• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Instant Vehicle History

Get the instant vehicle history on your next vehicle

  • How to Read VIN
  • Free Vehicle History Report by VIN Number
  • Articles
  • Show Search
Hide Search

vin to year chart

How to Tell the Year of the Vehicle by VIN

Frank · July 24, 2021 ·

What Is a VIN and Why Is It Important?

A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique 17-character code assigned to every vehicle by the manufacturer. It serves as the car's fingerprint and provides important information about it.

The VIN number includes details such as the make, model, year, engine type, transmission type, and even where it was manufactured. By decoding the VIN correctly, you can gain valuable insights into any vehicle’s history.

How to Use the VIN to Identify a Vehicle's Year

The 10th Position of the VIN represents the year the vehicle was manufactured.

VIN with Model Year Highlighted

Take the number or letter in position 10 and use the the following VIN to year table to determine the model year of the vehicle.

VIN to Year Table

CodeYearCodeYearCodeYearCodeYearCodeYear
A1980L1990Y2000A2010L2020
B1981M199112001B2011M2021
C1982N199222002C2012N2022
D1983P199332003D2013P2023
E1984R199442004E2014R2024
F1985S199552005F2015S2025
G1986T199662006G2016T2026
H1987V199772007H2017V2027
J1988W199882008J2018W2028
K1989X199992009K2019X2029

Interesting Fact: The characters O, I, U and Z, and the number zero are not used in the model year code to avoid confusion and misinterpretation (e.g., the letter “V” and “U” may be misinterpreted so only the letter “V” is used and not the letter “U”).

What to Learn More About Your Vehicle?

If you want to decode the rest of your vehicle's VIN, this article called “How to Read the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)” will show you how.

Related Articles That Might Interest You

  • Save Money with These Cheap Vehicle History Report Options
  • Free National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) Lookup

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • How to Tell the Year of the Vehicle by VIN
  • Save Money with These Cheap Vehicle History Report Options
  • Free National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) Lookup
  • Get Your Vehicle History Free VIN Report
  • Get Your iSeeCars Free VIN Report

Copyright © 2025 · Monochrome Pro on Genesis Framework · Log in

  • Terms of Use
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy