How to Find Car Paint Color

Every car has a paint color code.

Your car's paint will fade eventually, even with the best care. The sun, road salt and time all fade paint, while road debris and people opening doors carelessly ding your paint. Whether repainting the entire vehicle or just touching up, you will need to know your paint code. Even the experts don't guess paint colors. They all refer to the auto paint color code charts.

Things You'll Need

• Owner's Manual
• Paper
• Pen
• Telephone

Instructions

Determining Color By Color Code

1. Refer to your owner's manual. Your color code is printed on a small plate somewhere in your car, but the code is in a different place in every vehicle. The owner's manual will not tell you the color code, but it will tell you where to find the color code plate.

2. Locate the color code plate as indicated by the owner's manual.

3. Write down the color code, and call your local dealership's service department. A service specialist will refer to a color code chart to find the name of your color. Write down the name of your color, and keep it in a safe place.

Determining By VIN Number

1. Locate the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on your vehicle. The VIN is printed on a plate located on your driver's side dashboard by the windshield.

2. Write down your VIN, a 17-digit number.

3. Call your local dealership's service department. Explain you need a color code and name, and you only have your VIN. The service specialist will find your color code and refer to a color code chart to determine the color's name.

References

• Express Paint: Find Your Car Color Code
• Paint Scratch: 2000 Foreign and Domestic Vehicles Color Identification Plate
• Paint Scratch: Finding Your Color Code
• Cyclart: Paint Color Charts