VIN Matching

[AlphaMale]

Is there a particular area in the engine bay or firewall where the Corolla's VIN number is etched? I have a 1996 crack-whore lipstick red Corolla DX that I may be buying, but the VIN sticker on the bottom of the b-pillar looks like it's been tampered with, and I didn't see any indication of a VIN under the hood nor the firewall.

I also notice 1993-1997 low-mileage Corollas like to bang into Drive from P R or N.

[KnightX_AE86]

look at the engine, inside of door, under the hood, trunk, 1/4 panel everyplace i just named should have the cars vin on it n if it doesnt then the part has been replaced bcuz its been hit b4.... try to find more then 2 same vin matchin then your in luck but if they r all diffrent (witch i dult) then your F***ed

[rolla-XRS]

Has the vehicle seller presented you with a the Used Vehicle Information Package (as required by law)? This will list all the previous owners. I'd highly recommend you research (Canada411.com) and contact the previous owners and see if they can give you some background on the car. Ever car get's personalized from other drivers...a previous owner might be ablt to tell you about some scratch, dent or quirk about the car to give you some reassurance the VIN matches the car.

Look for suspicious activity where where a vehicle is swapped many times over a short period of time (esp to/from an insurance or salvange company). It might have been a vehicle-write off...or WORSE - stolen and re-plated with a different VIN.

Get the car inspected by a certified mechanic and tell them about your concerns and have them also look for obvious structural/frame damage.

Call Toyota Canada at 1-888-TOYOTA-8 and they may be able to give you more info on where to look on the vehicle to confirm the vehicle. They do match engine serial and VIN's - besides other things. I know that Toyota also records VIN's that are written off, stolen or leave the country (according to government and insurance industry)...so that might give you some more clues.

And of course like everything in life, if the deal smells too good to be true, it probably is.

GL!!