The VIN (NIV in Mexico) is the car’s fingerprint: 17 characters connecting the physical vehicle to its invoice, registration card, and government records. Verifying it takes minutes and rules out the most expensive frauds.
Locate the VIN on the vehicle
The most common spots: the base of the windshield on the driver’s side, the driver’s door frame, the engine bay, and the chassis. Photograph each one in good light; they must be identical.
Read what the VIN declares
The 17 characters encode country, manufacturer, model, plant, and year. If the VIN declares a different year or trim than advertised, that gap needs an explanation before any talk of price.
Cross it with registries and documents
The same VIN must appear on the invoice, the registration card, and the REPUVE result. One different character is not a small typo: it is a reason to pause the purchase.
Fast workflow
- 1Photograph the VIN in at least two spots on the vehicle.
- 2Compare it character by character against the invoice and registration card.
- 3Run the VIN through REPUVE and save the result.
Buyer checklist
- VIN legible with no visible tampering
- Identical across vehicle, invoice, and card
- Year and trim match the listing
- REPUVE result saved as evidence
Turn the checklist into an inspection
Upload vehicle photos and documents to get condition, market, and legal context in one AutoBuddy report.
Start an inspection