How to Read 2005 Dodge RAM Vin Numbers

by Dawn Marcotte

red truck engine image by Christopher Nolan from Fotolia.com

John and Horace Dodge started the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle Company in 1914. They started with a sedan, but expanded into trucks by 1917. Dodge was sold to the Chrysler Corporation in 1928 where it remains today. Dodge trucks contain the standard 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number required for all vehicles manufactured since 1984. Each character has a specific meaning and can be used to identify an individual vehicle, just as DNA can identify and individual person. A example of a VIN for a 2005 Dodge Ram is 1D7EC12G05A12345.

Step 1

Find the first character. This digit indicates the country where the vehicle was made and should be a number between 1 and 4. The following are the specific codes: 1 – Manufactured in the US 2 – Manufactured in Canada 3 – Manufactured in Mexico 4 – Diamond Star Motors manufactured in the United States

Step 2

Find the second character. This should be the letter D for any Dodge vehicle. Other manufacturers will have other codes in this location. Find the third character. This should the be number 7 to indicate it is a truck. Other numbers and their meaning include: 4 – Multipurpose passenger 5 - Bus 6 – Incomplete

Step 3

Find the fourth character. This is a letter between E and M with the exception of the letter I, which is never used in a VIN. The letter indicates the gross vehicle weight. The following are the specific meanings of each letter:

E – 3001 to 4000 pounds F – 4001 –to5000 pounds G – 5,001 to 6,000 pounds H – 6,001 to 7,000 pounds J – 7,001 to 8,000 pounds K – 8,001 to 9,000 pounds L – 9,001 to 10,001 pounds M – 10,001 to 14,000 pounds

Step 4

Find the 5th character. This letter will indicate the vehicle line. For a Ram it should be one of the following letters:

B – Ram Wagon/ Van C – Ram Cab Chassis/ Ram Pickup 4x2 F – Ram Cab Chassis/ Ram Pickup 4x4

Step 5

Find the 6th character. This character identifies the series of the vehicle. The following is a detailed list: O – 150S 1 – 150/ 1500 2 – 250/ 2500 3 – 350/3500 6 - miscellaneous

Step 6

Find the 7th character. This number identifies the body type as indicated by the following list:

1 – Van 2 – 2-door Club Cab 3 – Club Cab/ 4-door Quad Cab 4 – Extended Wagon/ Van 5 – Wagon 6 – Conventional Cab/ Cab Chassis 7 – 2-door Sport Utility

Step 7

Find the 8th character. This can be a letter or a number and will indentify the engine. The following is a detailed listing:

C – 5.9L V6 DIESEL D – 5.9L I6 DIESEL G – 2.5L I4 P - 3.3L V6 MPI R - 2.4L I4 MPI T – 5.2L V8 GAS W – 8.0L V10 X – 3.9L V6 EFI or MPI Y – 5.2L V8 EFI or MPI Z – 5.9L V8 EFI or MPI-LDC 3 – 3.0L V6 MPI 5 – 5.9L V8 HDC EFI orMPI 6 – 5.9L I6 24VALVE DIESEL 7 – 5.9L I6 24 VALVE HO DIESEL 8 – 5.9L V6 TURBO DIESEL

Step 8

Find the 9th and 10th digits. The 9th digit is a check digit that is used to verify the authenticity of the VIN. It is created with a numerical formula that creates a number from 0 to 9 or an X. The tenth character indicates the year of manufacture. Any vehicle manufactured in 2005 should have a 5 in this location.

Step 9

Find the 11th digit as this letter identifies the specific assembly plant that made the vehicle. The letters are listed below with the specific plants identified.

A – Auburn Hills, Michigan F – Newark, New Jersey G - Saltillo J – St. Louis North, Missouri K - Pillete M – Lago Alberto S – Dodge City, Michigan

The 12th through 17th digits are sequential. These numbers create the final string that makes the VIN unique as the numbers will start with 000001 and go to 999999 as needed for each individual assembly plant and each model of vehicle.

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