VIN # replaced question?

[ps2cho]

So while at the dealer this morning, he mentioned that the VIN plate on the inside of the door had been changed....How did he know?

This is for my 300TE....from my "understanding", the car was stolen when it was new, but recovered unharmed shortly after...and the owner didn't want it back, so it sat in her garage for 10 years or so....

The VIN # matches the inside fenders, door sill, engine bay, rear bumper (all match so its obviously wasn't given a new VIN#)...so how did the guy know something about it just by looking? He didn't run it through the computer or anything...

Just curious?

[gabzor]

from what i know most cars have 2 vin #s on the doors one by the jamb next to the strike plate, and one by the latch.. those match?

and its a car with age.. maybe junkyard'd part?

why were you at the dealer?

[Gilly]

The "main" location for the vin is on the windshield pillar, you haven't mentioned that

[ps2cho]

There is none on that pillar...its missing.

Unlikely a junkyard part...PO took it to the shop for everything...and this incident I understand was done very early when the car was brand new.

I was third owner @ 61k miles in 2006.

[compu_85]

All US spec W124s have the metal plate on the A pillar. Can you take some pictures of the VIN plate(s)?

-J

[ps2cho]

My 260E has it on the A Pillar, my wagon does not. When I get the car back today, I'll take some shots.

[97 SL320]

It could be the the actual tag was replaced.

All cars sold in the US have had to have a public visible VIN since at least 1970.

In addition to the public vin, there is a hidden chassis vin or two.

[Yak]

Depending on the age, aren't there different VINs and chassis numbers? They're basically the same number but with different quantities of digits.

Maybe there's something obvious, like the 'new' plate has screws instead of rivets, or it has a custom one-off stamping plate instead of a machine-stamped one.

There are several threads with people having issues registering there cars because the 'VIN' doesn't match everywhere or it doesn't have enough digits to get entered into the computer.

[Gilly]

I would make the assumption that the A pillar VIN tag was removed when stolen somehow, and a vin tag replacement possibly then added to the door jamb, maybe by the state? Or Mercedes? I thik if you have a good parts man you can get MB to issue a replacement vin tag for cases like this.

[Gilly]

Also, possibly the guy at the dealer was actually just mentioning that the vin tag is in the door jamb not out on the pillar where it belongs. I would look at the tag and see if it mentions being issued by your state.