Key points
- Article 36 links a Certificate of Conformity to each vehicle manufactured in conformity with the approved type.
- Article 31 requires checks on vehicles and Certificates of Conformity and on the correctness of certificate data.
- The marked VIN should come from the same controlled source used by downstream records.
- A status change should not silently rewrite a historical VIN.
Why consistency matters
Article 36 of Regulation (EU) 2018/858 requires the manufacturer to issue a Certificate of Conformity for each vehicle manufactured in conformity with the approved type. Article 31 requires approval-authority checks on vehicles, certificates and the correctness of certificate data.
A VIN mismatch is therefore more than a typing inconvenience: it can create disagreement between the physical marking, production record and vehicle documentation.
Reduce duplicate data entry
Use one controlled VIN record as the operational source for marking and downstream data preparation. Lock WMI, VDS and the approved VIS pattern in a reusable profile, calculate position 9 automatically and review the completed 17-character value before it is committed.
Exports can support data transfer, but the manufacturer should validate any interface that feeds Certificate of Conformity preparation.
Keep corrections visible
If a VIN is reserved and later voided, retain a clear status instead of deleting and reusing it without explanation. Once a VIN is physically marked or used in official production data, corrections should follow the manufacturer’s controlled quality process.
ManageVIN’s notes, status history and export functions are operational aids; they do not replace the official Certificate of Conformity system.
ManageVIN is a calculation and record-management aid. It does not assign WMI codes and does not replace an approval authority or professional compliance review.
