Correct VIN?

Looking to buy a car, check the VIN on carfax, and the repair history
there conflicts with the seller's story about where the car has been.

So maybe I copied the VIN wrong, probably just one digit, but the make
and model of the car that carfax reports is the same as the one I'm
looking at. Does that mean I have the right VIN?

OTOH aren't the last 6 or so digits just a sequential number from the
assembly line that makes, at least for a period of time, just one make
and model, and maybe 2 or 3 submodels?? So that would mean that I still
might have used the wrong VIN, right? If I got the last digit, or even
the next to the last, I might have the car that came off the line next,
right?

On Sunday, September 17, 2017 at 8:29:56 AM UTC-10, micky wrote:
> Looking to buy a car, check the VIN on carfax, and the repair history
> there conflicts with the seller's story about where the car has been.
>
> So maybe I copied the VIN wrong, probably just one digit, but the make
> and model of the car that carfax reports is the same as the one I'm
> looking at. Does that mean I have the right VIN?
>
> OTOH aren't the last 6 or so digits just a sequential number from the
> assembly line that makes, at least for a period of time, just one make
> and model, and maybe 2 or 3 submodels?? So that would mean that I still
> might have used the wrong VIN, right? If I got the last digit, or even
> the next to the last, I might have the car that came off the line next,
> right?

What you have is the wrong VIN or the seller is not being truthful. As we all know, it's highly unlikely that the seller would misrepresent the facts about a car he's trying to get rid of. That just never happens.

On 2017-09-17 2:29 PM, micky wrote:
> Looking to buy a car, check the VIN on carfax, and the repair history
> there conflicts with the seller's story about where the car has been.
>
> So maybe I copied the VIN wrong, probably just one digit, but the make
> and model of the car that carfax reports is the same as the one I'm
> looking at. Does that mean I have the right VIN?
>
> OTOH aren't the last 6 or so digits just a sequential number from the
> assembly line that makes, at least for a period of time, just one make
> and model, and maybe 2 or 3 submodels?? So that would mean that I still
> might have used the wrong VIN, right? If I got the last digit, or even
> the next to the last, I might have the car that came off the line next,
> right?
>
A VIN has a check digit, which will help verify the VIN, same as your
SSN and your credit cards, not sure if carfax checks it properly though.

In rec.autos.tech, on Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:19:59 -0400, FrozenNorth
> wrote:

>On 2017-09-17 2:29 PM, micky wrote:
>> Looking to buy a car, check the VIN on carfax, and the repair history
>> there conflicts with the seller's story about where the car has been.
>>
>> So maybe I copied the VIN wrong, probably just one digit, but the make
>> and model of the car that carfax reports is the same as the one I'm
>> looking at. Does that mean I have the right VIN?
>>
>> OTOH aren't the last 6 or so digits just a sequential number from the
>> assembly line that makes, at least for a period of time, just one make
>> and model, and maybe 2 or 3 submodels?? So that would mean that I still
>> might have used the wrong VIN, right? If I got the last digit, or even
>> the next to the last, I might have the car that came off the line next,
>> right?
>>
>A VIN has a check digit, which will help verify the VIN, same as your
>SSN and your credit cards, not sure if carfax checks it properly though.

I've thought about check digits. If I made mistakes on two numbers, it
could defeat the check digit. But I doubt I made two mistakes.

Carfax pretty much has to check it becuase I'm sure it has to look at
all 17 numbers, and if it's not there, that's what it would say.


Back to my camera, the pictures are in Gallery, though how one is
supposed to know that, I don't know. I took a new picture to make sure
where they were going and I found the new one but nothing for weeks
before. And once I got a message that Gallery is not available. Plus
I've got several photos from just before those weeks where only 1/4 or
more of the screen is photo and the rest is blanks. I think maybe
there's a problem with the SD card. Phone is broken in other ways too.

I'll know if I had the VIN right by tomorrow. I could go look right
now, but somehow I can never read it off the dash, even with a
flashlight.

