How do you Find the Color of a Ford Van by its Vehicle Identification Number?

The Vehicle Identification Number is a seventeen digit number that serves as a fingerprint for your vehicle. The VIN tells you when and where the vehicle was built, who built it, and lists all the specific details of the vehicle ranging from the type of engine to the particular shade and color of the paint. Ford, as well as other auto manufactures, change the paint on their cars, vans, and trucks and if you need to touch up your Ford van it is important to make a perfect match.

• 1

  Locate the VIN for your Ford van. The VIN is on a metal plate on the driver's side of the dashboard near the windshield. The VIN is also on your van's registration, insurance card and title. The VIN digits are broken down into four groups: WMI, three characters that provide information about the manufacturer; VDS, five characters that describe the vehicle including the paint color; VIN, the accuracy code; and VIS, the vehicle serial number.

• 2

  Write down the seventeen digit VIN.

• 3

  Contact the local Ford dealership and ask to speak to a customer representative. Explain that you need to match the van's paint color and shade by using the VIN. The customer representative has access to a decoding book that will be able to accurately identify the paint used on your van. Write down the paint manufacturer and paint number.