Your car’s VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) holds important information about its origin, specifications, and model year. The VIN is usually 17 characters long and can be found on your car’s dashboard (near the windshield), door frame, or on your vehicle registration documents.
If you want to find out the year model of your vehicle using the VIN, follow these steps:
Step-by-Step Guide to Decoding the Year from a VIN
1. Locate the VIN
- The VIN can usually be found:
- On the inside edge of the driver’s door
- On the dashboard, visible through the windshield
- On your registration certificate (logbook)
2. Identify the 10th Character
- The 10th character of the VIN represents the model year of the vehicle.
- This character is usually a letter or digit and follows a standardized international format.
3. Use a Model Year Code Chart
| 10th Character | Year | 10th Character | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1980 | Y | 2000 |
| B | 1981 | 1 | 2001 |
| C | 1982 | 2 | 2002 |
| D | 1983 | 3 | 2003 |
| E | 1984 | 4 | 2004 |
| F | 1985 | 5 | 2005 |
| G | 1986 | 6 | 2006 |
| H | 1987 | 7 | 2007 |
| J | 1988 | 8 | 2008 |
| K | 1989 | 9 | 2009 |
| L | 1990 | A | 2010 |
| M | 1991 | B | 2011 |
| N | 1992 | C | 2012 |
| P | 1993 | D | 2013 |
| R | 1994 | E | 2014 |
| S | 1995 | F | 2015 |
| T | 1996 | G | 2016 |
| V | 1997 | H | 2017 |
| W | 1998 | J | 2018 |
| X | 1999 | K | 2019 |
| Y | 2000 | L | 2020 |
| … | … | … | … |
Note: The sequence skips the letters I, O, Q, U, and Z to avoid confusion with numbers.
South African Tip:
Most VINs in South Africa follow international ISO 3779 standards, so this decoding method should work in nearly all cases for locally assembled and imported vehicles.
Use a VIN Decoder (Optional)
If you don’t want to decode manually:
- Use free tools like VINCheck.info, AutoDNA, or carfax.com
- Some local licensing offices can also confirm the year for you using their systems
Final Tips
- The manufacturing year and model year may differ slightly (e.g. a car built in December 2020 may be a 2021 model)
- If you’re buying a used car, always verify the VIN on both the car and its documents to check for fraud