Duplicate VIN Numbers

When I took my Tacoma in for it's 5000 mile service and tranny check, something interesting happened when the service advisor pulled up my VIN. She stated my truck didn't have Toyota Care as well as any extended warranties showing. I was like, WTF...let me see that screen. She shows me and there is a SuperWhite Tacoma showing with a sale date of 2/16 and is a TRD Sport DCLB. I kindly pointed out to my truck through the window that I have an SR5 DCSB which we purchased 9/15, not 2/16.

After 10 minutes of entering VIN #'s, reverifying owner information and guidance from the service manager, it was found my truck and this TRD Sport that popped up have the same last 8 digits on our VIN. She stated that every time I brought my truck in I would encounter this issue so she documented my file for the next service writer. This was the 2nd time in her 9 years working there she's seen this happen.

How in the heck do very similar looking trucks, same year, model and color sans trim with completely different build dates end up with matching VINs? Do the dealership computer systems only track the last 8 digits of the VIN when a search is performed? I was confused as hell, but at least she found all my right information.

Hopefully this doesn't cause other issues down the line if we ever decide to transfer ownership.

 

I hope it doesn't get stolen, cops won't know who to return it to.

 

Hadn't thought of that.

 

Hope your car insurance company didnt put it down as a TRD sport.

 

All that is ok because I purchased and insured my truck before the TRD Sport was ever built.

 

The whole VIN isn't identical, so I wouldn't worry about it.

 

This. VIN is based on build location/engine/trans/cab/etc followed by a number denoting build sequence. The numbers denoting build sequence will be reused for every possible build configuration. Sound like the service writer entered the VIN wrong and then spent a bunch of time trying to figure out where she went wrong. Once the problem was figured out she piled on a bunch of BS (this will happen every time) at the end in an attempt to save face.

 

Thanks for the input guys. Thought it was kind of odd and see if anyone else had the same thing happen before.

 

I'm sure I share the last 4 of my SSN with others also.

 

We use the last 8 of the bin to bring up your customer info. It's more common than you think that a Vin can pull up another customers info especially the bigger the auto group. We sold like 40k vehicles last year, some of our stock numbers are the same as VIN numbers so you can punch something in and it will give you multiple choices. The service advisor should of caught this but perhaps they are new or didn't know any better. They should have varified that the info was correct. This isn't going to harm anything just make sure when you bring your truck in you verify your info with them so have it correct and don't accidentally use the other customers info that's in their system

 

The last 8 of the VIN is not very specific (especially in model years with chassis codes starting at 0), so having the same last 8 bring up multiple vehicles is common. Using the complete VIN will avoid any confusion.

Jeff

 

My Algebra 2 students can come up with the number of matching last 8 digit VINs for you, if you want. What's the character sequence for the whole thing?

It'll be good review for them

 

As Lawfarin stated, Toyota uses the last 8 digits of your VIN to search your vehicle or bring up your profile when you show up to Service. This is what I believe causes the issues. It's because their search system doesn't use the entire VIN number which is strange.

 

It's not Toyota, it's the dealerships program. Most use ADP which is now CDK. Anyway this just stores all the customers info and history so they can pull your records. It's not linked to Toyota at all. Your full VIN will come up under your name. The last 8 is just an easier way to pull it without having to enter the entire VIN into the system. They should also be able to pull your info using a phone number, your last name, or a stock number. Like I said it's usually not a big deal and the service writer should have caught it when they seen it pulled up a few different options. Nothing to worry about as your full vin number won't match anyone else's

 

Sell it as a sport and get more money than buy a new sr5 again lol

 

The parts catalogs are the same way. It can bring up multiple vehicles not even being the same model. If you bought it at the same dealer it was serviced at it should have been in the system. If it was a different dealer when they put the VIN in they took the one that came up and didnt check to see if it was yours or not

 

Do I smell a fellow car business guy here? ^^

Lots of car dealerships (see Group 1) use the last 8 of the VIN as stock numbers. Service and parts will want more than the last 8, it must have been a rookie adviser.

 

The US attorney in North Carolina filed a complaint alleging certain 1980s land rovers were actually early 2000s land rovers and were therefore illegally imported because of this error. People got there trucks seized and everything. Thankfully it all worked out (there were other alleged issues too) due to the hard work of a particular lawyer Will Hendrick who took the case pro bono.

 

Non sequitur much?

 

OP asked if it happened before. Told him what I knew.