It's a bit like having an evil twin who turns up unexpectedly and causes drama. In reader Peta Mokgopo's case, it was a so-called twin car that prompted the angst. It was only this week that the year-long mystery was solved.The first sign of trouble came in November last year, just a month after the Johannesburg manager bought her demo 2014 C-Class C180 Mercedes-Benz. It arrived in the form of a shock call from a Zimbabwean border post official telling her they'd recovered her stolen car.Mokgopo's car was safely parked in the garage of her home in Soweto at the time.When she explained this, the official promised to call back, but never did. Mokgopo tried to reach him again, but was unsuccessful.Fast-forward six months to July this year when Mokgopo collected her car after having it serviced at the Mercedes-Benz Bedfordview branch where she'd bought it. The service manager asked if she'd taken her car to its sister branch at East Rand Mall the week before. The computer, he said, was showing that another 2014 C180 with her unique vehicle identification number had been serviced there. Puzzled, he promised to investigate.Mokgopo heard little further, other than a suggestion that "finger error" when capturing details could have caused the problem. She was assured that her warranty record had been amended.An anxious Mokgopo wanted written confirmation that the problem had been fixed. However, despite back and forth e-mails between the two dealerships, she remained in the dark.Finally, in August, the Bedfordview branch e-mailed her to say that Mercedes-Benz South Africa had confirmed "verbally" that there were two Mercs with the same VIN, that it had the other car in its possession and was in the process of changing its VIN.story_article_left1A letter couldn't be issued yet, she was told, nor a time frame on resolution given, as it involved the police and eNatis, the electronic national traffic information system. She was given no explanation for the duplication.That's when Mokgopo came to me. "These guys are really not taking this matter seriously," she said. "Months have lapsed already."I asked Mercedes-Benz SA for an explanation.Turns out the other Merc, a 2014 lease car, was stolen from one of Mercedes-Benz's fleet clients in the same month Mokgopo bought her car. It was recovered by police a month later and returned to the client.In the interim, however, the VIN had been changed by the thieves, using a number that matched that of Mokgopo's car.To sell a stolen car in South Africa, the original identity of the vehicle needs to be changed or concealed.Following the dealership's queries, the implicated car was returned at the end of July to Mercedes-Benz's head office in Centurion, at its request.Said spokeswoman Shirle Greig: "I'd like to assure you that the matter is being dealt with extremely seriously [but] Mercedes-Benz SA cannot rectify the VIN identification plate on the vehicle in our possession until we have been granted permission from the registration authorities - it is this permission we are waiting for."She said the company would contact Mokgopo to "reassure" her that all was in order."For her peace of mind we will let our vehicle security expert inspect her vehicle to confirm the VIN and identification marks ... we can cross-check all the information on the relevant systems and then issue her a letter to this effect," said Greig.A VIN is regarded as a vehicle's DNA, she said. A unique combination of 17 letters and numbers assigned to a car for life, it is used to track the vehicle as it changes hands and is repaired and serviced."This number is affixed in various places and is also physically stamped/embossed on the vehicle. No two Mercedes-Benz vehicles are ever produced with the same VIN," said Greig.In this case, the stolen car's embossed VIN was correct but the VIN on the identification plate had been tampered with.This was on a car of the same make, year and model as Mokgopo's . Mere coincidence or a possible inside job?"We cannot disclose any further detail of the matter around the car that is the subject of the criminal investigation," said Greig.So why was all this not simply explained to Mokgopo from the word go?"The matter has been referred to the dealer principal of the relevant dealership for the respective corrective action to be instituted with the dealership personnel," said Greig.sub_head_start How they steal your car without taking it sub_head_endstory_article_right2Decoding vehicle identification numbers with motor industry ombudsman Johan van Vreden:Why is it so important for a car to have a unique VIN?The VIN provides a host of information that is unique to a particular vehicle, such as date of manufacture, colour, specifications and category.Who applies it to a car?The manufacturer.Where is it in a car?Normally on an identification plate [often on the inside of the driver's door] riveted to the vehicle with special rivets that are normally unique to a manufacturer, making duplication difficult. It may further be stamped on the chassis or body of the vehicle. [It can also be found on the windscreen and on the licence disc.]How easily can it be tampered with or removed?Not easily, it requires effort and skill to remove and replace a VIN on a vehicle. But it's quite common and is the same as the so-called identity theft that takes place when IDs are stolen.Most of the time the duplications are quite amateurish and are spotted by the police or roadworthy centres. However, some criminals are so professional that it is only when re-registration takes place and where eNatis [electronic national traffic information system] checks are carried out that duplications are picked up.Duplications sometimes also happen during the registration or capturing process. A lot of effort has gone into cleaning up the database, with some success.Tune in to Power FM 98.7s "Power Breakfast" at 8.50am tomorrow to hear more from Megansub_head_start Contact Megan Power sub_head_endE-mail: consumer@sundaytimes.co.zaFollow Megan on Twitter: @Power_ReportTune in to PowerFM 98.7's 'Power Breakfast' (DStv audio channel 889) at 8.50am on Monday to hear more from MeganPlease note: Other than in exceptional circumstances, readers sending me complaints must be willing to be identified and photographed...