[PaulE]

The VIN is also necessary to insure the car - any insurance company will want to make sure the car you are insuring is what you tell them it is, and they will want to verify that the car wasn't previously totaled, or if it has a salvage title that the car was adequately and properly repaired. And if the car is stolen, the police will use the VIN to investigate the crime and return the car to you or your insurance company (if they compensated you already and don't want the car back) if it is subsequently recovered.