticker.
Our comprehensive vehicle database covers over 95% of vehicles manufactured for European and North American markets from 1981 to present, including cars, trucks, motorcycles, and commercial vehicles.
We have complete records for all major manufacturers including:
Our database includes detailed information for both current production and discontinued models.
For vintage vehicles (pre-1981), exotic cars, limited production models, and specialized commercial vehicles, we maintain partial records with basic specifications, though comprehensive technical data may be limited for these categories.
Our system is constantly updated as manufacturers release new models, ensuring the most current vehicle information is always available to our users.
Official Government Data
Unlike typical VIN decoders which use algorithms to interpret VIN patterns, our service directly accesses official government homologation databases. This provides significantly higher accuracy by retrieving the exact records used for vehicle registration and type approval.
Why our approach is more accurate:
Our authoritative data sources:
By using official homologation data rather than VIN decoding algorithms, we provide the most accurate, comprehensive, and legally recognized vehicle specifications available. This is particularly valuable for official documentation, technical assessments, and compliance verification.
Our free VIN lookup service provides an extensive vehicle report including:
1) Complete manufacturer specifications
2) Engine details
3) Transmission specifications
4) Consumption
5) Emissions
6) Tires and rims size
7) Consumption
8) Brake System
9) Suspension & Steering
10) Equipment
11) Trailer & Towing Capacity
12) Registration & Official Data
A Type Approval (TG) code is an official certification number issued when a vehicle type passes the mandatory regulatory testing process.
This alphanumeric code (typically in format 'e1*2007/46*0123*45') verifies that a specific vehicle design meets all safety, emissions, and technical standards required by law.
Unlike your individual VIN which identifies your specific vehicle, a Type Approval code applies to an entire vehicle type or model variant.
The code contains embedded information about:
By checking your vehicle's Type Approval status, you can verify its legal compliance with:
This verification is particularly valuable when importing vehicles, confirming modifications are within legal parameters, or resolving registration issues with transportation authorities.
Our database allows you to search by either TG code or VIN to access the complete Type Approval certificate information.
No registration is required for basic VIN and Type Approval lookups on our website.
You can perform up to 10 free searches daily without creating an account, making our service ideal for quick vehicle verification.
However, creating a free account unlocks significant additional benefits:
Yes, our international VIN lookup platform supports vehicles from all major global markets including Europe and North America. Asia is not currently supported.
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