Registration Year and VIN conflict!
Discussion
Hi, newbie here looking for some help!
Yesterday I went to check out an old Lada the seller had advertised as being from 1979 and hence with the status of a historic vehicle (v. important for me as I live within the ULEZ!). I checked the registration plate on the DVLA's website and it's down as being registered for the first time 01/01/1979 and he has the logbook with the same date. All seems to add up!
However, when I checked out the VIN number, I noticed that the year on the manufacturer's plate has been defaced and the year letter within the VIN is a "D". I looked this up online and it seems to suggest that the car is actually originally from 07/01/1982-06/30/1982. Checking the VIN on the logbook it's not the full number, just the "D" and the following 7 digits
I have a couple of questions...
1) Is this as it seems and he has passed off a 1982-3 car as being from 1979?
2) If so, how has he got this past the DVLA? Surely the VIN would be a giveaway?
3) If I bought the car, has the question of its age been determined now it is registered? I.e. would I risk it ever being changed to 1982-3 by some sort of check?
Thanks for any help!
Joe
Yesterday I went to check out an old Lada the seller had advertised as being from 1979 and hence with the status of a historic vehicle (v. important for me as I live within the ULEZ!). I checked the registration plate on the DVLA's website and it's down as being registered for the first time 01/01/1979 and he has the logbook with the same date. All seems to add up!
However, when I checked out the VIN number, I noticed that the year on the manufacturer's plate has been defaced and the year letter within the VIN is a "D". I looked this up online and it seems to suggest that the car is actually originally from 07/01/1982-06/30/1982. Checking the VIN on the logbook it's not the full number, just the "D" and the following 7 digits
I have a couple of questions...
1) Is this as it seems and he has passed off a 1982-3 car as being from 1979?
2) If so, how has he got this past the DVLA? Surely the VIN would be a giveaway?
3) If I bought the car, has the question of its age been determined now it is registered? I.e. would I risk it ever being changed to 1982-3 by some sort of check?
Thanks for any help!
Joe
It appears that international standard 17-digit VINs with the tenth digit being the year identifier were only introduced in 1980-81.
So, if the car being sold is truly a 1979 car, it might not follow the standard pattern.
Conversely if you wanted to make a car appear older than it is, then 1979 would be a convenient year to pick.
I think it's unlikely the DVLA would try to cross-check a pre-1981 VIN with the claimed age, as they were manufacturer specific back then.
Is the car described as a UK market one, or imported later from elsewhere? I think the '1st Jan' first registered date is often seen on imported cars.
I think it's unlikely the DVLA would make any check on transfer of ownership they hadn't already made previously, but it's not impossible.
The only other thing is the annual MoT, a meticulous tester could query the scrubbed out age on the chassis plate and any apparent contradiction with the VIN.
So, if the car being sold is truly a 1979 car, it might not follow the standard pattern.
Conversely if you wanted to make a car appear older than it is, then 1979 would be a convenient year to pick.
I think it's unlikely the DVLA would try to cross-check a pre-1981 VIN with the claimed age, as they were manufacturer specific back then.
Is the car described as a UK market one, or imported later from elsewhere? I think the '1st Jan' first registered date is often seen on imported cars.
I think it's unlikely the DVLA would make any check on transfer of ownership they hadn't already made previously, but it's not impossible.
The only other thing is the annual MoT, a meticulous tester could query the scrubbed out age on the chassis plate and any apparent contradiction with the VIN.
Thanks for your help Samoht. It's definitely a standard 17 digit VIN, so definitely think they've fudged it. Interesting about the DVLA and a good thought about the MOT tests. I am planning to call the DVLA tomorrow to explain the situation and find out what they think about the car.
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