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VIN year chart: read the 10th digit
On US-standard VINs, the 10th character identifies the model year. Codes repeat after 30 years: A can mean 1980 or 2010, and T can mean 1996 or 2026. Use the chart and the position-7 rule together.
Look up a year code
Use the position-7 selector only if your vehicle meets the US passenger-car / light-truck rule below. Otherwise leave it unknown.
T: 1996 or 2026 model year — confirm the cycle using the full VIN and manufacturer records.
This lookup covers the 1980–2039 cycles. A future year in the chart is a code assignment, not evidence that a vehicle has been built.
Complete VIN model-year codes, 1980–2039
Count from the left, including letters and numbers. “10th digit” is the common search term, but this position can contain a letter. I, O and Q are never used in standard VINs; U, Z and 0 are also excluded from the model-year code.
| 10th character | 1980–2009 cycle | 2010–2039 cycle |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
The position-7 rule: which 30-year cycle?
For US-standard passenger cars, and multipurpose passenger vehicles and trucks rated at 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) or less, a number in position 7 selects 1980–2009; a letter selects 2010–2039. This shortcut does not apply to every overseas-market vehicle, heavy truck or motorcycle. Model year can differ from the calendar year of manufacture.
7th character is a number
For an eligible vehicle, a numeric 7th character with K in position 10 means model year 1989.
7th character is a letter
For an eligible vehicle, an alphabetic 7th character with K in position 10 means model year 2019.
The country prefix alone does not establish whether this rule applies. A car built in Japan for the US market can follow US VIN rules, while another market's VIN may use a different descriptor. A correct check digit alone does not prove compliance either.
Source: NHTSA VIN requirements, model-year table and position-7 note →Model year is not a production date
A manufacturer may build a vehicle before the calendar year shown in its model-year designation. For the month and year of manufacture, check the vehicle's certification label or manufacturer record. Do not treat this chart as a registration-date or age certificate.
Vehicles made before the 17-character VIN standard, and overseas-market VINs that do not encode the year here, need a manufacturer-specific lookup. A missing or ambiguous year from an online decoder is a reason to check the documentation, not proof of fraud.
Decode the full VIN →