How to Find the Year of a Car by VIN
The Short Answer
On most vehicles built for the US market since the 1981 model year, the model year is encoded in the 10th character of the 17-character Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). The VIN is the unique serial code assigned to each vehicle under federal rules. Each 10th-character code repeats every 30 years. For example, "A" can mean 1980 or 2010, so you need one more clue to pick the right year.
For passenger cars, SUVs, minivans and light trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000 pounds or less, that clue is the 7th character. If the 7th character is a number, the year falls between 1980 and 2009. If it is a letter, the year falls between 2010 and 2039. GVWR is the maximum loaded weight the manufacturer rates the vehicle for.
Three limits apply:
The VIN gives the model year, which is the year the manufacturer sells the vehicle as. It is not necessarily the calendar year the vehicle was built. Vehicles made before the 1981 model year did not use the standardized 17-character format. Their VINs differ by manufacturer, and the method in this guide does not apply to them. Vehicles built only for markets outside North America may not encode the model year in the 10th position.
Where to Find the VIN
The same VIN appears in several places. Common locations include:
Driver-side dashboard: a small plate at the base of the windshield, readable from outside the car. Driver-side door jamb: the certification label on the door edge or door pillar. This label usually also shows the month and year of manufacture. Vehicle paperwork: the title, registration and insurance documents. Other spots: some vehicles also show the VIN on the engine, the frame or body panels. The exact location depends on the make and model, so check the owner's manual if you can't find it.
Make sure you are reading the VIN and not another code. A modern VIN has exactly 17 characters with no spaces. Engine numbers, paint codes and part numbers are usually shorter or formatted differently.
Some characters look alike. The letters I, O and Q are never used in a VIN, so a character that looks like O is the number 0, and one that looks like I is the number 1.
Step-by-Step: Reading the Model Year
You need only the VIN and the code table below. If you take the VIN from the car itself, read it through the windshield or from the door jamb with the vehicle parked. Don't reach into engine bays or get under a vehicle that is not safely secured.
1) Write down the full VIN from the vehicle or its documents. 2) Count the characters. If there are not exactly 17, the vehicle is likely older than the 1981 model year or the VIN was copied wrong. Recheck it, and for a pre-1981 VIN, consult manufacturer-specific references. 3) Find the 10th character, counting from the left. This is the model year code. 4) Look up that code in the table below. You will get two possible years, 30 years apart. 5) For a light vehicle (GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less), look at the 7th character. A number points to the 1980–2009 column. A letter points to the 2010–2039 column. 6) For heavier trucks, buses, trailers and motorcycles, the 7th-character rule does not apply. Choose between the two years using the vehicle's design, its documents or a VIN decoder. 7) Confirm the result with the step in the final section.
Model Year Code Table (10th Character)
Code | 1980–2009 cycle | 2010–2039 cycle; A | 1980 | 2010; B | 1981 | 2011; C | 1982 | 2012; D | 1983 | 2013; E | 1984 | 2014; F | 1985 | 2015; G | 1986 | 2016; H | 1987 | 2017; J | 1988 | 2018; K | 1989 | 2019; L | 1990 | 2020; M | 1991 | 2021; N | 1992 | 2022; P | 1993 | 2023; R | 1994 | 2024; S | 1995 | 2025; T | 1996 | 2026; V | 1997 | 2027; W | 1998 | 2028; X | 1999 | 2029; Y | 2000 | 2030; 1 | 2001 | 2031; 2 | 2002 | 2032; 3 | 2003 | 2033; 4 | 2004 | 2034; 5 | 2005 | 2035; 6 | 2006 | 2036; 7 | 2007 | 2037; 8 | 2008 | 2038; 9 | 2009 | 2039
The letters I, O, Q, U and Z and the digit 0 are not used as year codes. If one of them appears in the 10th position, the VIN was probably misread or is not a standard 17-character North American VIN.
Worked Example
The VIN below is made up to show the positions. It does not identify a real vehicle.
Position: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17; Character: 1 H G C M 8 2 6 3 A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
The 10th character is A, which means 1980 or 2010. The 7th character is 2, a number, so for a light vehicle the model year is 1980. If the 7th character had been a letter, the model year would be 2010. A 1980 vehicle would normally have a pre-standard VIN, so in practice a 17-character VIN with an A in position 10 on a light vehicle almost always means 2010.
Model Year vs. Build Date
Manufacturers often start building next year's models months before that calendar year begins, and the model year does not have to match the build date. A car built late in one calendar year can carry the following year's model year code. When you need the actual build date, for example to check whether a recall or equipment change applies, read the manufacture date on the door-jamb certification label.
How to Confirm Your Result
Check your answer against at least one independent source:
Compare it with the model year printed on the title or registration. Enter the full VIN into a VIN decoder. The free decoder offered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) returns the model year and other details reported by the manufacturer. Check that the year fits the vehicle's body style and features for that model's production history.
The VIN may be wrong if the decoder rejects it, the sources disagree, or the VIN on the dashboard doesn't match the door jamb or the paperwork. On North American VINs, the 9th character is a check digit, a value calculated from the other characters, so a single misread character usually makes the VIN fail validation. Recheck each character first. If the VIN still doesn't match, especially before buying a vehicle, have the title, the VIN plates and the vehicle history checked by a dealer, a licensed inspector or your state's motor vehicle agency.
