Hello dawk2020-ga!
Sorry to hear about your possible car troubles. I hope that the
information that I?ve found can help you solve your case and, better
yet, hopefully put your mind at ease. I?ve got some great sites for
you that should prove quite helpful.
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ABOUT VIN NUMBERS
As you probably know, VIN stands for Vehicle Identification Number. It
is a 17-digit combination of numbers and letters that identify not
only the make and model, but also information such as the country
where it was manufactured, the specific manufacturing plant, and
vehicle specifications. It does not include vehicle color, however.
Some of the numbers are used individually in addition to as a group.
For example, the first number identifies the country where it was
manufactures, and the first three together identify the specific make
(Chevy, Buick, etc.). The VIN number is a convenient way to trace
vehicle registration, maintenance, and accident information. An
excellent site explaining the ?coding? of VINs can be found at
http://www.vehicleidentificationnumber.com/vehicle_identification_numbers_vin_detail.html.
A very nice informational sheet from General Motors is available at
http://www.gmgoodwrench.com/gmgoodwrenchjsp/gmspo/brochures/VINCARDS.pdf.
Using this chart I determined specific information regarding your 2003
Impala.
VIN: 2G1WF55K939257029
2 = Canadian built
2G1 = Chevy
WF = Impala
5 = 4-door sedan
5 = Seatbelts, driver and passenger front airbags, driver side airbag
K = 3.8 L, V6 engine
9 = ?Check digit? (no specific meaning)
3 = 2003 model year
9 = Manufacturing plant, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (#1)
257029 = Production sequence number
Using the VIN number you could also obtain a Vehicle History Report
from a service such as Carfax.com. I ran the VIN number on the initial
form and received information located here:
http://carfax.com/cfm/check_order.cfm?vin=2G1WF55K939257029&partner=CFX_S_DEC_30&zipcode=&ClickID=&SiteID=&FID=27297&PopUpStatus=0
Six records were found in the database, which could represent ?a clean
title history? or ?potential problems.? You can get the complete form
by filling out an order form and paying a $24.99 fee. (We--and many
friends and family of ours--have used their service for car purchases
ourselves and everyone?s been quite pleased with it.) At least you can
know more specifics, good or bad (hopefully good).
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STATE-SPECIFIC INFORMATION
Since we live in Pennsylvania, I also checked our car titles and did
not see the color listed. I then called the DMV Customer Call Center
in PA and was told that color should be included on a vehicle title,
but that often it is not. Reasons cited were new paint jobs,
incomplete reporting, and ?for sale by owner? situations where the
title is simply signed over. For any other questions you can visit
their website at http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/home/index.shtml.
Here is a page with other contact information:
http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/contact_us/index.shtml
As for New York, their online application
(http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/forms/mv82ton.pdf) indicates that
vehicle color is a required piece of information to receive a title.
For other questions you can visit their website at
http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/index.htm. I?ve tried calling them using
their out-of-state toll number several times and only get a busy
signal. Perhaps you can have more luck with their in-state toll free
number.
Here is a page with other contact information:
http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/tollfree.htm
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LOCATING YOUR VIN
There is a downloadable owners? manual for the 2003 Chevy Impala
available at http://www.analogstereo.com/chevrolet_impala_owners_manual.htm.
According to the manual:
?It [the VIN] appears on a plate in the front corner of the instrument
panel, on the driver?s side. You can see it if you look through the
windshield from outside your vehicle. The VIN also appears on the
Vehicle Certification and Service Parts labels and the certificates of
title and registration.?
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I hope that all of this information is useful in your investigation.
Good luck with everything. If you have need of any further
clarification please let me know how I can help. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Boquinha-ga
Search strategy:
Online search
Phone calls to state DMVs
Search terms:
chevrolet vin numbers impala
impala vin information
title information "new york"
vehicle title information Pennsylvania
2003 impala owners manual |
