diff --git a/selfdrive/car/tests/test_fw_fingerprint.py b/selfdrive/car/tests/test_fw_fingerprint.py
index 98546b4a22..e1967e9ec8 100755
--- a/selfdrive/car/tests/test_fw_fingerprint.py
+++ b/selfdrive/car/tests/test_fw_fingerprint.py
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ class TestFwFingerprintTiming(unittest.TestCase):
 
   def test_startup_timing(self):
     # Tests worse-case VIN query time and typical present ECU query time
-    vin_ref_time = 2.0
+    vin_ref_time = 1.2
     present_ecu_ref_time = 0.75
 
     def fake_get_ecu_addrs(*_, timeout):
diff --git a/selfdrive/car/vin.py b/selfdrive/car/vin.py
index 18bfcb5174..ba081764b5 100755
--- a/selfdrive/car/vin.py
+++ b/selfdrive/car/vin.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ def is_valid_vin(vin: str):
   return re.fullmatch(VIN_RE, vin) is not None
 
 
-def get_vin(logcan, sendcan, buses, timeout=0.1, retry=5, debug=False):
+def get_vin(logcan, sendcan, buses, timeout=0.1, retry=3, debug=False):
   addrs = list(range(0x7e0, 0x7e8)) + list(range(0x18DA00F1, 0x18DB00F1, 0x100))  # addrs to process/wait for
   valid_vin_addrs = [0x7e0, 0x7e2, 0x18da10f1, 0x18da0ef1]  # engine, VMCU, 29-bit engine, PGM-FI
   for i in range(retry):