How to validate a VIN number?

Here is the JavaScript class version as posted by Mike Q:

class VIN {
    static transliteration = {
        'A':1, 'B':2, 'C':3, 'D':4, 'E':5, 'F':6, 'G':7, 'H':8, 'J':1, 'K':2, 'L':3, 'M':4, 'N':5, 'P':7, 'R':9, 'S':2, 'T':3, 'U':4, 'V':5, 'W':6, 'X':7, 'Y':8, 'Z':9
    }

    static weights = [8,7,6,5,4,3,2,10,0,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2];

    validateVIN(vin, retArrayStatus = false, year = null) {

        if (year != null && year.match(/^[0-9]{4}/)) {
            if (year < 1980)
                return retArrayStatus ? {'status': false, 'message': 'Unable to check VIN, pre-dates 1980.'} : false;
        }

        let vinLength = 17;
        vin = vin.trim();
        let sum = 0;

        if (!vin.match(/^[A-HJ-NPR-Z0-9]{17}$/))
            return retArrayStatus ? {'status': false, 'message': 'VIN is not valid, VIN formatting is incorrect [i, o, q].'} : false;

        //if (!vin.match(/(\w)\1{5,}/))
        //    return retArrayStatus ? {'status': false, 'message': 'VIN contains invalid repeating character sequence.'} : false;

        for (let x = 0; x < vinLength; x++) {
            let char = vin.substr(x, 1);
            if (!isNaN(char)) {
                sum += char * VIN.weights[x];
            }
            else {
                if (VIN.transliteration[char] == '')
                    return retArrayStatus ? {'status': false, 'message': 'VIN contains an invalid character.'} : false;
                sum += VIN.transliteration[char] * VIN.weights[x];
            }
        }
        let reminder = sum % 11;
        let checkdigit = reminder == 10 ? 'X' : reminder;

        if (vin.substr(8, 1) != checkdigit)
            return retArrayStatus ? {'status': false, 'message': 'The VIN is not valid, failed checksum.'} : false;

        return retArrayStatus ? {'status': true, 'message': 'The VIN is valid, passed checksum.'} : true;
    }
}

Note that the wiki says: "A check-digit validation is used for all road vehicles sold in the United States and Canada."

So if you're working with other countries you might want to loosen the check-digit validation

https://www.olschimke.eu/2012/08/02/dealing-with-vehicle-identification-numbers-vin-data-quality/ had some good tips.