What is VIN (vehicle identification number)?
Definition
VIN (vehicle identification number) is the unique 17-character code that identifies a vehicle. Scanning it builds an accurate vehicle record — year, make, model — for the customer garage, warranties and service history, so the next quote or top-up starts from the right car.
Also called Vehicle identification number.
Why it matters to a shop
The VIN is the only identifier that survives a plate change, a resale or a customer who forgets what they had done. Building the vehicle record from it is what lets a warranty claim, a maintenance reminder or a repeat quote be answered in seconds three years later.
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Related terms
More from techniques & prep — How the work actually gets done in the bay.
- Paint correctionMachine polishing that removes swirl marks, scratches and oxidation from clear coat to restore gloss and clarity. Graded by steps — a 1-step refines, a 2- or 3-step removes progressively deeper defects — and priced off the paint's condition and the bay hours it takes.
- Swirl marksFine, spider-web scratches in the clear coat, usually from improper washing and drying. They're most visible on dark paint under direct light and are removed by paint correction, not by wax or a quick polish.
- Clear coatThe transparent top layer of a factory paint system that provides gloss and UV protection. Paint correction works within the clear coat; cutting through it exposes the colour layer and means a respray, so measuring paint thickness matters.
- DecontaminationThe prep step that removes bonded contaminants — iron fallout, tar, industrial fallout — that a normal wash leaves behind, often with a chemical iron remover and a clay bar. Skipping it traps grit under film or coating and ruins the finish.
- Clay barA malleable resin bar (or mitt) dragged across lubricated paint to pull off bonded contaminants the wash missed, leaving glass-smooth paint ready for correction, coating or film.
- Cure timeThe window a coating or adhesive needs to fully harden or bond before the vehicle is exposed to water or delivered. Ceramic coatings need protected cure time; PPF adhesive keeps bonding for days after install. Scheduling has to leave room for it.
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