Mismatch VINs

[vromero]

I bought recently a Porsche 996 Turbo from 2001. When I was doing the registration, we found out that the VIN number in the dashboard and the VIN number in the chassis where different. In both of the VIN the first 10 digits are the same but the last six are different.

Based on my own research, I believe that when this car was made in the production line at the assembly plant in Stuggart, it was meant for export. In order to identify different cars for export to different markets, Porsche used:

- VIN beginning with WPAA to export to the USA

- VIN beginning with WPOZZZ to export to European markets and to the rest of the world

For Porsche exports to the USA, the VIN door and dashboard stickers matches the VIN on the chassis. However, for Porsche exports to different parts of the world, the VIN door and dashboard stickers only match only the first 10 digits, meaning that the car had a temporary VIN placeholder till a complete VIN was assigned.

I believe that the car I purchased went through a very unique and complicated system of exportation, perhaps shipped into this country privately, and perhaps the original owner forget or did not know about this and forget to assign a complete VIN? However, the curious thing is that the car had passed the registration process before with the previous owners having these two different VIN numbers.

Could you please help me to clarify this, and advise how to resolve this situation?

[JFP in PA]

I bought recently a Porsche 996 Turbo from 2001. When I was doing the registration, we found out that the VIN number in the dashboard and the VIN number in the chassis where different. In both of the VIN the first 10 digits are the same but the last six are different.

Based on my own research, I believe that when this car was made in the production line at the assembly plant in Stuggart, it was meant for export. In order to identify different cars for export to different markets, Porsche used:

- VIN beginning with WPAA to export to the USA

- VIN beginning with WPOZZZ to export to European markets and to the rest of the world

For Porsche exports to the USA, the VIN door and dashboard stickers matches the VIN on the chassis. However, for Porsche exports to different parts of the world, the VIN door and dashboard stickers only match only the first 10 digits, meaning that the car had a temporary VIN placeholder till a complete VIN was assigned.

I believe that the car I purchased went through a very unique and complicated system of exportation, perhaps shipped into this country privately, and perhaps the original owner forget or did not know about this and forget to assign a complete VIN? However, the curious thing is that the car had passed the registration process before with the previous owners having these two different VIN numbers.

Could you please help me to clarify this, and advise how to resolve this situation?

OK, first of all, you posted this in a section dedicated to diagnostic tools, tricks. and tips; but that is not a problem.

I'm going to refer this one to Loren or RFM, both of whom would have a better fix on VIN numbering for different markets...................

[Loren]

Moved - RFM any ideas on this one?

[RFM]

Furst and foremost, ALL 996 were build in Germany - Stuttgart hence the caracter "S" in the VIN#. The VIN# on the chassis should have to match with the VIN# on the dash, anyway some registration authorities, as in Belgium, only deal with the VIN# stamped on the chassis. So it would be best that in the past another, used dash mounted due to damage or for other reasons, so the registration seems correct. Hope it helps.

[vromero]

Thanks