How to Check the Vehicle Manufacturing Date?
2 Answers
The manufacturing date of a vehicle can be determined mainly from the following aspects: 1. The manufacturing date is indicated on the vehicle's manufacturing plate: There are two manufacturing plates, one located in the engine compartment and the other on the side of the driver's door. The plate clearly marks the manufacturing year and month of the vehicle. Additionally, the manufacturing date of the car can also be inferred from the production dates of the windows, tires, and seat belts. 2. The manufacturing plate contains the vehicle's VIN code, which is the vehicle identification number: The VIN is a 17-digit code that includes various information about the vehicle, such as the manufacturer, country of origin, vehicle type, and characteristics. 3. Specific explanation for identifying the year: The 10th digit or letter in the VIN represents the vehicle's production year. For vehicles in China, the manufacturing plate identifies the year using a combination of A~H, J, K, L, M, N, P, V, W, X, Y, and numbers 1~9, cycling every 30 years. For example, A stands for 2010, B for 2011, C for 2012, D for 2013, E for 2014, F for 2015, G for 2016, H for 2017, and so on. When it cycles back to A, it represents 2040.
Checking the vehicle's manufacturing date is actually quite straightforward. The method I use most often is looking for the vehicle's nameplate. This thing is usually stuck on the B-pillar of the passenger door frame or in a corner of the engine compartment, clearly stating the production year and month. Another super useful method is checking the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), specifically the 10th character of the VIN code, which represents the production year. For example, the letter Y stands for 2020, and the number 5 stands for 2005. Knowing this date is super important, especially when buying a used car, as it helps you determine the car's age and potential aging issues. I always like to check the vehicle registration certificate or the user manual as well, as they also note the manufacturing date; missing this detail might lead you to buy an unreliable old car that could be a headache and expensive to repair.
