VIN Year Chart

Instantly Check Your Vehicle's Model Year with the 10th VIN Digit Decoder

Example: 1C6RRENGXNN241274

Decoding your car's VIN is a great way to understand its origins, and each character of the 17-character identifier tells you something about the specific vehicle. The 10th character is the model year code, part of the standardized VIN system, which has been in use since 1981.

Code Year Code Year Code Year Code Year Code Year Code Year
A 1980 L 1990 Y 2000 A 2010 L 2020 Y 2030
B 1981 M 1991 1 2001 B 2011 M 2021 1 2031
C 1982 N 1992 2 2002 C 2012 N 2022 2 2032
D 1983 P 1993 3 2003 D 2013 P 2023 3 2033
E 1984 R 1994 4 2004 E 2014 R 2024 4 2034
F 1985 S 1995 5 2005 F 2015 S 2025 5 2035
G 1986 T 1996 6 2006 G 2016 T 2026 6 2036
H 1987 V 1997 7 2007 H 2017 V 2027 7 2037
J 1988 W 1998 8 2008 J 2018 W 2028 8 2038
K 1989 X 1999 9 2009 K 2019 X 2029 9 2039

Download: Image / PDF

How Does the 30-Year VIN Cycle Work?

VIN Year Chart

The VIN standard purposefully does not include the letters I, O and Q because they are easily confused with the numbers 1 and 0. In addition, the model year codes U, Z, and 0 (zero) are not used.

Years cycle from A to Y, then 1 to 9, then back to A again. For example, the year code was "Y" for 2000 and "1" for 2001. 2009 was the last year of the cycle, with the year code "9." The cycle started over with "A" in 2010, beginning a new 30-year cycle.

The 7th Character Rule

Codes for the same year repeat every 30 years. So the 7th character of the VIN is a secondary character to tell the difference between old and new cycles. A numeric 7th character is for the 1980-2009 cycle and the 7th letter character is for the 2010-2039 cycle.

Model Year vs. Manufacture Date: What's the Difference?

The 10th character of the VIN will tell you the model year of the vehicle, but this is not always the actual year the vehicle was built. It’s common practice for carmakers to introduce a new model year months before January. So a car that rolled off the line in October 2025 can already be listed as a 2026 model.

The production date, on the other hand, is the actual date of assembly and should be found on the certification sticker on the driver's-side door jamb.

VIN Year Code Examples

The table below shows examples of how the 10th character of the VIN corresponds to the model year, and also includes the 7th character, which helps confirm the correct model year cycle:

VIN 7th Character 10th Character Model Year
7FARS4H78SE005868 H S 2025
1GTH5BEA0L1214129 E L 2020
WBAKP9C57GD980813 C G 2016
3GCPCPBX3AG113799 B A 2010
JTEHH20V226020846 0 2 2002

Official Sources & Standards

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 10th VIN digit indicate the model year outside North America?

No. The 10th digit for model years is required by NHTSA for the U.S. and Canada, but not by the global ISO 3779 standard. European and Asian manufacturers that build for domestic markets will often use this position for body style, assembly plant, or will leave it blank with filler characters such as '0' or 'Z'.

Can fraudsters alter the 10th VIN digit to fake a newer model year?

No. The 10th digit cannot be faked without failing standard VIN validation. The 9th position is a mathematically calculated "Check Digit" that includes the entire VIN. Changing the year code will immediately invalidate the check digit formula and flag the VIN as tampered.

How are "half-year" models represented in the 10th VIN position?

Marketing designations don't matter to the VIN system. The 10th character is strictly indicative of the EPA/DOT homologation year. A mid-year release marketed as "2025.5" keeps the 'S' (2025) code under the original certification, or bumps to 'T' (2026) only if officially re-certified.

What VIN year code applies to custom kit cars and replicas?

Vehicles rebuilt on the same frame have the 10th digit of the donor. The DMV assigns unique VINs for totally custom kit cars or replicas. The year code assigned to custom builds is the year it was legally assembled and registered, not the classic car it copies.