The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is your Toyota’s legal identifier, and is applied to your car during production.
Each VIN is unique, and is usually a 17-character code made up of letters and numbers, and reveals important details about your vehicle. As well as containing information on the time and place of your car’s creation, it also contains information about its specification and design.
First introduced in 1954, Vehicle Identification Numbers are an important component in determining the history and identity of a vehicle, particularly when combined with the car’s DVLA licence plate and V5 or V5C documents.
While licence plates can be altered, the car’s VIN remains unchanged, and therefore is the primary identification number for your Toyota.
How to locate your Vehicle Identification Number
In most modern Toyota cars, you’ll find a visible Vehicle Identification Number through a special cut-out at the bottom of the windscreen. Additional VINs are printed on tamper-proof stickers located just inside the shut line of the front nearside door. Earlier models may have a metal plate instead of a sticker.
The VIN is repeated on the vehicle’s chassis, stamped into the metal floor of the car under the right-hand (driver’s side) front seat. It’s usually visible through a small flap, deliberately cut into the vehicle’s carpet.
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Of course, there are some important exceptions to the rule…
These include the four-door Hilux pick-up – in which the tamper-proof sticker is mounted just inside the nearside rear door, and the five-door Aygo – in which it is applied to the body just inside the offside rear door shut.
Decoding your Vehicle Identification Number
Although there are exceptions to the rule, the first three digits of the Vehicle Identification Number usually refer to the country of manufacture, the vehicle maker and the vehicle type.
For example, if you check the first letter of the code, ‘J’ references Japan, ‘S’ references England, while ‘V’ identifies France. Turkey gets an ‘N’, while Thailand and South Africa (where some of our Hilux vehicles are produced) get an ‘M’ and ‘A’ respectively.
The second letter is usually ‘T’, which describes Toyota, the third describes which group of cars (or sometimes which chassis type) the vehicle sits on.
The next six numbers reference the car’s body style, engine and gearbox, while the remaining eight is a combination unique to the car, listing the year the car was made, the factory it was produced in and where it came in the production process.
For more on your VIN, please contact your nearest dealer, or visit toyota.co.uk/mytoyota
Hi
I recently transplanted the engine from my imported 1991 Toyota Soarer into my 1998 Toyota Hiace. The UK log book for the Soarer has no engine number printed and I could do with confirmation that the engine number belongs to that chassis from factory to register the swap with the DVLA and for my van to taxed and emissions tested as a 1991 vehicle that the engine is from.
Would you know how I can obtain this information?
Thanks for your time
Dan
Hi Daniel,
Please email the VIN numbers for the Soarer and Hiace to toyota.blog@tbg.toyota.co.uk so that we can assist you further.
Thanks.
Thank you for the reply. It really is much appreciated! I will send my info across now. Thanks again.
Dan
Hi,
I am trying to find the factory tyre size for my 1997 80 Series Toyota Landcruiser GX. There is no tyre placard on the vehicle and I need to prove the tyre size on the vehicle when released. Is there a digital version of the owners manual or something like that?
Thanks!
Hi Vincent, thanks for your comment.
You may be able to find further information on your vehicle through the Tech site, here is the link: https://www.toyota-tech.eu/
Thanks,
Toyota UK
Since first ever owning a fab car it’s like a dream come true until a stupid bloke smashed into our car head on and wrote it off completely so we’ve decided to go fo a toyta 1.8chr. Designe
Hi Edward, we’re really sorry to hear that.
Hope everyone involved is safe and well. We wish you many happy and reliable miles in your new Toyota C-HR.
Thanks,
Toyota UK