Is the VIN number that's visible

The VIN is not on the windshield glass itself, but on a plate just underneath. It is also somewhere on the engine block, somewhere on the vehicle frame, and maybe several other locations strategically around the vehicle. I.e. if someone wants to destroy all VIN markings, there are numerous places that must altered.

Any stickers on the glass itself are likely part of a dealer-added theft protection product (extra $$$), not an actual VIN.

 

There's one under a cover on the floor just in front of the front passenger seat in the Gen III.

 

Clear stickers with numbers are likely dealer-added anti-theft sell, as fuzzy1 mentioned. Our 3rd gen has similar, they're also on hood and hatch under edge.

Dealership didn't even bother to bug me about it, at time of purchase. Maybe it was even applied as they were unloaded, at dock?

 

You seem to be worried about someone IDing you. The VIN is the last way anyone would try. Your license plate is the first and easiest. The VIN is what makes your car harder to steal and part out. Oh, and BTW, if you were planning on removing the VIN that would be illegal. Even "hiding" it will get you unwanted official attention, if they ever had the time to notice or care.

 

Gen 4 also

 

I recently googled the VIN of the car I just traded because I wanted to see where it ended up. When I did this my personal information came up on some website I had never heard of (vin.place...something). Of course I looked at that page and I was given the option to make my information private and I did. Since then it doesn't show up.

 

Witness Protection Program???

 

Red light cameras, toll lanes/roads


iPhone ?

 

... and others in numerous other places.

 

The parking enforcement people will be able to match your VIN to you, regardless of whether you have been issued plates yet. And the sticker on the passenger side is probably the temporary registration that has to be visible all the time. I don't know if the FasTrak cameras are high enough resolution enough to read that, but it's certainly possible. You don't want to be that guy that the CHP decides to pull over because you have no plates and no FasTrak transponder was detected when you blew through the toll plaza.

 

Oh and we got our plates within about two weeks of getting our car.

 

You could end up getting your shiny new car towed by the friendly parking enforcement people for doing so. They don't screw around with people trying to evade paying for parking. Is it really worth risking 100s of dollars in impound fees to avoid paying for parking or bridge tolls? Are you going to avoid putting your plates on as well because of your cheapskate attitude?