VIN: The 17-character code that runs the automotive world

34 samsullivan 13 8/7/2025, 1:26:14 AM cardog.app ↗

Comments (13)

throwaway202508 · 1h ago
This article isn't even correct. 5YJ3 is the code for model 3. Not F.

  Position 4 (3) - Vehicle Line:

  1 = Model S
  3 = Model Y
  7 = Model X
  F = Model 3

None of these are correct. S = Model S X = Model X 3 = Model 3 Y = Model Y
ars · 3h ago
Something the article sort of implies but in an unclear way - do vehicles sold in other countries still get assigned a VIN?
monster_truck · 2h ago
It's an ISO standard that differs by country, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_identification_number
kesslern · 2h ago
Japanese Domestic Market cars have a chassis number instead of a VIN. It serves the same purpose, but a different format.
stasdev · 2h ago
Yes, country of manufacture is part of the VIN
dhosek · 2h ago
Country of manufacture does not necessarily equal country of sale.

That said, while some details differ, the 17-character codes are largely compatible across standards although it seems that the check digit is unique to the US market.

ranger_danger · 2h ago
My Japanese "VIN" is 10 digits, but they can be from 9-12 characters.
mrheosuper · 2h ago
There is AI smell in this article. I think it's "The system's elegant constraints" part, way too similar to AI's writing.
galaxy_gas · 2h ago
It's AI slop and undisclosed self promotion for an "AI startup"
Nav_Panel · 2h ago
Yeah. I noticed a lot of "It's not just X. It's Y." which is the biggest tell for me.
morcus · 2h ago
Is this itself an AI generated comment? The word "just" appears 1 time in the article.
JumpCrisscross · 2h ago
The term “not just” doesn’t appear in the text.
selcuka · 2h ago
I think it was a simplified example. The exact text is:

> What emerged wasn't just a unique identifier. It was a compressed database record