VIN Lookup in Hawaii

A VIN lookup in Hawaii is a process used to obtain valuable details about a vehicle using the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). The provisions for using a VIN in Hawaii are outlined in the Hawaii state statutes, and VIN's are typically designated to a vehicle following its production.

A VIN check is vital for many reasons, including:

Theft record: In 2019, the US crime report recorded over five thousand vehicle theft in Hawaii. This statistic should make prospective used-car buyers in Hawaii wary. Some used car sellers refurbish used cars with bad records and sell them as new.
Accident history: According to statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Hawaii recorded a total number of 81 car crashes in 2020. The accident history of a vehicle can be obtained through a VIN check.
Other Useful details: Aside from checking for theft and accident history, one can also check for details like car model, make, engine size, factory, fuel efficiency, manufacturer recall, safety recalls, specifications, ownership costs, and equipment.

VIN lookups are similar to Hawaii license plate lookup; however, the former is less likely to provide information regarding the ownership history of a vehicle.

What is a Vehicle Identification Number in Hawaii

A Hawaii Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), also called the chassis number, is a unique code assigned to every vehicle during manufacturing. It is a code of letters and numbers that distinguishes each vehicle from others. The VIN characters indicate the year of manufacture, vehicle model, engine size, country, and factory where manufacturing of the vehicle took place. However, the VIN system covers cars, pick-ups, motorcycles, vans, scooters, buses, commercial trucks, and more.

In Hawaii, the VIN code is used by state agencies and the government to gain access to a range of information about a vehicle and issue safety recalls.

How is a Vin Number Used?

VIN serves a wide range of purposes, including the following:

The Hawaii Department of Motor Vehicles uses VIN to keep a detailed record of vehicles after the registration of documents. They are also responsible for issuing ownership and safety records to vehicle owners.
Law enforcement personnel use VIN in the course of an investigation and to recover stolen vehicles.
VIN is also used by people considering buying used cars to gain access to the vehicle record.
VIN is used to identify individual vehicles, car models, make, engine sizes, specifications, manufacture details, and more.

Who Issues a Vehicle's Vin Number in Hawaii

Automobile manufacturers are responsible for assigning unique VIN to every vehicle in Hawaii. The vehicle registration and licensing division, popularly known as the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), is responsible for maintaining a detailed record of individual vehicles and issuing ownership and registration documents.

How Many Digits are in a Vin?

A VIN is a 17-digit alphanumeric (combination of letters and numbers) character code assigned to an individual vehicle. However, only cars made after 1981 have a 17-character VIN. VIN consists of different sections, with each section providing specific information. The VIN code indicates the year, make, model, engine size, and manufacturing details.

How to Read a VIN

A typical example of a VIN is LFTFW1R6XBF086161 which is made up of three different sections:

The manufacturer identifier indicates where the vehicle was built and the manufacturer. The first three characters (1FT) show where the car was assembled, the manufacturer, and the brand respectively.
The next five characters (FW1R6) make up the vehicle descriptor which indicates the model, body style, safety equipment, and engine code.
The final characters in a VIN are known as the vehicle identifier, with the first four characters indicating the security code, model year, and factory code, while the last six numbers are serial numbers. The serial number is an indicator of how a vehicle came off an assembly line.

How to Find Your Car's VIN Number

The most common places to find a car's VIN are on the dashboard and door frame of the driver's side. Other places include the front of the engine block, mostly on gasoline cars, vehicle title records, vehicle insurance records, and vehicle registration cards.

How to Conduct a Vin Lookup in Hawaii

In Hawaii, a car's VIN number is required to run a VIN check. The search result typically includes comprehensive and valuable information on a vehicle that is most beneficial to used car buyers. VIN lookup provides information on the vehicle's make, model, year of production, specifications, ownership cost, equipment, current and past owners, factory where it was manufactured, and manufacturer details. Also, further information is provided on the theft records, accident history, flood damage, liens, fuel efficiency, title checks, and vehicle recalls. However, running a VIN check in Hawaii might attract a small fee depending on the amount of information needed. One can run a VIN check for a car through the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) official site and also through a third-party-owned site.

How Do I Look Up a Vin Number for Free in Hawaii

The National Insurance Car Bureau (NICB) is a free and easily accessible site to run a VIN check, mostly when you want information on the theft record of a vehicle using the VIN. This site only allows a maximum of five searches to be done in 24 hours. Moreover, other sites can help one run a VIN check for free, but these sites can only provide a limited amount of information on the vehicle but can still go a long way to help a buyer make the right decision.

How to Use a Vin Decoder to Run a Vin Number Check in Hawaii

VIN decoder is a quick and easy tool designed to aid vehicle owners and buyers in getting all the necessary information on their vehicles. VIN decoder comes into play when a buyer is unsure of the vehicle's features he wants to buy. In this case, the VIN decoder is the best tool because it's quick and easy to provide the buyer with vital information on the vehicle. The VIN decoder stores information about a car's model, engine, year, manufacturer details, etc. The data stored in the VIN decoder is always up to date as more data is added frequently. To use a VIN decoder, simply insert the car's VIN number in the search box provided and click on the decode button.

