ToolviaVIN year chart
The 10th character of a VIN tells you the model year. This chart covers every code from 1980 to 2039, and below it you’ll find the one-step trick for telling a 1990s car from a 2020s one.
How to use it: find the 10th character of the VIN in the first column. If the VIN’s 7th character is a number, use the 1980–2009 column. If it’s a letter, use the 2010–2039 column.
| 10th character | 1980–2009 | 2010–2039 |
|---|---|---|
A | 1980 | 2010 |
B | 1981 | 2011 |
C | 1982 | 2012 |
D | 1983 | 2013 |
E | 1984 | 2014 |
F | 1985 | 2015 |
G | 1986 | 2016 |
H | 1987 | 2017 |
J | 1988 | 2018 |
K | 1989 | 2019 |
L | 1990 | 2020 |
M | 1991 | 2021 |
N | 1992 | 2022 |
P | 1993 | 2023 |
R | 1994 | 2024 |
S | 1995 | 2025 |
T | 1996 | 2026 |
V | 1997 | 2027 |
W | 1998 | 2028 |
X | 1999 | 2029 |
Y | 2000 | 2030 |
1 | 2001 | 2031 |
2 | 2002 | 2032 |
3 | 2003 | 2033 |
4 | 2004 | 2034 |
5 | 2005 | 2035 |
6 | 2006 | 2036 |
7 | 2007 | 2037 |
8 | 2008 | 2038 |
9 | 2009 | 2039 |
Why every code has two years
The year position can’t use I, O, Q, U, Z or the number 0. That leaves 30 usable characters, so the codes repeat every 30 years. A was used for 1980 and came back for 2010. Y was 2000 and will be used again for 2030.
For a modern car that’s rarely confusing, because a 1990s car and a 2020s car look nothing alike. But if you’re checking a VIN on paper, or you’re not sure what you’re looking at, it helps to have a rule.
The 7th-character rule
For passenger cars, SUVs, vans and light trucks under 10,000 pounds sold in North America, the 7th character settles it:
- A number in position 7 means the model year is between 1980 and 2009.
- A letter in position 7 means the model year is between 2010 and 2039.
Take 1HGCM82633A004352. The 10th character is 3, which could be 2003 or 2033. The 7th character is 2, a number, so it’s 2003.
This rule doesn’t apply to heavy trucks, buses, motorcycles and trailers, and some vehicles built for other markets don’t follow it. When in doubt, decode the full VIN and the model year comes straight from the manufacturer’s data.
Model year isn’t the build year
Manufacturers start selling next year’s models early, often in the summer or autumn before. So a VIN might say 2026 for a car that was built in August 2025. If you need the actual build date, look at the label on the driver’s door jamb, which shows the month and year of manufacture.
What about cars before 1981?
The standard 17-character VIN started with the 1981 model year. Earlier vehicles have shorter serial numbers, and each manufacturer had its own system for the year. Some used a single digit for the last number of the year, which is why you’ll see the code A listed for 1980 on some charts even though the 17-digit format began a year later.
Frequently asked questions
What year is a VIN with Y as the 10th character?
2000, or 2030 for newer vehicles. Check the 7th character: a number means 2000, a letter means 2030.
What year is a VIN with S as the 10th digit?
1995 or 2025. For a modern car or SUV, a letter in the 7th position means 2025.
What year is a VIN with T?
1996 or 2026.
Is the VIN year the same as the year the car was made?
Not always. The VIN shows the model year. The door jamb label shows the month and year it was actually built, which can be several months earlier.
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