How to Determine a Car's Production Date from Its Glass
3 Answers
The method to determine a car's production date from its glass is as follows: 1. First, the number represents the production year of the glass, indicating the last digit of the production year. If the vehicle's manufacturing date is in 2007 or 2008, then the glass year number 8 should represent 2008. The difference between the glass and the vehicle's production date will not exceed 10 years. 2. The small black dots indicate the production month of the glass. If you carefully observe the glass of other vehicles, you will notice that some glasses have the black dots in front of the number, while others have them behind the number. 3. If the black dots are in front of the number, subtract the number of dots from 7; if the black dots are behind the number, subtract the number of dots from 13. The result will be the production month of the glass.
I noticed many people are curious about the production date of car windows, and the method is actually quite straightforward. Small strings of characters are usually printed in the corners of car windows, commonly found at the bottom edges of windshields or side windows. Look for combinations of numbers and dots—the numbers represent the last one or two digits of the year, e.g., '18' likely refers to 2018, while the dots indicate the month. If the dots are before the number, fewer dots mean an earlier month; if the dots are after the number, more dots mean a later month. For example, a '7' with one dot before it (·7) might indicate January 2007, while three dots after it (7···) could mean April. Sometimes, the dates on different windows vary slightly, but consistency suggests original factory glass. This trick has been very useful for me when buying used cars, helping determine if any glass was replaced or estimating the vehicle's true age. In practice, I recommend cross-checking with the full VIN for better verification of the overall production timeline.
As an experienced driver who frequently drives, I find checking the date on car glass simple yet practical. The markings are usually located on the small imprints along the windshield or rear window frame, featuring numbers like the year code and dots representing the month code. The general rule is: dots before the number indicate the month minus one, e.g., ··9 might mean February 2009; dots after the number indicate the month plus one, e.g., 9·· could be March 2010. From my experience, the dot-code system is efficiently designed—just a quick glance reveals the production date. Checking multiple glass panels helps confirm the car's overall condition; if the dates vary significantly, the glass might not be original, which saved me from being tricked when buying a used car last time. When younger friends ask me, I easily explain not to overcomplicate it—these small details add fun to understanding cars.
