Vehicle Identification Number

Notes on the Vehicle Identification Number

In the following you will find a list dealing with the basic set-up of vehicle identification numbers (VIN) of US-vehicles, informing about the model year:

From the model year of 1981 on, the VIN consists of 17 digits.

The 10th digit indicates the model year.


Code

Modelyear

B

1981

C

1982

D

1983

E

1984

F

1985

G

1986

H

1987

J

1988

K

1989

L

1990

M

1991

N

1992

P

1993

R

1994

S

1995

T

1996

V

1997

W

1998

X

1999

Y

2000

1

2001

2

2002



and so forth.

Example:
A vehicle’s VIN is: 1J4FX78Y8SC625584

The VIN’s 10th digit is an S – hence, the model year is 1995.

With older vehicles, things get a bit more complicated. Please refer to the model year indicated in the "Certificate of Title", or, when in doubt, ask one of our experts from the vehicle enthusiasts department.