CAA Vehicle Identification and Documentation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which VIN position identifies the vehicle's model year?
- Position 1
- Position 8
- Position 10 (Correct answer)
- Position 11
Correct answer: Position 10
The 10th character of a 17-character VIN encodes the model year.
Question 2: What is the purpose of the 9th character in a North American VIN?
- Identifies the assembly plant
- Serves as a check digit to validate the VIN (Correct answer)
- Indicates the engine type
- Identifies the restraint system
Correct answer: Serves as a check digit to validate the VIN
Position 9 is a calculated check digit used to detect invalid or altered VINs.
Question 3: Which letters are never used in a standard 17-character VIN?
- A, E, and U
- I, O, and Q (Correct answer)
- X, Y, and Z
- B, D, and S
Correct answer: I, O, and Q
I, O, and Q are excluded to avoid confusion with the numerals 1 and 0.
Question 4: The first three characters of a VIN make up which section?
- Vehicle Descriptor Section
- Vehicle Identifier Section
- World Manufacturer Identifier (Correct answer)
- Check Digit Section
Correct answer: World Manufacturer Identifier
Positions 1-3 form the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI), identifying the maker and region.
Question 5: Where is the federal motor vehicle safety certification label most commonly located on a passenger car?
- Under the hood on the radiator support
- On the driver's door or door jamb (B-pillar) (Correct answer)
- Inside the glove box
- On the rear bumper cover
Correct answer: On the driver's door or door jamb (B-pillar)
FMVSS certification labels are typically affixed to the driver's door edge or B-pillar.
Question 6: A 'salvage' title brand most commonly indicates that the vehicle:
- Was used as a rental car
- Was declared a total loss, usually by an insurer (Correct answer)
- Has more than 100,000 miles
- Was imported from another country
Correct answer: Was declared a total loss, usually by an insurer
A salvage brand is issued when a vehicle is declared a total loss, typically due to damage cost exceeding a state threshold.
Question 7: Under NHTSA's 2021 odometer disclosure rule, model year 2011 and newer vehicles require odometer disclosure on transfer until they reach what age?
- 10 years
- 15 years
- 20 years (Correct answer)
- 25 years
Correct answer: 20 years
The updated rule extended the exemption threshold so 2011+ vehicles require disclosure for 20 years.
CAA Vehicle Identification and Documentation 2
Which VIN position identifies the vehicle's model year?