How to Check What Year a Car Is?

[CorbinAnn]

There are three ways to determine the manufacturing year of a car: by the car brand, the vehicle's nameplate, or the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Here are the details: 1. Car Brand: The car brand usually provides detailed specifications, including the manufacturing date, engine displacement, and power. 2. Vehicle Nameplate: Typically located under the passenger-side door, the nameplate lists basic vehicle characteristics such as the production number, manufacturing date, brand, model, engine power, total weight, load capacity, or passenger capacity. 3. Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): The VIN is a 17-digit code with standardized rules: digits 1-3 represent the World Manufacturer Identifier, digits 4-8 describe vehicle features like type and body style, digit 9 is a check digit to prevent input errors, digit 10 indicates the model year, digit 11 denotes the assembly plant, and digits 12-17 are the production sequence number.

[LeIan]

When I bought a used car before, I specifically researched how to check the vehicle's year. The easiest method is to locate the 17-digit VIN code at the bottom left of the windshield—the 10th digit represents the year code, like L for 2020 and P for 2023. But don’t worry if you can’t memorize the code chart—just take a photo and use a VIN lookup tool. Also, always check the registration date on the vehicle’s license; some unsold inventory cars might not be registered until three years after production. I got tricked once—I only checked the production date on the body nameplate, not realizing the seller had swapped the nameplate on the passenger-side B-pillar. The true year was later revealed in the DMV records. My advice is to cross-check these three sources, especially when buying a used car—don’t cut corners.

[VonJohnny]

Having worked in car repairs for twenty years, I identify a vehicle's age by two key spots: first, the aluminum nameplate in the engine bay, which directly states the manufacturing month and year like an ID card; second, the 10th character of the VIN at the base of the windshield—just check a code table on your phone to instantly know the year. Some owners show their vehicle registration, but the licensing date can lag by half a year; the actual production date on the compliance certificate is more accurate. For imported cars, extra caution is needed—customs clearance dates often precede domestic registration by up to two years. Details like headlight dates or seatbelt tags can also indirectly verify the age, and these are the spots car modifiers dread being checked.

[DeTimothy]

Determining the vehicle's year requires checking the original documents for accuracy. From my experience, start by reviewing the duplicate of the vehicle license—the issuance date is right next to the registration date. If it's a new car purchased from a 4S dealership, the environmental compliance sheet that comes with the vehicle specifies the exact production month, which is more precise than the VIN. Some people think checking the tire date is sufficient, but tires can be replaced. Once, while helping a friend inspect a parallel-imported car, we found a three-year discrepancy between the 10th digit of the VIN and the customs import document, later discovering it was a smuggled chassis with altered numbers. Nowadays, the Vehicle Conformity Certificate can also verify the year, but the easiest method is still to directly request the records from the DMV.

[McOmar]

Last time during the maintenance at the 4S shop, the technician taught me how to check a car's manufacturing year: First, open the driver's door, and you'll find the production date clearly printed on the door frame's nameplate. Then, check the VIN code at the corner of the windshield—the tenth letter corresponds to the year code. They also reminded me to check the vehicle information menu in the dashboard, as some new cars can directly display the production date. Even if these have been altered, it doesn't matter. The repair shop's computer diagnostic tool can connect to the OBD port and directly read the original factory data. Now, when I help friends inspect cars, I always bring a VIN scanner. After scanning, it directly redirects to the automaker's official website to check the registered date, which is more accurate than identifying it by eye.