🔍 VIN Decoding
Enter or scan a VIN to auto-populate the year, make, model, trim, body style, type, engine description, fuel type, and MPG.
A VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is a unique 17-character code assigned to every vehicle. AutoDrive decodes this code to automatically fill in most of the vehicle form, saving you from looking up details manually.
How it works
When you enter or scan a VIN and tap Decode, AutoDrive sends the VIN to the NHTSA vPIC service — a free, public decoding database maintained by the US Department of Transportation. The response populates these fields:
- Year, Make, Model, Trim
- Body — the descriptive body style string (e.g. "Sedan/Saloon", "Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)/Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV)")
- Type — the short category used for filtering and the vehicle icon (Sedan, SUV, Truck, Van, Minivan, Convertible, Sport, Beetle), derived from the body class
- Description — engine · drivetrain · transmission, for example "2.5L 4cyl · FWD · Automatic"
- Fuel Type and estimated City / Highway MPG
Validation and formatting
Before the VIN is decoded or saved, AutoDrive normalizes and validates it using the industry-standard ISO 3779 / 49 CFR 565 rules:
- VINs are always uppercased — whether you type, paste, or scan in any case, the stored value is uppercase.
- Exactly 17 characters are required.
- The letters I, O, and Q are not allowed, because they are excluded from the VIN alphabet to avoid confusion with the digits 1 and 0.
- The check digit (the 9th character) must match the standard weighted transliteration algorithm. If it does not, AutoDrive flags the VIN as invalid so you can correct a typo before the vehicle is saved.
VIN decoding works for most US-market vehicles from 1981 onward, which is when the standardized 17-character format was adopted. Older vehicles or those sold outside the US may not decode correctly — and non-US VINs may skip the check digit altogether, in which case AutoDrive will ask you to enter the vehicle details manually.
The decoded values are pre-filled for your review. If any field looks incorrect, you can edit it before saving. This is especially useful for rare trims or aftermarket modifications that the database might not reflect accurately. AutoDrive never overwrites fields you have already filled in yourself unless the VIN decode returns a value for them.
Pricing fields (MSRP, Invoice, Trade Value) are not returned by the VIN service and must be entered manually if you want to track them.