A VIN mismatch occurs when the VIN on the car and the VIN on the title are different, even if they are only off by a single digit. This is often a sign of theft or other fraudulent activity, but a minor difference could be nothing more than a simple mistake by someone long ago – perhaps even when the car was first registered for the road.

I have personally encountered VIN mismatches on several occasions. Some were simple mistakes while others were attempts at fraud. To help illustrate this problem I’ll tell you a few stories from our staff’s vault of personal experiences.

If you aren’t familiar with how VIN numbers work, you can find out by reading this article.

Minor VIN Mismatch: An Easy Fix

Hey look, that’s me in the Corvette! That was the time I bought a 1979 Chevrolet Corvette from a private party on Craigslist. It was the cheapest running, driving, undamaged 4-speed manual L-82 Corvette I’ve ever seen – and if that was gibberish to you, just know this car was one hell of a find.

The seller and I noticed that the VIN on the title had a B where the car’s VIN number had an 8. Huge red flag, right? Not at all. We reasoned that someone must have made a mistake several decades ago, possibly when the car was first titled way back in 1979. This misprint must have gone unnoticed for over 40 years! But how?

Though incorrect, the VIN sequence was close enough that it plugged into the systems at insurance companies and the DMV. That won’t always be the case – this Corvette had a lucky go – but it allowed this car to skirt by with a problem on the title for longer than I had been alive.

The two major takeaways are:

I still bought the car. I found an online VIN decoder for this year of Corvette (here) and discovered that within the VIN sequence that position was only supposed to contain a number, not a letter. The seller was a local resident who I knew to be trustworthy. Just in case, I covered my bases by running both versions of the VIN. When both versions came back clean, I knew I was good to go.

I needed to fix the VIN. I happened to know that the state of Missouri will fix a one-digit VIN correction on a car title (your state may be different), so fixing the problem simply involved going to the DMV and speaking to an agent. I provided a photo of the car’s VIN plate, a screenshot of the VIN decoder, and the title itself. They charged me a small fee and corrected the error during the usual registration process. I soon received a corrected title in my name with no added delay. Easy-peasy.

Of course, things don’t always go that smoothly.

Major VIN Mismatch: A Big Red Flag

One of our staffers – we’ll call him Joe – tried to buy a Honda motorcycle from a private party on Craigslist. At the meet, the seller told stories that implied he had owned the bike for several years. The seller seemed well-versed on the bike’s problems and performance, so Joe decided to buy. Then the seller’s mood changed: he produced the title in haste, trying to move the sale along very quickly, and Joe noticed the VIN on the title was different from the one on the motorcycle. Not just a little wrong, very wrong.

It was clear that the title belonged to a different motorcycle. To seal the deal, the year printed on the build sticker on the motorcycle’s frame did not match the year printed on the title. The gig was up.

You should do the same thing Joe did in this circumstance:

Call the seller out. Joe explained that the VIN numbers didn’t match, then asked if the seller had perhaps confused the titles to two different bikes. The seller treated the issue as no big deal: “It never caused me a problem man, it’s good. I promise this bike is great. It’s not stolen or anything.” Since that’s exactly what a thief would say, Joe politely walked away from the deal.

A victim of motorcycle theft himself, Joe called the police about the encounter. The outcome is anybody’s guess, but selling stolen property is often billed as a felony. So there you go.

This is a prime example of why it’s important to always bring a friend when you meet someone off Craigslist. That encounter could have gone a lot worse for Joe if he had been there alone. Of course, the seller showed all his cards.

One of our staffers got scammed even harder than that once. Luckily, they had their guard up.

How to Protect Yourself from a VIN Mismatch

A VIN mismatch on a car title often stems from a transcription mistake during the registration process. If the VIN is off by more than one digit, your local DMV may require additional paperwork to fix the issue. If the VINs on the car and the title are completely different you may have encountered fraud.

Buying a car with the wrong VIN listed on the title is a bad idea. As a buyer, the best way to protect yourself is to follow these easy steps when buying a car:

• Before the meet, run a VIN check on the vehicle

• At the meet, compare all the data and the VINs digit for digit

• Consult an online VIN decoder to determine the correct format of the VIN

• Use your discretion to decide whether a mismatch could be a transcription mistake

• If the VIN is extremely wrong, walk away from the deal

To save time, ask for the VIN early. See if the seller will send you photos of the title and the car’s VIN number before the meet. This will save you a trip and any dangers or pressure from a potential scammer. If the seller won’t provide these things before the sale, that’s a red flag.

Dirt Legal Can Help

We are a small group of vehicle specialists who are passionate about combating title fraud. We offer quick and easy VIN Checks to equip you with the details to make an informed decision. Worst case, we can also get you a new title and license plates! Buy now or bookmark for later:

Contact us with any questions. Our staff is well-versed in all manner of title issues. If you encountered a strange situation and need to ask someone about it, or if you have questions about VIN mismatches or any other title topic, contact us for a no-obligation chat.

Photos in this article were provided by the author, Justin Dake.

We are not attorneys. This article is not legal advice.