Find Your Numbers - AutoChartGuide

Missing door jamb sticker on a car door frame with guidance on how to verify vehicle information using official sources

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Door Jamb Sticker Missing? What to Do (Not Order One)

A reproduction label carries no authority. Recover the information first from the manual, the manufacturer and a dealer, then decide about a replacement.

Car trim identification guide showing badges, VIN lookup, door-jamb label, and vehicle information used to verify the correct trim level

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How to Tell What Trim Your Car Is (Badges Lie)

A badge is the weakest evidence on the car. Here is the evidence hierarchy for verifying trim, and why trim decides which part or spec applies to you.

VIN recall check guide showing a car VIN lookup, recall results dashboard, and key limitations of checking recalls by VIN for free

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How to Check Recalls by VIN (Free, and What It Misses)

The official US recall check is free and takes a VIN. How to run it, why it misses service bulletins, and what a recall obliges the manufacturer to do.

Two websites showing different vehicle specifications for the same car, highlighting data mismatches and the need to verify sources

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Why Two Websites Give Your Car Two Different Numbers

Five structural reasons published car specs disagree, and a ranking system for deciding which of the sources in front of you to believe.

Model year and build date comparison showing a vehicle door-jamb label, manufacturing date, and model year differences

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Model Year vs Build Date: Why Your Car Won't Match the Chart

Model year is a designation. Build date is a fact. Here is where each is recorded on your vehicle and why parts catalogues care about the second one.

Engine code guide showing three sources to verify the correct engine code, including the emissions label, VIN, and service manual

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How to Find Your Engine Code: Three Sources That Should Agree

Your VIN, the under-hood label and the engine itself each identify the engine. Here is how to read all three, and what it means when they disagree.

Under-hood vehicle emissions label showing emissions specifications, engine information, and regulatory details inside the engine bay

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The Under-Hood Emissions Label: What It Actually Tells You

The Vehicle Emission Control Information label is a regulatory sticker that is also one of the most useful references on your car. How to read it.

Owner’s manual and service manual compared side by side, showing where to find vehicle guidance, maintenance details, technical specs, diagrams, and repair information

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Owner's Manual vs Service Manual: Which Has Your Spec

Three documents, three different readers. Which tier holds which kind of spec, and how an individual gets access to the one above the owner's manual.

Free owner’s manual lookup guide showing a car, VIN details, laptop search, and downloadable manufacturer manual PDF

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Where to Get Your Owner's Manual Free, by Manufacturer

Most manufacturers host owner's manuals free by VIN or by model. Here is the search pattern that works, and why market matters more than you think.

GM RPO code label with a magnified view of option codes and a reference sheet explaining how to find and read GM RPO codes

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GM RPO Codes: Where to Find and How to Read Them

The RPO sticker is your vehicle's factory build list. Here is where it hides, how a code is structured, and how to use it to answer one specific question.

Car build sheet guide showing VIN lookup, vehicle details, factory options, and a laptop used to retrieve original build information

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How to Get a Build Sheet for Your Car

A build sheet is the assembly record, not the window sticker. Here is what it holds, the four routes to getting one, and what to do when none exists.

VIN lookup process showing a vehicle VIN, original window sticker, and laptop used to retrieve factory vehicle information

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How to Get the Original Window Sticker by VIN

Several manufacturers host original window stickers free by VIN. Here is how to find yours, and what to do when your vehicle is too old for the portal.