# VIN # and potential car buyer **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 9, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-and-potential-car-buyer/153942 "2003-02-09T20:57:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![beckwall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@beckwall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckwall)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-and-potential-car-buyer/153942/1 "2003-02-09T20:57:19Z")
I am in the process of selling my used Subaru. I have one potential buyer who is quite eager to get the VIN so he can “check it out” on the internet. Is there any reason not to give him this information? I hate to seem paranoid, but the idea of stolen identity keeps running through my brain. I have nothing to hide, the car is clean, no accidents, I am the only owner, the mileage is accurate and all smog/inspections have been good. I just don’t feel comfortable giving out specific info to a perfect stranger. Thoughts and comments appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-and-potential-car-buyer/153942/2 "2003-02-09T21:10:41Z")
He probably wants to make sure the car is legit and not a “salvaged” unit. He’ll likely go through Carfax or some such service. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-and-potential-car-buyer/153942/3 "2003-02-09T21:10:48Z")
None that I can think of,after all it is visible for any Joe Six-pack walking by who really wants it… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@The\_Calculus\_of\_Logic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Calculus_of_Logic)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-and-potential-car-buyer/153942/4 "2003-02-09T23:20:27Z")
he can just look through the winshield, it is usually written on the top of the dashboard. Hes probably checking it with carfax, like Blue Sky said. I did the same thing when i shopped for my truck. it just shows if you rolled back mileage, if you’d salvaged the car, etc. etc. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Harvey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@Max\_Harvey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Harvey)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-and-potential-car-buyer/153942/5 "2003-02-09T23:53:33Z")
I deal with vehicle VINs everyday at my job, and Carfax to a lesser extent. The other replies are correct, your potential buyer just wants to make absolutely sure there’s no history of mileage rollback, salvage, theft and the like. There’s no reason to take it personally, it’s just “buyer beware”. As for your privacy concerns, his knowledge of that VIN will allow him to get lots of information about the vehicle, but it won’t give him any information about you. He might be able to call the DMV and **confirm** your name and address as the owner, but they won’t give them to him if he doesn’t already have them. And even if he did, they wouldn’t tell him things like your driver’s license number, SSN or even your DOB. In all the states I’ve dealt with (CA not being one of them) they won’t give or even confirm that kind of info to **anyone** , even the owner or a lienholder. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-and-potential-car-buyer/153942/6 "2003-02-10T00:48:43Z")
Isn’t VIN # kinda like ATM machine? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-and-potential-car-buyer/153942/7 "2003-02-10T03:40:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by danceswithcats \* > \*\*Isn’t VIN # kinda like ATM machine? :rolleyes: \*\* Huhhh??? ---
**Author:** ![Melandry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Melandry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melandry)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-and-potential-car-buyer/153942/8 "2003-02-10T03:50:43Z")
VIN= Vehicle Identification **Number** ATM= Automatic Teller **Machine** It’s redundant. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vin-and-potential-car-buyer/153942/9 "2003-02-10T05:00:27Z")
Take that up with the Division of Repetition and Redundancy Department. 🙂