If you are a car buyer interested in purchasing a Ford vehicle, there is one thing you must do before making payments; Decode that VIN! Decoding a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) can reveal valuable information about a car’s specifications and it is a very important process for Ford enthusiasts and potential buyers. With a Ford VIN decoder, you can easily gain essential insights into a vehicle’s manufacturing details, origins, and attributes. In this article, we will explore the art of decoding Ford VIN numbers and how to decode them to make the best and informed decisions.
Understanding the Ford VIN Number
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) assigned to each Ford vehicle is a 17-character alphanumeric code that serves as its unique identifier. In classic Ford cars, however, you may notice that the VIN may range from 5 to 13 characters, but this doesn’t mean it’s out of date or expired, as it can still be decoded with the right tools. The VIN contains valuable information about the vehicle’s manufacturing details and specifications and can also be used to gain access to vehicle history. By using a Ford VIN number decoder, you can uncover crucial data such as the manufacturing plant, model year, engine type, and more.
What’s in a VIN?
To decode a Ford VIN number effectively, it’s important to understand the significance of each character and its position within the VIN structure. Here’s a breakdown of the Ford VIN number structure:
World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI)
Vehicle Description Section (VDS)
Characters 4 to 9 in the Ford VIN number form the Vehicle Description Section. This segment provides details about the vehicle’s attributes, including body style, engine type, model, and more. For instance, characters 4 to 6 may indicate the vehicle’s body style, such as “SED” for sedan, “WAG” for wagon, “P/U” for pickup truck, and “SUV” for sport utility vehicle.
Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS)
The remaining characters in the Ford VIN number, from 10 to 17, make up the Vehicle Identifier Section. These characters represent various information about the vehicle’s production and unique identification.
- Tenth Character (Model Year): The tenth character in the Ford VIN number represents the model year of the vehicle. It can be a letter or a number, with each representing a specific year. For example, “J” represents 1988, “K” represents 1989, “L” represents 1990, and so on.
- Eleventh Character (Assembly Plant): The eleventh character identifies the assembly plant where the vehicle was manufactured. Each plant is assigned a unique code, allowing you to determine where the vehicle was produced.
- Twelfth to Seventeenth Characters (Production Sequence Number): The remaining characters in the Ford VIN number represent the vehicle’s unique production sequence number. These characters indicate the specific order in which the vehicle was manufactured within its assembly plant.
The VIN of vehicles actually gives access to more information than listed here, and with a VIN decoder used in conjunction with a VIN check tool, you can be sure of any used vehicle during purchase. You still don’t know why you need to decode your VIN before buying a used car? In the next section, we will take a look at that and highlight some benefits of using a Ford VIN number decoder.
ALSO READ: How to Generate a Ford Window Sticker
Why is it important to decode the VIN of a used car before purchase?
Safety and Performance
Compatibility and Upgrades
Fuel Efficiency
Introducing Detailed Vehicle History's Ford VIN Decoder
Detailed Vehicle History offers a reliable and efficient Ford VIN number decoder tool that simplifies the decoding process. Their online VIN decoder tool is specifically designed for decoding Ford VIN numbers for free. All you need to do is enter the 17-character VIN, or 5 to 13 characters if you have a classic vehicle; after that, you will immediately gain access to the following vehicle specifications:
- – Year
- – Model
- – Trim
- – Engine Description
- – Country
- – Width
- – Length
- – Height
- – Standard seating
- – Engine Size
- – Transmission style
- – Drive type
- – Body type
- – Fuel type
- – Displacement
- – Engine model
- – Valve train design
- – Engine configuration
- – Front airbag information
- – Tire pressure and monitoring system type
- – Seat belt type, and more.
How to decode a Ford VIN Number
More specifically, to use our free VIN decoder to decode your Ford’s VIN, all you need to do is follow these steps:
Locate the VIN
Enter the VIN
After finding the Ford’s VIN, the next step is to visit Detailed Vehicle History’s website and locate the free Ford VIN decoder tool. Input your VIN into the designated field and click “VIN check.”
The Ford VIN decoder tool will instantly decode the Ford VIN and display vehicle specifications. As earlier mentioned, you will gain access to the vehicle’s year, make, model, trim, engine specifications, and more. Our 5, 7, or 11 digit VIN decoder also works effectively when it comes to classic car VIN decoding, so make sure to decode that classic Ford VIN before you make any purchase.
ALSO READ: How to decode classic car VIN numbers
If you want a comprehensive report after decoding the VIN, you will be asked to pay a fee, but it’s definitely worth it. A vehicle history report is a document that contains information about a vehicle’s past and records. With this document, any car buyer will have an advantage over the seller because they have full information about the vehicles in front of them. Now, with the VIN Decoder & Vehicle History application, you can even scan VINs directly from as many vehicles as you want and compare their specifications and records to find the best one that meets your needs and budget. In a vehicle history report, you will find:
- Accident records
- Damage records
- Vehicle specifications
- Lien and loan records
- Title brand records
- Service history
- Maintenance schedules
- Auction history with photos
- Sales history
- Theft records, and more.
With Detailed Vehicle History’s Ford VIN decoder, you can decode the VIN and gain insights into the vehicle’s manufacturing details and specifications, and with the paid VIN check tool, you can get the ownership history, accident records, damage records, title brand records, and other records on the vehicle. The comprehensive report generated after the VIN check helps you make informed decisions, ensuring transparency and peace of mind. Take advantage of these tools to unlock the full story behind any Ford vehicle you’re interested in.
