Checking VIN's if they are German?

[coadman]

Found a 240D and asked the person to give me the VIN number, and he sent it to me, but said it was a German VIN and he couldnt get it to come up on CARFAX. How do you check them out? Here is the VIN 12312310126635
Jim

[winmutt]

add WDB to the front. What year is it. Pre '81 its probably not a euro.

[sedecrem]

I had the same issue with some cars I was looking at from craigslist and eBay. I think it has to be as new or newer than 1981 or '82 for it to show up on a carfax search. For example the '82 300D and '82 300SD that I checked came back with a report, but the '79 240D and the '80 240D did not, even though the '80 has the WDB before the following 14 digit numeric VIN sequence. I was just on the phone with my insurance agent and when she tried to put the '79 240D on my policy the program kept bouncing the number out insisting the number had to be alpha-numeric. She finally got the program to respond and accept the number.

Sedecrem

[coadman]

Originally Posted by winmutt

add WDB to the front. What year is it. Pre '81 its probably not a euro.

It's a 1979 with a recent 1981 motor install.
Jim

[MTUpower]

check the vin again and post if it really correct as this one is one digit too long.

[coadman]

Originally Posted by MTUpower

check the vin again and post if it really correct as this one is one digit too long.

I just recieved an email from the owner, and he verified the VIN 12312310126635 is the correct VIN number. He verified this number on the title and 3 differant places on the car.
Jim

VIN WDB12312310126635
Model 240 D
Chassis 12312310126635
Engine 616912 10 101511
Transmission 00 593646
Order 0 8 707 85261
Approx. year 1978
Lights BOSCH
Cab 20445
Dealer United States - tourists (707)
Interior mb-tex blue (102)
Paint
737 classic white (T) (с 01.01.1975 по 31.12.1985)
02 Unknown code
Options
411 mechanical and hydraulic sliding roof (с 01.10.1965 по 31.10.1993)
422 mercedes-benz power steering (с 01.01.1963 по 29.02.1986)
467 central locking system and instruments with english lettering (с 01.04.1970 по 31.10.1993)
491 USA version (с 01.01.1963)
513 Becker radio Europa (stereo - USA) (с 01.06.1969 по 31.07.1981)
radio MB Special, without traffic news decoder, with RDS and longwave
531 automatic antenna (с 01.01.1963)
542 lockable glove compartment (с 01.02.1963 по 29.02.1986)
575 front folding armrest and right front seat with seat height adjustment
front folding armrest and headrest, left (с 01.04.1970)
580 Behr air conditioner (с 01.04.1970 по 31.10.1982)
593 heat-insulating glass, all-around, heated rear window pane (single-sheet safety glass), band filter
green heat-insulating glass all round, heated rear window, single pane safety glass - tinted strip (с 01.01.1972)
663 50 liters of fuel (с 01.01.1964 по 30.06.1978)
820