Your car's vehicle identification number (VIN) contains a wide variety of information about the car. You can use your car's VIN to determine where the car was made, what kind of car it is, when it was manufactured and even what options it came with when it left the factory. There are several ways to access your car's VIN information. You can decode the VIN yourself at home, or contact your car's manufacturer to learn the information contained in the VIN.

Find your vehicle's vehicle identification number. The VIN will be stamped on various locations throughout the car, including the dashboard and inside the doorjamb. It will also be on any paperwork you have for the car, including the title, registration and insurance. It is a 17-digit number.

Enter the VIN into an electronic VIN decoder (see Resource section). The fourth through eighth digits of the VIN will contain factory options information.

Call the dealership or manufacturer's service number if you still want to find out more information about your specific vehicle's factory options. You can call any manufacturer dealership's service department, provide them with the VIN, and ask them to tell you the options information. They will be able to do so by running the VIN through their computer system.