Does anyone know where to get detailed VIN info for free?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

adriver

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2018
Posts
775
Reaction score
457
I'm searching for a new (to me) NBS SUV, and looking everywhere I can think of. I can't find a site with detailed VIN information, Are there any free sites that include vehicle specific options with a VIN Decoder? (The rest is kind of me ranting, if you are in a hurry skip to the last sentence).
Autotrader
Craigslist
Carfax - (didn't realize they sell used cars, free Carfax and these are some nicer examples).
ebay
cars.com
offerup
cargurus
here :Angry:
Found a few auction sites, but Iaai and salvagebid seem to be the only two big ones (that aren't just local), and they have the same vehicles..

Iaai is the only place I have seen that has vehicle SPECIFIC options...



Vin specific.PNG



Everywhere I have searched online only has generic VIN details..



vin generic.PNG



I am looking for a 99-04 white on gray CLEAN BODY, clean title, 2WD, 5.3 (probably) white or (possibly) black, without traction control and stability control, (if you knew how I drove you would understand why, I'm not just going to bother turning it off every time I drive). To swap a MAN transmission in. So when I drive, I can down shift to second before the turns, and out corner the "sports cars" with bad drivers and automatic transmissions. This will allow me to quickly act like a child, while simultaneously be an ******* (temporarily). Knowing what I know now, I might jump on the cheapest clean body with the right color I can find, and plan on putting new suspension, brakes, engine/trans pullout swap (if I can find a low mileage). I think my best plan is to find a $1k version of a $3K vehicle, then put $12-$15K in to it to try to make it better than new. Not looking to race, just a clean personalized semi-sleeper daily driver.

ITS RIDICULOUS, how uninformed some people are about their vehicles. If you want to feel smart, go look at offerup and you might find one out of 20 who give you half the information that matters. Most people don't post a single interior picture, or don't include whether its 2wd or 4wd. Yet they want to put "V8" in big letters, even though THEY ALL came with a v8, but they won't say which one it is. Its as if people think two pictures, three sentences, and zero details other than "how it runs good" is worth $1000 over KBB..
:biggun:




I was looking for my current vehicle 99-06 reg cab Silverado/Sierra with a V8 and 5spd, pwr windows and locks, one owner with low mileage, and next to no mods (so that I knew the only problems were going to be what I would cause), in dark gray, or blue with gray interior, southern vehicle. I spent hours a day looking for one on what was about 20 different websites. After SIX MONTHS, One popped up one day for $6k, blue on graphite with 90K miles and a stepside bed with a tonneau, and a magnaflow muffler in TX. I jumped on it, paid asking, and flew out a couple days later and drove it back 1000 miles. Its been great for the last 6 years and 140K miles.. I don't like to settle, and don't plan on it for this. I didn't plan on keeping the truck forever, but I think this SUV will be the first vehicle I am going to plan on keeping for the extended long term.


Back to the thread. So I'm not going to pay for them because this may take a while, I certainly can't ask someone to run 5-10 VINs a day from different vehicles that come up new across the country. I might buy an unlimited monthly search if not too much, but I'm not going to pay $1 a search, and most people don't even have enough sense to post their VIN anyways. The main thing I'm looking at is traction control and stability control (standard in 2005 and on Escalades), that I DON'T WANT. Carfax is 6 for $100. F-NO.. I'll get one before I buy, but not to search, when I can rule out so many before.

Does Anyone know any good websites that might help with detailed VIN info for cheap or free?
 
Last edited:

Martinjmpr

Full Access Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2015
Posts
378
Reaction score
183
Location
Littleton, Co
You can get a printout of the build sheet based on the VIN for your vehicle from Chevy but I don't know if they will let you run the VIN of a vehicle that's not yours - might be worth a try.
 
OP
OP
A

adriver

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2018
Posts
775
Reaction score
457
You can get a printout of the build sheet based on the VIN for your vehicle from Chevy but I don't know if they will let you run the VIN of a vehicle that's not yours - might be worth a try.

