Model Year by VIN: How to Read the 10th Character and Use the Year Code Chart
The Short Answer
On a standard 17-character vehicle identification number (VIN), the model year is the 10th character. Count ten positions from the left and match that letter or digit to the year code chart below. For example, an L in the 10th position means 1990 or 2020, and a 5 means 2005 or 2035.
Each code repeats every 30 years, so one character points to two possible years. For most US-market cars, SUVs and light trucks, the 7th character tells you which one applies. This method only works on 17-character VINs. US vehicles have used that standardized format since the 1981 model year, and older vehicles follow manufacturer-specific formats.
The model year is not the same as the build date. The model year is the year the manufacturer assigns to the vehicle's design and specification, and it is what a VIN encodes. The build date is the month and year the vehicle was actually assembled. A car built in the fall of one calendar year is often sold as the next model year.
Where to Find the VIN
Lower corner of the windshield on the driver's side, visible from outside the vehicle; Label on the driver's door jamb or door edge; Vehicle title and registration documents; Insurance card or policy documents; Some manufacturers also stamp or label the VIN on the engine, frame or body panels
Read the VIN from the vehicle itself where possible, not only from paperwork, and confirm that every copy matches.
Model Year VIN Chart
The year codes run through letters and then digits. Five letters are never used in the 10th position: I, O and Q, which are banned everywhere in a VIN because they look like 1 and 0, plus U and Z. The digit 0 is also not used as a year code.
10th character | First cycle | Second 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 A row for 1980 is included because the code cycle starts there, but the 17-character format did not become mandatory in the US until the 1981 model year. A 1980 vehicle may not have a VIN that follows this layout.
Telling the Two Cycles Apart
US federal VIN rules include a tiebreaker for passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles such as SUVs and minivans, and trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less. For these vehicles, check the 7th character:
7th character is a number: the model year falls in the first cycle, 1980 through 2009; 7th character is a letter: the model year falls in the second cycle, 2010 through 2039
The rule does not cover heavy trucks, buses, trailers, motorcycles or low-speed vehicles. For those, rely on context: the vehicle's styling and features, the title or registration year, and a manufacturer or official VIN decoder. Since the two possible years are 30 years apart, the vehicle's general age usually makes the answer obvious.
Step-by-Step: Decode and Verify the Model Year
1) Confirm the VIN has exactly 17 characters and contains no I, O or Q. If it doesn't, check for a transcription error, or treat the vehicle as pre-1981 or non-standard. 2) Find the 10th character, counting from the left. 3) Look up that character in the chart to get the two candidate years. 4) If the vehicle is a car, SUV, minivan or light truck, check the 7th character: a number points to 1980–2009, and a letter points to 2010–2039. 5) Compare the result with the model year on the title and registration. 6) Check the certification label on the driver's door jamb. It shows the month and year of manufacture, which should be the same as the model year or close to it, often the calendar year before. 7) Run the full VIN through an official or manufacturer VIN decoder. In the US, NHTSA offers a free decoding tool that also reports make, model, body style and other recorded attributes. 8) If the VIN shows a different year than the paperwork or the label, treat it as a warning sign. Re-read the VIN on the vehicle and investigate before you buy, register or order parts.
The Check Digit
On North American VINs, the 9th character is a check digit. It is calculated from the other 16 characters and can be a number from 0 to 9 or the letter X. Most VIN decoders validate it automatically. A failed check usually means a character was copied incorrectly. It can also point to an altered or invalid VIN, so it is worth resolving before you rely on the decoded year.
Limits and Exceptions
Model year versus build date: The VIN encodes the model year, not the production date. Use the door jamb certification label for the month and year of manufacture. Pre-1981 vehicles: There was no standardized format, so the year position and codes vary by manufacturer. Use manufacturer-specific references or marque experts. Vehicles built for markets outside North America: The international VIN standard does not require a model year code in the 10th position, so some vehicles built for other markets, including some European ones, may not encode the year this way. Imported vehicles should be checked against manufacturer documentation. Specialty, kit, rebuilt and low-volume vehicles: The VIN may come from a state agency or a small manufacturer and may not follow the usual patterns, so check the title records. Parts and service: Some changes happen partway through a model year, so the model year alone may not identify the exact parts. Give the full VIN to the parts supplier or dealer.
No vehicle-specific data was supplied for this guide. The chart and rules above apply to standard 17-character VINs under US requirements. For a particular vehicle, confirm the decoded year against its title, its certification label and an official or manufacturer decoder.