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:57:14 -0400, micky >
wrote:

>In rec.autos.tech, on Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:19:59 -0400, FrozenNorth
> wrote:
>
>>On 2017-09-17 2:29 PM, micky wrote:
>>> Looking to buy a car, check the VIN on carfax, and the repair history
>>> there conflicts with the seller's story about where the car has been.
>>>
>>> So maybe I copied the VIN wrong, probably just one digit, but the make
>>> and model of the car that carfax reports is the same as the one I'm
>>> looking at. Does that mean I have the right VIN?
>>>
>>> OTOH aren't the last 6 or so digits just a sequential number from the
>>> assembly line that makes, at least for a period of time, just one make
>>> and model, and maybe 2 or 3 submodels?? So that would mean that I still
>>> might have used the wrong VIN, right? If I got the last digit, or even
>>> the next to the last, I might have the car that came off the line next,
>>> right?
>>>
>>A VIN has a check digit, which will help verify the VIN, same as your
>>SSN and your credit cards, not sure if carfax checks it properly though.
>
>I've thought about check digits. If I made mistakes on two numbers, it
>could defeat the check digit. But I doubt I made two mistakes.

You would have to make pretty "smart" mistakes. One digit off leaves a
1 in 11 chance the check digit would match 2 digits off reduces the
odds considerably.

see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicl...it_calculation
to see how to check the check digit - -
>
>Carfax pretty much has to check it becuase I'm sure it has to look at
>all 17 numbers, and if it's not there, that's what it would say.
>
>
>Back to my camera, the pictures are in Gallery, though how one is
>supposed to know that, I don't know. I took a new picture to make sure
>where they were going and I found the new one but nothing for weeks
>before. And once I got a message that Gallery is not available. Plus
>I've got several photos from just before those weeks where only 1/4 or
>more of the screen is photo and the rest is blanks. I think maybe
>there's a problem with the SD card. Phone is broken in other ways too.
>
>I'll know if I had the VIN right by tomorrow. I could go look right
>now, but somehow I can never read it off the dash, even with a
>flashlight.

In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:57:14 -0400, micky
> wrote:

>In rec.autos.tech, on Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:19:59 -0400, FrozenNorth
> wrote:
>
>>On 2017-09-17 2:29 PM, micky wrote:
>>> Looking to buy a car, check the VIN on carfax, and the repair history
>>> there conflicts with the seller's story about where the car has been.
>>>
>>> So maybe I copied the VIN wrong, probably just one digit, but the make
>>> and model of the car that carfax reports is the same as the one I'm
>>> looking at. Does that mean I have the right VIN?
>>>
>>> OTOH aren't the last 6 or so digits just a sequential number from the
>>> assembly line that makes, at least for a period of time, just one make
>>> and model, and maybe 2 or 3 submodels?? So that would mean that I still
>>> might have used the wrong VIN, right? If I got the last digit, or even
>>> the next to the last, I might have the car that came off the line next,
>>> right?
>>>
>>A VIN has a check digit, which will help verify the VIN, same as your
>>SSN and your credit cards, not sure if carfax checks it properly though.
>
>I've thought about check digits. If I made mistakes on two numbers, it
>could defeat the check digit. But I doubt I made two mistakes.

Okay, I went back to look at the car again. It's only 0.7 miles away.
That's by chance but it's good because I've been there 5 times.

And I had the number right, and not only that, it doesn't have plates
but on the front is a dealer advertising "plate" that names the dealer
where carfax says the owner had his early and late work done. (I think
he had his warranty work done there, the later work at a tire store, and
when he traded it in, he went back to the same dealer. They changed the
pully and balancer and auctioned it, around a month ago, and the guy I'm
dealing with has had it on craigslist for a little over 2 weeks.

So he's lying, but I can tolerate a little bit of lying, esp. since it's
hard to avoid. Today he said explicitly that drving to Virginia means
mostly highway driving, and he's also told me the belt and pump were
just replaced, when actually I'll need another one in 2 or 3 years.
After the deal is finished, I'll ask him if he's sure he did the belt
and pump on this car, or maybe he's thinking of another car, and maybe
he'll set me straight. I'll point out that if I wait too long, the belt
will break and the car will be in trouble, and I don't think he's
malicious, only looking for a sale. I'll try to report back.

And the town isn't 30 miles from here, it's 68, and where it is, much,
maybe most of the driving probably was highway after all, though the
seller doesn't know one way or the other. Anyhow, the car looks
beautiful, better than the more expensive ones I saw.


>Carfax pretty much has to check it becuase I'm sure it has to look at
>all 17 numbers, and if it's not there, that's what it would say.
>
>
>Back to my camera, the pictures are in Gallery, though how one is
>supposed to know that, I don't know. I took a new picture to make sure
>where they were going and I found the new one but nothing for weeks
>before. And once I got a message that Gallery is not available. Plus
>I've got several photos from just before those weeks where only 1/4 or
>more of the screen is photo and the rest is blanks. I think maybe
>there's a problem with the SD card. Phone is broken in other ways too.
>
>I'll know if I had the VIN right by tomorrow. I could go look right
>now, but somehow I can never read it off the dash, even with a
>flashlight.

