How to Identify the Manufacturing Year of a Car?
2 Answers
Methods to check the manufacturing year of a car: 1. Check the nameplate in the engine compartment. Inside the engine compartment, there is usually an aluminum nameplate that displays the car's serial number, engine displacement, model, brand, and importantly, the specific manufacturing date. When examining the nameplate, note that all the information is stamped once and cannot be altered unless the entire nameplate is replaced. If the manufacturing date appears skewed or blurred, it may indicate tampering, and such cars should not be purchased. 2. Look for the small nameplate around the door seams. There is also a small nameplate around the driver's or passenger's door seam, which clearly states the car's brand, model, manufacturing date, etc. Verify the manufacturing date and cross-check it with the nameplate in the engine compartment to ensure accuracy. 3. Check the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) under the windshield. Most cars have a VIN under the front windshield, and the 10th digit of the VIN indicates the manufacturing year. Each car's VIN is unique, but the manufacturing date can always be found within it.
To identify a car's model year, my most common method is to check the registration date on the vehicle's license or registration certificate, which clearly states the first registration time—usually indicating the production year. Additionally, while the license plate number doesn't directly reflect the year, you can roughly estimate it by observing the style of older plates. In fact, every car has a 17-digit VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), located at the lower left corner of the windshield or under the hood. The 10th character of the VIN represents the year code—for example, 'L' stands for 2020, and 'M' for 2021. Just input it into an online VIN decoder tool to find out. I remember a few years ago when buying a used car, I almost got scammed because I didn’t check this carefully. An inaccurate year can affect insurance quotes and resale value, so I recommend cross-checking official documents when purchasing a car to ensure safety and value retention. Maintenance records also typically note the year, which is very helpful for keeping the car in good condition.
