If you’ve ever wanted to repair or repaint your car you will need to find out what the original color code of your car is before you attempt to start a repair. Since early-on most manufacturers have used a number and letter combination that translates into ingredients that a paint shop can use to match the original color. If you’re unsure of your paint code or paint name many times this information is on the vehicle itself. Below we list the common locations to find your vehicle paint code.
- Drivers Door Jamb- If you open up the drivers door there should be a sticker or tag inside the door jamb that has the load ratings, year, VIN, and paint code in one place. This is one of the most common spots to find it.
- Inside Glovebox- Some manufacturers decided to put a separate sticker on the back side of the glove box door or inside the glovebox itself to keep it from getting peeled off or damaged like other locations on the list.
- Trunk floor/Spare Tire Well- Another hidden spot on some cars is a separate sticker that is on the metal trunk floor or under the spare tire in the recess under the trunk floor. These stickers are the most common to remain if others have been damage.
- Within The VIN- Believe it or not most manufacturers bury the color within the VIN of the vehicle. You can google your vehicle type and find a listing of how to decipher your VIN or call the dealer and ask them to help you. This only works if the vehicle has never been repainted before.
No matter which direction you go to find the paint color make sure that you have the paint matched to the paint on the car already if you’re trying to match panels or fix a single panel as the paint code will give you a paint appearance that matches your car when it was brand new and not after years of use. If you want to tackle repainting a car yourself or even tackle a small repair you can find all the tools and supplies on our site HERE.