I had the right vin. It's the story that's false. Can't have
everything.

On Sunday, September 17, 2017 at 11:22:57 AM UTC-10, micky wrote:
>
> I had the right vin. It's the story that's false. Can't have
> everything.

It sounds like you really want that car. The next time you find a car you want, don't bother checking out the history.

On Sunday, September 17, 2017 at 9:20:00 AM UTC-10, FrozenNorth wrote:
> On 2017-09-17 2:29 PM, micky wrote:
> > Looking to buy a car, check the VIN on carfax, and the repair history
> > there conflicts with the seller's story about where the car has been.
> >
> > So maybe I copied the VIN wrong, probably just one digit, but the make
> > and model of the car that carfax reports is the same as the one I'm
> > looking at. Does that mean I have the right VIN?
> >
> > OTOH aren't the last 6 or so digits just a sequential number from the
> > assembly line that makes, at least for a period of time, just one make
> > and model, and maybe 2 or 3 submodels?? So that would mean that I still
> > might have used the wrong VIN, right? If I got the last digit, or even
> > the next to the last, I might have the car that came off the line next,
> > right?
> >
> A VIN has a check digit, which will help verify the VIN, same as your
> SSN and your credit cards, not sure if carfax checks it properly though.

Wouldn't the fact that it's an actual, real, VIN mean that the check digit is true?

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 14:29:52 -0400, micky >
wrote:

>Looking to buy a car, check the VIN on carfax, and the repair history
>there conflicts with the seller's story about where the car has been.
>
>So maybe I copied the VIN wrong, probably just one digit, but the make
>and model of the car that carfax reports is the same as the one I'm
>looking at. Does that mean I have the right VIN?
>
>OTOH aren't the last 6 or so digits just a sequential number from the
>assembly line that makes, at least for a period of time, just one make
>and model, and maybe 2 or 3 submodels?? So that would mean that I still
>might have used the wrong VIN, right? If I got the last digit, or even
>the next to the last, I might have the car that came off the line next,
>right?

I understand the VIN is also tied to other large components of the
vehicle. As an example; the rear axle of a rental truck used in the
OKC bombing flew a long distance and landed in the street. The numbers
on the rear axle was directly to the VIN, make model and such.

Check your state laws. Can a "totaled" car, paid out by insurance, get
a legal title?

You could sell your current used car for a higher price. Houston lost
~500,000 cars flooded. Be careful out there. You could pay for never
ending electrical problems.

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 13:15:34 -0700, Oren > wrote:

>On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 14:29:52 -0400, micky >
>wrote:
>
>>Looking to buy a car, check the VIN on carfax, and the repair history
>>there conflicts with the seller's story about where the car has been.
>>
>>So maybe I copied the VIN wrong, probably just one digit, but the make
>>and model of the car that carfax reports is the same as the one I'm
>>looking at. Does that mean I have the right VIN?
>>
>>OTOH aren't the last 6 or so digits just a sequential number from the
>>assembly line that makes, at least for a period of time, just one make
>>and model, and maybe 2 or 3 submodels?? So that would mean that I still
>>might have used the wrong VIN, right? If I got the last digit, or even
>>the next to the last, I might have the car that came off the line next,
>>right?
>
>I understand the VIN is also tied to other large components of the
>vehicle. As an example; the rear axle of a rental truck used in the
>OKC bombing flew a long distance and landed in the street. The numbers
>on the rear axle was directly to the VIN, make model and such.
>
>Check your state laws. Can a "totaled" car, paid out by insurance, get
>a legal title?
>
>You could sell your current used car for a higher price. Houston lost
>~500,000 cars flooded. Be careful out there. You could pay for never
>ending electrical problems.
Here in Ontario, the seller is required to produce the "sellers kit"
- dealers are not - but you can go to any Service Ontario office or
kiosk and request the "sellers information" package - at your own
expense - and it will tell you if the vehicle was ever registered
out-of-province, and the registration history of the vehicle.


A vehicle written off by insurance can be re-registered with a
"salvage" branded title - but if the write-off was out of province and
it was repaired before importation, it may not have the "branded"
title - but you WILL know it was from out of province - and quite
possiblt the last province or state it was registered in.