VIN number

[bokchi24]

hello everyone! seriously i have to say thank you to everyone b/c i got a whole lot out of this forum. i ordered my car on the first week of oct(actually i went to get it in sep but they didn't order it until then), and yesterday i finally got my vin # i was told that it will probably come in dec, but i was just wondering if i should trust them b/c they have already pushed the date back a few times already. in your opinion do you think they can get it to me in dec? once again thank you so much!drive safe and have fun with ur V everybodyChris

[campersand]

I'm not an expert with this stuff but it seems like if you've gotten a VIN you should be good. It's the dealers who promise you a car but can't give you a VIN that you have to worry about. That said, I suppose you can't be sure that it will actually get in exactly when they tell you it will. But at least you know it exists.

[proxim2020]

According to my dealer, if you've received a VIN, that means the engine has been dropped onto the frame and both have been tagged with the VIN. By the time I finish typing this, that could mean that your car has been completly built. Final assembly for a car can take as little as 2 hours to 12 hours of labor, which is a combination of human and robot effort. Just because you car might be completed doesn't mean you can get it tomorrow like a lot of people think. Enough needs to be built to fill train cars, ships, and trucks, depending on where you live. So if you have a VIN, you're doing good. Your car can't get lost like some others because it can always be tracked by that VIN no matter where it goes. The next step is transit time, which can vary.

[bokchi24]

thank you very much.. now i feel so much better but i got another question, they also gave me an order # but i donno how to check it

[michelkenny]

You probably can't check the order number (it's internal to your dealership).

[bokchi24]

haha i wonder y they gave it to me

[proxim2020]

Yea, the order number is most likely an internal way of tracking your car. Say your sales guy goes on vacation, you can give someone else the order number so they can track down your car. To my knowledge Nissan only tracks cars through VINs. If it was an order number provided by Nissan, only your dealer would be able to check it anyway.

[cnmartin19]

I still wouldnt trust the dealer until he calls you and says your car is there. I got the VIN# for my Versa that was ordered in August 4 weeks ago, the vehicle got lost (which yes it can do even if they have the VIN because the status of the car is only updated at certain points) and am told I still have another 2-3 week wait. So providing the dealer estimate on that is right, i'll have the car 6-7 weeks after I was given the VIN number (oh and I called them for the VIN number so who knows, they could have had it longer than that). Not to disappoint you with this, as it could very well be here by December, just wanted to pass on my experience as I have been disappointed numerous times with promises that my car will be here by a certain time.

[campersand]

I still wouldnt trust the dealer until he calls you and says your car is there. I got the VIN# for my Versa that was ordered in August 4 weeks ago, the vehicle got lost (which yes it can do even if they have the VIN because the status of the car is only updated at certain points) and am told I still have another 2-3 week wait. So providing the dealer estimate on that is right, i'll have the car 6-7 weeks after I was given the VIN number (oh and I called them for the VIN number so who knows, they could have had it longer than that). Not to disappoint you with this, as it could very well be here by December, just wanted to pass on my experience as I have been disappointed numerous times with promises that my car will be here by a certain time.

Does anyone know the average time it's *supposed* to take from the time you get your VIN to the time your car arrives on the lot? My dealer said about 5 weeks. I know it's probably different for different areas, but in general...?

[proxim2020]

I'm not convinced that vehicles are getting "lost". You can't lose a vehicle with a VIN tied to it. The VIN can be traced no matter where it goes in the country and I don't think Nissan's playing fast and loose with these cars. It would be pathetic if Nissan's saying, "Ok, this car goes to dealer X," but then sends the car to dealer Y the few times that we've heard about it on this forum. Even if the car disappeared, the dealer could easily call up Nissan and ask where's VIN XXXXXXX. It's not like Nissan's pushing these cars out the door and hoping they arrive at the correct destination. They are tracking these cars until they arrive at the destinations the same way the airline's tracking baggage. Except this baggage is a little bit more expensive to ship and replace. Nissan could easily tell them, "Oh it was sent here by accident," and then correct the issue. I think it's more an issue of the dealer playing fast and loose for some reason or another.

Once Nissan receives and accepts the order, the dealer should be provided with an estimated time for delivery. This is where they get their 6 to 12 weeks from. Shortly after giving the dealer a VIN and closer to the time the vehicle is ready to ship, the dealer is given a delivery date. This is the date that the vehicle should arrive, but the date can change depending on circumstances (i.e. the ship's stuck outside the port). I just got off the phone with my dealer. I call him once a week to bug him about the status of my order. This is the information that he gives me.
Modified by proxim2020 at 12:10 PM 11/10/2006

[cnmartin19]

Ok I shouldnt say that mine was "lost" its was just misplaced for a little while. It was finished production and listed as "in transit" for 3 weeks with no updates which the dealer said was a red flag that something was not right. I guess what happened was it was listed as in transit at the plant but didnt actually get sent out so it was sitting on a lot at the factory.

[proxim2020]

Ah, I see now. If the vehicle missed shipment, it makes sense that you may have to wait a few more weeks. The reason for the lengthy delay is probably because of how often carriers (trains, ships) are coming in, filled, then sent off. I wish we had an insider here so we could know how often cars are going out.