How to Conduct a Vin Lookup Using a License Plate

A license plate is affixed to the back and front of a car displaying letters and numbers indicating the vehicle's registration with the state. To run a license plate search through online service, enter the license plate number into the resource being used and select search.

What is a Vin Inspection in Hawaii?

A VIN inspection is a verification process to prove your ownership of the car. VIN inspection is carried out on vehicles with unknown identities and vehicles with salvage certificates outside Hawaii.

Reasons for conducting a VIN inspection

To verify that the VIN on the vehicle matches the one on the registration card
To make corrections and updates
For verification of vehicle description
For verification of ownership
To identify refurbished used vehicles.

Vehicle safety inspections can be acquired at government-authorized service stations and repair shops. In Hawaii, most commercial vehicles are not issued a safety inspection certificate; only private cars can get issued a safety certificate with a one-year validation. After one year, the vehicle owner is expected to renew the safety inspection certificate by presenting the vehicle registration documents and vehicle insurance identification card. Once the inspection offices do the safety inspection process, the newly acquired information is updated. This takes about 48 hours to reflect online. A motor vehicle safety inspection is compulsory for all vehicles over two years in Hawaii.

How Much is VIN Inspection Report?

In Hawaii, the Department of Transportation sets the inspection fee at a minimum of $19 and a maximum of $25.

What is a VIN Inspection Report?

A VIN inspection report contains every data obtained from a successful inspection process. This document serves as a guide for safety officers when conducting vehicle inspections. Only authorized inspectors can use an inspection report to check for issues and damages. A vehicle inspection report contains information on a car's brake system, engine, fuel efficiency, safety equipment, wheels and tires, windshield, lighting devices, exhaust systems, and coupling devices.

Brake system: The brake pedal, fluid, lines, and hoses, assemblies are inspected to check for damages. This must be done to ensure safe driving conditions.
Engine check: Any abnormal sound in the car engine is noted.
Windshield inspection: This is done to check for any broken glass and how the windshields are placed.
Tires and wheels inspection: This inspection is conducted to check for tire pressure and balance.
Safety equipment: This is done to ensure the availability of fire extinguishers, first aid kits, protective gear, safety shoes, and more. All these are essential to keep a bad situation from getting worse.
Exhaust systems: The vehicle's exhaust systems are checked for leaks and damages.
Coupling devices: Coupling devices are inspected for faulty connections to ensure safe driving.

What Does a Vehicle History Contain?

A vehicle history report collects data from Hawaii DMV police reports, repair documents, a VIN lookup, or insurance companies about a car. A vehicle report helps a potential buyer to make the right decisions by getting information about a used car. Though a vehicle report will not give you the current state of the car, this is the primary reason why vehicle inspection is critical, it gives updated information on a car. A vehicle report includes:

Ownership history: This section reveals the number of people who have once been vehicle owners and the ownership length. This will help you negotiate the price of the car. It also records where the car was purchased and registered.
Title report: Car titles are recorded to inform buyers of likely issues that can be encountered due to issues or damages. A car is titled based on the damage of the car. For example, a vehicle can be marked as salvage, refurbished, fire, flood, hailstorm, vandalized, airbag deployment etc.
Accident history: This section provides information on accidents the car might have been involved in and also if there is any significant damage on the car you may want to consider.
Service history: This reveals how long a car has been in use. Most car sellers hoard this information from the buyers. So, if you are an intending buyer, you are expected to seek help from a mechanic to perform an inspection on the car.
Recalls: Recalls are updated frequently by the manufacturer to check for factory problems. The manufacturer takes responsibility for the cost, but as the owner of the vehicle changes, it becomes more difficult to reach out to the vehicle's current owner. So it is advisable to check for open recalls before buying a used car. If there is any, request for it to be fixed before buying.
Odometer fraud: Most car owners alter a car's odometer to reduce the mileage to boost the car's value. If the car's odometer does tally with the past record, it indicates fraud.
Additional record: Other vital information recorded in a history report includes: Liens, sale records, odometer records, specs, warranties, manufacturing details, lemon, market value, maintenance records, and more.

How to Conduct a Vin Verification in Hawaii

VIN verification is imperative for a car's verification. It can provide inquirers with the necessary information about a car or vehicle's history only. To get a VIN verified, take the car to the Department of Motor Vehicles or the local police stations in Hawaii. This process might attract a small fee.

Can I Look Up My Vehicle Specs by Vin Number?

Yes, with a VIN, inquirers can get all the information they want about vehicle specs. Vehicle specs is a short-term for vehicle specifications. It reveals vital information about the dimensions (height, length, and width), fuel system, speed, boot space, wheelbase, ground clearance, and car model that the buyer would want to know.

Can You Tell Engine Size by VIN Number?

Yes, a VIN can be used to determine the size of a car engine. Each section of a VIN code offers a piece of specific information. The 8th character of a VIN tells the size of the car engine.