Where to Check the Manufacturing Date of a Car?
2 Answers
You can check the manufacturing date of a car from two places. 1. Below the B-pillar on the passenger side, which can be seen by opening the door. The nameplate here only specifies the year and month, and it also includes the vehicle's VIN. 2. The certificate of conformity that comes with the new car, located in the upper right corner. The production date marked here can be precise to the year, month, and day. 3. The third point is supplementary and not applicable to all models. When a new car arrives at the dealership, there will be a paper nameplate on the windshield in front of the driver's seat. This paper nameplate includes the VIN and the official fuel consumption. If the bottom of the paper nameplate specifies the year, month, and day, then the production date on this nameplate can be used as a reference. If the nameplate only specifies the year and month, then it cannot be considered as the manufacturing date.
I've looked at many cars, and the most reliable place to find the manufacturing date is the small label on the driver's door frame, which directly prints the production year and month, making it clear at a glance. Another point is the VIN code below the windshield; the 10th digit of that 17-digit code represents the year, for example, 2024 is denoted by N, and you can find details by checking an online decoder. There's also a metal nameplate under the hood that provides more detailed assembly time. I always note these details when buying a car because they not only determine the warranty start date but also help check accident history to prevent fraud. Post-warranty repair costs drop significantly, and missing the date means wasting money. I recommend taking a photo with your phone to keep it handy, showing it directly to the technician during the next maintenance. This habit has saved me a lot of trouble.
