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Looking for the VIN?
Here is there you’ll find it:
Although its roots stretch back to the start of the 20th century, the Isuzu we know today didn’t start until 1949. They quickly became one of Japan’s top producers of heavy duty trucks and buses, while experimenting with car production through the 1960s. In 1972, GM bought a large stake in the company. Their first project was a car that was sold as the Gemini by Isuzu and the Chevette by Chevrolet. Isuzu entered the U.S. car market in 1981, gaining attention with an ad campaign featuring the over-the-top claims of Joe Isuzu. While the Rodeo and Trooper SUVs were popular through the 90s, declining sales prompted the company to stop passenger car sales in 2009. Meanwhile, their commercial sales grew both here and abroad. Today, their cab-forward N-Series and F-Series trucks are some of the most popular medium duty trucks around the world.
Whether you need a box truck for your business or an off-roader for weekend fun, EpicVIN can help you find the right Isuzu. Using a VIN check, you can find out how a vehicle was configured at the factory. This helps you spot obvious listing errors, saving you time on the hunt for your next vehicle. Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, order a VIN report. This looks at information from insurance and government databases, telling you about accidents, ownership changes and potential legal issues. That way, you can avoid lemons and get the vehicle that fits your needs.
When it comes to commercial trucks, there are endless options. Every model is offered in different wheelbases, engines, cab configurations, load capacities and braking options. Fortunately, most of this information is encoded in the Vehicle Identification Number. When you look up this factory information on our website, you have a way to confirm the sales listing information is correct. That way, you can skip over trucks that don’t fit the needs of your business.
While passenger vehicles are simpler, there are some problems that can crop up with incorrect or falsified listings. This is especially true for older vehicles. It’s a lot easier to buy an off-roader with the right gear setup or a sports car with the correct engine and suspension than trying to source salvage and reproduction parts. Using VIN lookup is invaluable if you want one of Isuzu’s classics, like the Amigo or the Impulse.
The VIN is in several places to keep this identifier available through the life of the vehicle. Some trucks may have two VINs. Isuzu provides a VIN number for the chassis, while the outfitter, who adds parts to create a complete vehicle, adds their own VIN. Isuzu’s VIN is the one used for most registrations, and it’s also the one you need to learn about engine and chassis specifications. Here’s where you can find this 17 digit code.
Near the top of the door, just above the seat belt harness, you should see a large silver plate. If Isuzu provided the chassis to an outfitter, this tag will usually say “INCOMPLETE VEHICLE MFD BY ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED”. This way, you know you’re getting the VIN for the chassis and not the completed vehicle.
If you look at the B-pillar with the door open, you may see a long sticker with a bar code. The number next to the code is the VIN.
On light trucks and SUVs, like the Trooper, you can find the VIN stamped into the frame. This number is on the passenger’s side frame rail, just ahead of the rear wheel. Passenger vehicles also have a tag on the front or side of the driver’s side B pillar.
Since VINs are unique, they’re used to identify the vehicle on documents. You can also find the VIN on the title, vehicle insurance policies, repair receipts and other official paperwork.
What can you learn by using our site to decode the VIN? Here’s what each place in the VIN is used for, as well as common letter and number codes.
The first digit is the country where the truck was built. This will be either “J” for Japanese vehicles or numbers 1-5 for vehicles built in North America.
The second and third place in the VIN is the manufacturer and division code. “AL” is used for most Japanese-built Isuzu trucks.
The fourth place in the VIN number is the GVWR and braking system. For example, a 16,000-19,500 lb. truck with air brakes uses an “F” for this character.
The fifth place is the series character. For example, an FRR uses a “5” here, while an NPR uses a “4”.
The sixth place is the cab type on trucks and the body type on passenger vehicles. There are a huge number of possibilities for this character, due to constantly changing cab options. Fortunately, our VIN search finds this information for you.
The seventh place digit is the chassis type for trucks. A 4x2 truck uses a “1” for this character. On passenger vehicles, this is the safety restraint system.
The eighth place is the engine code for both trucks and passenger vehicles. For example, a 6.0 liter gas truck engine uses the letter “B”.
The ninth place is a check digit, which confirms the VIN is accurate.
The tenth place is the year. This uses a standard labeling system that alternates between letters and numbers. Numbers 1-9 were last used on 2001-2009 models.
Code | Country | Code | Country | Code | Country | Code | Country |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
E | 1984 | R | 1994 | 4 | 2004 | E | 2014 |
F | 1985 | S | 1995 | 5 | 2005 | F | 2015 |
G | 1986 | T | 1996 | 6 | 2006 | G | 2016 |
H | 1987 | V | 1997 | 7 | 2007 | H | 2017 |
J | 1988 | W | 1998 | 8 | 2008 | J | 2018 |
K | 1989 | X | 1999 | 9 | 2009 | K | 2019 |
L | 1990 | Y | 2000 | A | 2010 | L | 2020 |
M | 1991 | 1 | 2001 | B | 2011 | M | 2021 |
N | 1992 | 2 | 2002 | C | 2012 | N | 2022 |
P | 1993 | 3 | 2003 | D | 2013 | P | 2023 |
The eleventh digit is the plant code. For example, if this is a “7”, it was built in Fujisawa, Japan.
The remaining 6 digits are the serial number. These numbers are reused, but no two vehicles will have the exact same VIN.
What do you get when you use our site to look up VIN numbers? Here are three examples.
Locations vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. However, there are three places you can find the code on most vehicles:
- Look through the windshield at the dashboard. On the driver’s side, you should see a small metal plate with the number stamped into it.
- Open the driver’s door. Look at the front and side of the door pillar for an I.D. sticker. It usually has the manufacturer’s logo on it. The code should be on this sticker.
- Open the hood. You may see a sticker on the firewall or near the passenger’s side strut tower. Some cars have the number engraved in one of these areas.
Since this number is used to identify the vehicle on official documents, you can also find it on the title, the window sticker, and on insurance policies.
We also decode numbers for RVs, heavy-duty trucks and motorcycles. If you need to decode an RV number, make sure it’s the one issued by the chassis manufacturer, not the RV outfitter.
No. Canadian and Mexican cars usually use the same format. Other countries use their own formats.
It’s up to the manufacturer to determine what they want to include for some parts of the number. For example, some companies don’t include information about transmissions or trim levels.
Usually, no. A few manufacturers stamp the code into the engine. If the VINs on the engine and car match, then it’s the original engine. On most vehicles, there isn’t anything that ties an engine to a specific vehicle. At most, looking up the vehicle on our website will tell you if a different type of engine was installed. For example, if someone swaps a V8 into a Ford Mustang, our site will tell you it originally came with a V6.
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