How to decode a 1997 Ford Taurus VIN
Characters 1-3 of a 1997 Ford Taurus VIN
A World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) is a unique code that identifies the manufacturer of a vehicle, forming the initial characters of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). For example, the Ford Taurus manufactured in 1997 has a WMI of 1FA, indicating it was produced by Ford Motor Company. This vehicle falls into the passenger car category and was built in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. Through the WMI, one can discern essential details about the vehicle’s origins, tying it specifically to Ford’s manufacturing facilities. Such identifiers offer an insightful glance into the vehicle’s lineage, bolstering understanding and traceability of autos globally.
List of WMI Codes for a 1997 Ford Taurus
WMI: 1FA
- Model Years Covered: 1987-2019
- Example VIN: 1FALP51U3VA144401
- Manufacturer Name: Ford Motor Company
- Vehicle Type: Passenger Car
- City: Dearborn
- State or Province: Michigan
- Country: United States
Characters 4-8 are the Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) of a 1997 Ford Taurus VIN
These characters correspond to components like:
- Engine type
- Transmission
- Model or trim
- Body style
- Gross vehicle weight range
Below find the known vehicle descriptor codes for a 1997 Ford Taurus:
| Known VDS for a 1997 Ford Taurus | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LP51U | LP58S | LP54N | LP53S | LP52U | LP57U |
Auto manufacturers have some discretion to decide how they want to code this section, but its contents and decoded results are generally consistent.
Character 9 is the “check digit” in a 1997 Ford Taurus VIN.
Based on a formula developed by the US Department of Transportation, it helps reduce fraud by ensuring the validity of the VIN.
10th Character in the 1997 Ford Taurus VIN — Year Code
| Year Code | Year |
|---|---|
| V | 1997 |
11th Character in the 1997 Ford Taurus VIN — Plant Code(s)
Known 1997 Ford Taurus Assembly Factory VIN Code(s)
| Plant Code | Plant City | Plant State | Plant Country | Plant Company Name | Example VIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Atlanta | Georgia | United States | 1FALP51U3VA144401 | |
| G | Chicago | Illinois | United States | 1FALP53S0VG167465 |
VIN Characters 12 - 17 of a 1997 Ford Taurus
The final 6 characters in a 1997 Ford Taurus’s 17-digit VIN are its serial number, which will be unique to every vehicle.
Check your Ford Taurus’s VIN below:
How to find a 1997 Ford Taurus’s VIN?
Locating the VIN number on your 1997 Ford Taurus is key for identification. Here’s how to find it:
- Examine the dashboard of your 1997 Ford Taurus on the driver’s side. The VIN can usually be seen through the windshield on a small metal or plastic plate.
- Look at the driver’s side door frame of your Ford Taurus. The VIN is often found on a sticker where the door latches when it is closed.
- Check under the hood of your Ford Taurus for a metal plate with the VIN, which is sometimes located near the engine block.
- Inspect the rear wheel well. Sometimes, the VIN can be found above the tire on the Ford Taurus.
- Review your Ford Taurus’s vehicle registration documents or the insurance policy, as the VIN is typically listed there.
- If you still have trouble locating the VIN on your Ford Taurus, the vehicle’s service history or owner’s manual might indicate where you can find it.
What info can a 1997 Ford Taurus VIN reveal?
- Model Year: The VIN can reveal the vehicles model year being the year 1997, providing insights into the age and potential market value of the vehicle.
- Body Class and Doors: A VIN can specify the body class, potentially indicating a Sedan/Saloon with 4 doors, offering detailed insights into the vehicle’s design and capacity.
- Engine Type: The VIN may provide extensive details about the engine, covering specifics such as a V-Shaped configuration, a displacement of 3.0 liters, and a horsepower starting from 200, indicating the vehicle’s performance capabilities.
- Fuel Efficiency: The VIN can indicate the primary fuel type the vehicle uses, which in this case is Gasoline, providing valuable information on fuel consumption and environmental impact.
- Safety Features: Safety features, including the type of airbags and their locations, like the 1st Row (Driver and Passenger) front airbags, and other restraint systems like seat belts, are often encoded within the VIN, showcasing the safety measures equipped in the vehicle.
- Manufacturing Details: The manufacturing location, including the plant city (Chicago), state (Illinois), and country (United States), can be discovered, shedding light on where the vehicle was produced.
- Vehicle Type and Series: The VIN often contains information on the vehicle type, clearly indicating whether it’s a Passenger Car, and may include the series, such as LX for this specific Ford Taurus, helping to further differentiate it within its model line.
Don’t have your 1997 Ford Taurus’s VIN handy? Try our license plate lookup instead!
Sample VIN Decode Report for a 1997 Ford Taurus
| Vehicle Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Body Class | Sedan/Saloon |
| Displacement (CC) | 2982.445648 |
| Displacement (CI) | 182 |
| Displacement (L) | 3.0 |
| Doors | 4 |
| Engine Brake (hp) From | 145 |
| Engine Configuration | V-Shaped |
| Engine Manufacturer | Ford |
| Engine Number of Cylinders | 6 |
| Front Air Bag Locations | 1st Row (Driver and Passenger) |
| Fuel Type - Primary | Gasoline |
| Gross Vehicle Weight Rating From | Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less) |
| Gross Vehicle Weight Rating To | Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less) |
| Model | Taurus |
| Model Year | 1997 |
| Other Engine Info | EFI: Electronic Fuel Injection |
| Other Restraint System Info | Seat Belts: 3-point belts in all outboard positions. |
| Plant City | Chicago |
| Plant Company Name | |
| Plant Country | United States |
| Plant State | Illinois |
| Seat Belt Type | Manual |
| Series | GL |
| Trim | FFV |
| Vehicle Descriptor | 1FALP52U*VG |
| Vehicle Type | Passenger Car |
| Sample_VIN | 1FALP52U0VG122531 |
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