

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is an Italian-American multinational carmaker that manufactured the 500 at Chrysler's plant in Toluca, Mexico. The 2012 Fiat 500 is a reminder of just how globalized automakers have become. No flex-fuel version of the Volt ever surfaced. The E85 compatibility apparently was incorporated into the VIN data before GM decided a flex-fuel version wouldn't be ready in time for 2011. General Motors originally intended to launch the Volt with a flex-fuel variant, but the emissions package was not ready for the car's introduction, according to the automaker. It erroneously says that the Volt can run on E85 ethanol in addition to gasoline. When we did a search for the VIN of another former test vehicle, a 2011 Chevrolet Volt, there was a hidden bit of trivia in the fuel type.

Both are manufactured at Subaru's plant in Japan. The Scion FR-S (now called the Toyota 86) and its twin, the Subaru BRZ, were the products of a joint venture between Subaru and Toyota. There was one item that stood out: The VIN decoder shows the manufacturer is Subaru, not Scion (now reabsorbed back into Toyota), but that's not an error. The first car VIN was the 2013 Scion FR-S. We entered the VIN of a few vehicles that were once in the Edmunds long-term test fleet, and the search came up with some interesting information. The reports can reveal if the motor vehicle you're considering has been reported stolen or if it has a salvage title.

If you're shopping for a used car and want to know more about its history before buying, we recommend running a AutoCheck report. If you're interested to learn about where your vehicle was made and entertaining trivia, try a site such as Decode the VIN. It depends on what information you're looking for.

There's even a bit of fraud detection in the VIN, in the form of the "check digit," described below. VIN information is organized in groups, and a search of your vehicle identification number can tell you a lot about your car.
