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The VIN Number on a vehicle may be altered to hide the fact that it may have been stolen.

Stolen cars may have their VIN Number changed via the Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) and the Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS) to make the vehicle appear to be newer, or to have a higher spec. The VIS may also be changed to hide the manufacturer's serial number.

A cloned car may have its registration and VIN Number illegally changed to that of a car that is currently for sale on the internet. Any checks run on a VIN cloned car may not reveal if the car has been stolen or written off. In each case if you notice anything unusual, such as scratch marks on a VIN, a worn VIN sticker, or a loose VIN plate then assume the worst.

The first three digits of a VIN Number represents the World Manufacturer Identifier - WMI. If for example the first three characters are 1G1 this indicates that the vehicle was made in the USA and that the vehicle is a Chevrolet. Digits 4 to 9 represent the Vehicle Descriptor Section - VDS. Vehicle Descriptors vary with each manufacturer but are commonly used to describe the vehicle body type and the engine size.

The VIN Check Digit value is used to verify that the VIN has not been tampered with and is written to position 9. Digits 10 to 17 represent the Vehicle Identifier Section - VIS. Vehicle Identifiers are used to uniquely identify a particular make of vehicle. This includes the year of manufacture and the vehicle serial number.

Before you head off to your local car dealer with your trade in the most important thing that you need to take with you is a realistic asking price for your motor. Remember that car dealerships are in business for only one reason and that is to make a profit from its customers. If you have got no idea what your used car trade in value is, then in all likelihood you will be offered at least 10% less than your car's true trade in value.

Used Car Trade-in Value Calculator compares the running and car depreciation costs of up to three different used cars over the period of time that you plan to keep your new car.

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