how to find out year of car

[DelHeidi]

The most reliable way to find your car's model year is to decode the 10th character of its Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). This 17-character code is your car's unique fingerprint and is the definitive source for its year. You can find the VIN on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), on the driver's side door jamb sticker, or on your vehicle's title and insurance documents.

Once you have the VIN, locate the 10th character. The year is not a simple number and follows a standardized code that cycles every 30 years. For example, 'L' corresponds to 2020, 'M' to 2021, 'N' to 2022, and so on. The table below shows a sample of recent and upcoming VIN year codes for reference.

VIN 10th Character	Model Year	VIN 10th Character	Model Year
K	2019	P	2023
L	2020	R	2024
M	2021	S	2025
N	2022	T	2026

Other methods can provide clues but are less precise. The door jamb sticker will list the month and year of manufacture. While this is often the same as the model year, there can be a discrepancy if the car was built late in the calendar year. The car's title and registration documents will officially list the model year. The physical style, like headlight and taillight designs, can hint at a model year range, especially during a mid-cycle refresh, but this is not a definitive method on its own. For absolute accuracy, always cross-reference the VIN.

[MadisonAnn]

Honestly, I just look at the registration or insurance card. It's right there, plain as day. No guessing, no squinting at weird codes on the door. Those papers are the legal proof of what year the car is. If you're buying a used car from a private seller, always double-check that the VIN on the title matches the VIN on the car itself. It takes two seconds and can save you from a real headache later.

[StEmma]

As a used car buyer, my first stop is a free online VIN decoder. You pop the 17-digit number in, and it spits back a full report: year, make, model, engine size, even if it's been in a major accident. It's an essential step to verify the seller isn't just telling you what you want to hear. The year from the decoder should match the title and the car's physical features. If anything is off, it's a major red flag to walk away from the deal.