Car Data Glossary

Plain-English definitions of the VIN, recall, complaint, crash-test and fuel-economy terms used in PlainVIN reports, each with its official source.

Campaign number: The ID NHTSA gives a recall, such as 23V858000. The first two digits are the year filed; V marks a vehicle recall (E is equipment, T tires, C child seats).; Source: NHTSA · See it in a report →
Check digit: Position 9 of a VIN, calculated from the other 16 characters with a fixed formula so copying mistakes can be caught. A remainder of 10 is written X.; Source: 49 CFR 565.15 · See it in a report →
Complaint (owner complaint): A report an owner files with NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation about a problem with their vehicle. Complaints are unverified reports, not findings, and are one input NHTSA uses to open investigations.; Source: NHTSA · See it in a report →
Completion rate: The share of vehicles covered by a recall that the manufacturer reports as repaired, from quarterly reports to NHTSA published by the US DOT.; Source: US DOT · See it in a report →
Curb weight: The weight of a vehicle with standard equipment and full fluids, without passengers or cargo.; Source: NHTSA vPIC · See it in a report →
Do not drive: NHTSA's most urgent recall warning: owners should not drive the vehicle until the recall repair is done.; Source: NHTSA · See it in a report →
EPA combined mpg: The fuel economy rating that weights EPA city (55%) and highway (45%) test results. It is the figure to use when comparing cars.; Source: EPA / fueleconomy.gov · See it in a report →
GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating): The maximum loaded weight of a vehicle as specified by the manufacturer, including passengers and cargo. It sets weight classes in VIN rules.; Source: 49 CFR 565.15 · See it in a report →
Model year: The year the manufacturer designates for a vehicle, encoded in VIN position 10. It can differ from the calendar year the car was built.; Source: 49 CFR 565.15 · See it in a report →
NCAP (5-Star Safety Ratings): NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program, which crash-tests new vehicles (frontal, side barrier, side pole) and rates rollover resistance from 1 to 5 stars.; Source: NHTSA · See it in a report →
ODI: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, which collects owner complaints, reviews manufacturer reports and opens defect investigations.; Source: NHTSA · See it in a report →
Overall Vehicle Score: NHTSA's single star rating that combines a vehicle's frontal, side and rollover results.; Source: NHTSA · See it in a report →
Park outside: A recall warning that the vehicle has a fire risk even when switched off, so owners should park outdoors and away from buildings until it is repaired.; Source: NHTSA · See it in a report →
Recall: An action to fix a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard. The manufacturer must notify owners and provide a remedy, which is free unless the vehicle was first sold more than 15 years before the notice.; Source: 49 U.S.C. 30120 · See it in a report →
Remedy: The fix for a recall: a repair, a replacement, a software update or, sometimes, a refund or repurchase.; Source: 49 U.S.C. 30120 · See it in a report →
Rollover risk: The chance, from NHTSA's rollover resistance test, that a vehicle rolls over in a single-vehicle crash. Lower is better; it is the basis of the rollover star rating.; Source: NHTSA · See it in a report →
Static Stability Factor (SSF): A lab measurement of how top-heavy a vehicle is, used with a driving-maneuver test to rate rollover resistance.; Source: NHTSA · See it in a report →
vPIC: NHTSA's Product Information Catalog and Vehicle Listing, the official decoder that turns a VIN into factory specs using the codes manufacturers file.; Source: NHTSA · See it in a report →
VDS (vehicle descriptor section): VIN positions 4–8: the manufacturer's codes for model line, body, engine and restraint systems.; Source: 49 CFR 565.15 · See it in a report →
VIN (vehicle identification number): The 17-character code that identifies a vehicle built for the 1981 model year onward. It uses capital letters and numbers, never I, O or Q.; Source: 49 CFR 565.13 · See it in a report →
VIS (vehicle identifier section): VIN positions 10–17: model year, assembly plant and the production sequence number.; Source: 49 CFR 565.15 · See it in a report →
WMI (world manufacturer identifier): VIN positions 1–3, which identify the manufacturer.; Source: 49 CFR 565.15 · See it in a report →