I see 20-30 new tahoes/yukons a day. I wouldn't even try to get a detailed vin printout from the dealer. If I could even get just the RPO codes, it would tell me what I need to know.
 

swathdiver

Full Access Member
Joined
May 18, 2017
Posts
19,097
Reaction score
25,021
Location
Treasure Coast, Florida
I see 20-30 new tahoes/yukons a day. I wouldn't even try to get a detailed vin printout from the dealer. If I could even get just the RPO codes, it would tell me what I need to know.

Download the VINCards for the years that you're looking at and learn them. It's not going to reveal options or RPO codes, those you'll have to look up at Compnine for $1 each or so.

Here's some examples:

If one wants a rare 2009 Tahoe with the 6.2 engine the VIN sequence to look for is 1GNFK332.

If one wants to find a 2009 XFE Tahoe or Yukon the VIN sequences are 1GNEC233 or 133 (Tahoe LT or LS) or 1GKEC333 or 233 (Yukon SLT or SLE).

Once you find the type you like, you'll then have to look at the photos and see if that reveals the features you're looking for. When I was looking for mine, I wanted it to have the Integrated Trailer Brake Controller. Hardly anyone listed that so I had to look at the photos of many hundreds of vehicles.
 
OP
OP
A

adriver

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2018
Posts
775
Reaction score
457
Well, for the most that's pretty easy..
(1&2) 1G 1 is US built, 2 is Canadian built, 3 is mexico built.. (2) G is GM
---(3) N is chevy, K is GMC, Y is Cadi
---(4) E is weight for SWB (F for long)
(5&6) (5) C is 2wd, K is 4wd.. (6) is full size 1/2 ton 1500 (I know I only want 2wd. Won't use 4wd, don't want it)
---(7) 3 (four door cab / utility vehicle.
---(8) ENGINE V is 4.8 --- T is 5.3 --- Z is 5.3 FF --- U is 6.0 LQ4 --- N is 6.0 LQ9
---(9) Check digit
--(10) Year - 2000 is Y --- 2001 is 1, --- DUH, --- 2006 is 6
--(11) Plant code J and R & (finding G on XL 1500s) (I know it was made in Janesville, WI and Arlington, TX. Im guessing R-lington and J-anesville.., and that G is Guanajuato, Mexico) Not sure if one matters over the other, I'm guessing it tells you if one probably started off in the North, and R in the south, (before getting a Carfax).
12-17 is the production number...

So 5 and 8 are really the important ones that rule out half right away, but from what I am seeing only about 10% of owners actually post it, and I'd be happy if the owners would even figure out 2wd/4wd. I'm finding dealers who don't even post the VIN. I won't even bother with dealers who won't post the price (so you would call... DIRTY)…

People don't even post engine pics so I can see if its got hydroboost or not (which I want, but not a dealbreaker cause even I can do that.

Maybe I'm an idiot, but AFAIK you can't permanently disable traction control, and stability control is tied into acceleration, and brakes... I don't want that to ever be computer controlled. (So I have completely ruled out 2005 and 2006 since it was standard, and in 2003 on Escalades). This is the main reason I want the RPO codes, but I haven't even gone through them to know which one that is; JL4 CONTROL ACTIVE BRAKE??


I'm not sure if most sellers are actually TRYING to just tease a little, or if they are just all this clueless, about all the variables.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
A

adriver

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2018
Posts
775
Reaction score
457
I did find this. Here are the two codes I am trying to avoid.
NW7 : TRACTION CONTROL - ELECTRONIC
JL4 : CONTROL ACTIVE BRAKE ACTIVE BRAKE CONTROL (stabilitrack)


http://www.compnine.com/vid.php ($)
This will get you the RPO codes (with description), if you have the VIN. Its 5 VIN for $5 (or cheaper in bulk).


http://www.cadillacfaq.com/rpo/ (free)
This will give you detailed info by just typing in your codes, you could always print to pdf to keep or know your records. If you are searching for something, it will help to know your own codes then look around those codes for similar


Here is a complete list of RPO codes.
 
Last edited:

Forum statistics

Threads
128,781
Posts
1,805,301
Members
91,760
Latest member
MyCleftNut

Latest posts

Top