How to Identify the Year from a Vehicle's VIN?
2 Answers
To determine the production year from a vehicle's VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), look at the 10th character of the VIN, which indicates the year of manufacture. Note that the specific production month cannot be identified from the VIN. The year may be represented by either a digit or a letter, following a 30-year cycle that excludes the letter 'O' and the number '10'. The VIN consists of 17 characters, each with specific meanings: 1. The first three characters denote the country of manufacture, the manufacturer, and the vehicle type. 2. Characters 4 through 8 represent vehicle features such as model, body type, engine type, and gross vehicle weight rating. 3. The 9th character is a check digit used to verify the VIN's accuracy. 4. The 11th character indicates the assembly plant location. 5. Characters 12 through 17 are the production sequence number.
I've been repairing cars for over a decade and know vehicle identification numbers like the back of my hand. In that 17-character VIN, the 10th digit is the year identifier – its position is easy to remember. For example, if you find a 2015 model car, its 10th digit must be F; 2016 models use G, and subsequent years follow alphabetical order. But don't just memorize mechanically – there's a catch: the letters I, O, and Q are skipped because they look too similar to numbers 1 and 0. Another pattern is that 2001-2009 models use digits 1-9, then switch to starting with letter A. I've seen people mistake a 2010 model for a 1980 one because they didn't notice the codes repeat every 30 years. That's why it's crucial to cross-check the code with the vehicle's actual condition – this judgment call is particularly important.
