How to Check What Year a Car Is?
2 Answers
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.
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.
