On April 30, 2008, NHTSA will publish a final rule in the Federal Register which amends 49 CFR Part 565, Vehicle Identification Number Requirements. These amendments are intended to make certain changes in the 17-character vehicle identification number (VIN) system so that the system will remain viable for at least another 30 years.
With the final rule, the principal changes to Part 565 that impact the options vehicle manufacturers have in complying with Part 565 are as follows:
• vehicle “make” will no longer be required to be identified in the manufacturer identifier of the VIN;
• vehicle “make” will now need to be identified, along with other information items included in the previous version of Part 565, in the second section of the VIN, which consists of VIN positions 4-8;
• in generating VINs for vehicles that comply with Part 565, manufacturers of passenger cars and MPVs and trucks with a GVWR of 4,536 kg (10,000 lbs) or less will have an expanded number of characters available in positions 4, 5 and 6 of the VIN. All three of these positions may now be either numeric or alphabetic. Manufacturers will also be required to use an alphabetic character in position 7 of the VIN (currently, either a numeric or alphabetic character is permitted).
The new VIN requirements apply to vehicles that are manufactured on or after October 28, 2008 whose VINs have a letter “A” or “B” in the 10th position of the VIN, and to all vehicles manufactured on or after May 1, 2009.
Petitions for reconsideration of the final rule will be due June 15, 2008.
