How to find the chassis number and engine number on a vehicle

The chassis number is made up of the last six characters in the vehicle's VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), so finding the VIN is key to identifying the chassis number. Cars and motorcycles often mark the VIN in different locations, so the place where you should look depends on the specific vehicle. The engine number is a set of characters stamped directly onto the engine. If you're having trouble locating the VIN or engine number directly on the vehicle, you can check various documents that may have the information.

Check documents. If you can't physically access or don't want to look around the car to find the VIN, there are several documents that also include the VIN. Here are some documents you can check:

• Ownership certificate
• Vehicle registration
• User manual
• Insurance documents
• Maintenance records
• Traffic violation report
• Vehicle history report

Check the dashboard. The easiest way to find the VIN on a car is by looking at the bottom left corner of the dashboard. You should be able to read the number through the windshield from the driver's seat.

Inspect the door on the driver's side. The VIN might be located on the door pillar or the vertical door frame. Open the driver's side door and inspect the edges of the door frame for a small white label.

• If the VIN is on the vertical door frame, look for it in the area below the rearview mirror.
• The VIN might also be found on the opposite side of the door frame, near the seatbelt latch on the driver's side.

Open the hood. If you haven't found it yet, you can open the hood and inspect the front of the engine block. The VIN is often marked in this area.

Check the vehicle frame. Sometimes the VIN is marked on the front of the vehicle frame, near the windshield washer fluid container. Go to the front of the car, open the hood, locate the washer fluid reservoir, close the hood, and then inspect the frame near this area for the VIN.

Lift the spare tire. The VIN may also be located underneath the spare tire in the car's trunk. Open the trunk, remove the spare tire, and inspect the area around it. The VIN might be located somewhere nearby.

Check underneath the rear wheel well. Another place to check is underneath the rear wheel well. Walk around to the back of the vehicle, crouch down close to the ground, and inspect beneath the wheel well. Check both sides to see if the VIN is marked there.

• You may need to use a flashlight to clearly see the VIN if it's present.

Record the VIN. Once you've located the VIN, be sure to write it down and store it in your records so you can easily find it next time you need it. You can keep the VIN in a paper file, save it on your computer, or email it to yourself.

Identify the chassis number. The chassis number is the last six characters of the VIN. Look at the VIN you've recorded and circle the last six characters to identify the vehicle's chassis number.

Locate the VIN on the neck of the bike. This is a common spot for the VIN on motorcycles. The neck of the bike is the metal tube that runs from the handlebars down. You can find the VIN by turning the handlebars to one side and looking at the neck. The VIN is often engraved into the metal.

• You may need to inspect both sides of the neck to find the VIN.

Check the engine. Sometimes the VIN is marked on the motorcycle's engine. If you can't find the VIN on the neck of the bike, check the engine area. The VIN may be located near the bottom of the engine cylinder.

Inspect the front frame. For ATVs and some other motorcycles, the VIN may be located in a hidden spot on the frame. Shine a flashlight and carefully inspect the inner frame of the vehicle for a marked VIN.

• Start by checking the outer frame first. The VIN may be marked just below the gear lever on the left side of the vehicle. If you can't find it there, move on to the inner part of the frame.
• Some manufacturers place the VIN in specific locations on the frame. For instance, Honda often marks the VIN on the right side of the front frame, just above the left side of the engine. Contact the manufacturer to find out if there are any particular areas to check for the VIN.

Don't forget to circle the last six digits. The last six digits of the VIN are the chassis number of the motorcycle. Circle these six characters to identify the chassis number. Note: for most motorcycles manufactured in Vietnam, the VIN is also the chassis number.

Check the engine. The engine number is typically marked directly on the engine. Open the hood of the car or look at the motorcycle's engine from the side. You should find a label clearly displaying the engine number.

Check the user manual. If you can't find the label listing the engine number, you can refer to the user manual for this information. The engine number is typically listed in the first few pages of the document.

• The user manual also often includes images showing the location of the engine number on the engine block.

Identify the engine number. The engine number is a sequence of digits, with the first three characters representing the engine code and the last six characters indicating the engine's model number.