What is a Single DIN Car Stereo?

Single DIN is a standard that was created by the German standards body Deutsches Institut für Normung, which is where the "DIN" initials came from. The standard specifies a height and width, but not length, for car head units. So when such a unit is referred to as a single DIN car stereo, or a single DIN car radio, that means it is the height, and width, outlined in the DIN standard.

Automakers and car stereo manufacturers around the world all use this standard, which is why most head units are interchangeable as far as dimensions are concerned.

Wiring is another matter, but the DIN standard is the reason that you can replace so many OEM car stereos with aftermarket units and have them fit with almost no problems.

Although the DIN standard only specifies a single height and width, head unit manufacturers also produce devices that are twice as tall. These double-tall units are referred to as double DIN since they are literally two times the height of the actual DIN standard.

To complicate matters even further, a small number of head units are 1.5 times the height of the DIN standard, which technically makes them 1.5 DIN.

How Do You Tell If Your Car Radio Is Single DIN?

The easiest way to tell if a car radio is single DIN is to measure it. If the radio is about two inches tall, it's probably single DIN. And if it's about four inches tall, then it's double DIN. Rare cases of 1.5 DIN radios fall in between those two, and there's no such thing as a 3 DIN head unit or anything else standardized of that size or larger.

Some vehicles are trickier than others. For instance, if a dash has three vertically stacked slots that are all about two inches in height, and only one is taken up by an OEM radio, then it's probably just a regular single DIN head unit. In a case like that, it's difficult to say what they other slots were for, or if they could accommodate a larger head unit.

In most cases, blank slots above or below a single DIN head unit were originally designed to house a CD player or another piece of audio equipment. In some cases, it's even possible to find new old equipment sitting on a dealer's shelf and install a factory CD player in an older vehicle that is so equipped.

When it comes to actually replacing a single DIN head unit with a double DIN head unit, it usually isn’t possible. In situations like the one outlined above, where a dash has multiple extra slots, it may be, but the issue is still complicated. Before attempting such an upgrade, it's important to verify that the "slots" can actually be accessed and then measure the available space.

Replacing a Single DIN Car Radio

When you're ready to replace your single din car radio, the easiest option is to buy a single din aftermarket unit. While there are sometimes slight differences in fit and finish, most single DIN aftermarket units are designed to be installed in an adjustable collar that facilitates installation in just about any single DIN slot.

Replacing a Single DIN Radio With Double DIN

Since double DIN head units are twice the height of single DIN head units, you can always go from double to single, but going the other way presents space issues.