How to Determine the Year of a Vehicle by Its VIN?

[McJuliet]

Method to determine the year of a vehicle by its VIN: The tenth digit of the VIN represents the year. The characters that denote the year are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, totaling 30 characters, which cycle every 30 years. Starting from 2001, the character '1' was used. The VIN is typically located in the lower left corner of the front windshield, on the hinge pillar, door lock pillar, or door edge of the driver's side door, or sometimes in the engine compartment. The exact location may vary depending on the vehicle model, but these are the common places where you might find the vehicle's identification plate.

[VanGiselle]

I remember when I was an apprentice at the repair shop, my master taught me that you can tell the year by looking at the letter or number in the tenth position of the VIN. This letter-number year correspondence chart needs to be memorized specifically: 1980 is A, 1981 is B, and so on until 2000 is Y. Later, in 2001, it started counting from the number 1 again, with 2001 as 1, 2002 as 2, 2009 as 9, and then switched back to A in 2010, with 2011 as B. This year, 2024, should be R. When actually checking the VIN, it's best to refer to a professional reference table for confirmation, as some years' letters might skip I and O to avoid confusion, and there may be slight differences in coding across different regions.

[DelAnastasia]

I've reviewed quite a few used car documents, and the simplest method is to locate the 17-digit VIN at the lower left corner of the windshield and directly check the 10th character. For example, if you see 'M', it means 1991 or 2021; if you see '5', it's 2005 or 2025. You'll need to determine the exact year by assessing the vehicle's overall condition. You can find complete correspondence tables online - remember that 2010 corresponds to 'A', and 2020 corresponds to 'L'. The letters reset after completing a full cycle. When inspecting, make sure to clean the VIN area thoroughly, as grease can sometimes make it hard to distinguish between '6' and '8'.

[StCatherine]

A friend asked me to help check the car's age when buying a car, and I taught him to look directly at the 10th digit of the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) on the front windshield. It's important to master the pattern of letters or numbers corresponding to different years, as the systems before and after 1990 and 2000 are different. Focus on the rules after 2000: 2001 is 1, 2005 is 5, 2010 is A, and 2020 is L. The 10th digit of my car's VIN is J, and the reference table shows it was manufactured in 2018, which matches the record in my vehicle registration certificate perfectly. I recommend keeping a year reference table on your phone for easy access anytime.

[DiClara]

Last month, while helping my neighbor check out a used car, I discovered issues with the manufacturing year. Only after checking the VIN did I realize how complicated it was. The 10th character of the VIN is crucial: from 1980 to 2000, letters were used, while from 2001 to the present, a combination of numbers or letters is used. In letter encoding, O and I are skipped, and after the number 9, A represents 2010. In practice, it's best to prepare a detailed printed reference chart, as poor lighting on a phone screen can easily make a B look like an 8. For older cars, also be cautious about replaced windshields, as the VIN label might not be properly affixed.