The VIN tells you the model year in the 10th character
The 10th digit of your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a letter or number that represents the model year your vehicle was made. This single character is your quickest way to find out what year the manufacturer built the car, truck, or motorcycle.
The year code repeats every 30 years because there are only 30 possible characters (the letters I, O, Q, and Z are skipped to avoid confusion with numbers). This means a vehicle with a "Y" in the 10th position could have been made in 1980, 2010, or 2040. You will need to look at other parts of the VIN or your registration to narrow down which decade you are looking at.
Key Takeaways
- The 10th character of your VIN is always the model year code, and you can find your VIN on your registration, insurance card, or the driver's side dashboard.
- Year codes use letters and numbers in a 30-year cycle, so the same code appears three times across a century.
- The year code tells you when the vehicle was manufactured, not when it was first sold or registered.
- A year chart shows which code corresponds to which year, and the pattern repeats identically every 30 years.
Where to find your VIN
Your VIN appears in several places on your vehicle and documents. The easiest spot is usually your vehicle registration or insurance card — both print the full 17-character VIN. On the vehicle itself, look at the driver's side of the dashboard where it meets the windshield; the VIN is stamped into the metal and visible from outside the car.
You can also find your VIN on the door jamb (the frame around the driver's side door when it is open), on the engine block, and on the frame under the hood. If you are buying a used vehicle and need to check the year before purchase, ask the seller for the registration or look at the windshield stamp.
The year code chart
Below is the standard year code used by all manufacturers in North America. Find the letter or number in the 10th position of your VIN, then look across to see which years it represents.
| 10th Character | Years |
|---|---|
| A | 1980, 2010, 2040 |
| B | 1981, 2011, 2041 |
| C | 1982, 2012, 2042 |
| D | 1983, 2013, 2043 |
| E | 1984, 2014, 2044 |
| F | 1985, 2015, 2045 |
| G | 1986, 2016, 2046 |
| H | 1987, 2017, 2047 |
| J | 1988, 2018, 2048 |
| K | 1989, 2019, 2049 |
| L | 1990, 2020, 2050 |
| M | 1991, 2021, 2051 |
| N | 1992, 2022, 2052 |
| P | 1993, 2023, 2053 |
| R | 1994, 2024, 2054 |
| S | 1995, 2025, 2055 |
| T | 1996, 2026, 2056 |
| V | 1997, 2027, 2057 |
| W | 1998, 2028, 2058 |
| X | 1999, 2029, 2059 |
| Y | 2000, 2030, 2060 |
| 1 | 2001, 2031, 2061 |
| 2 | 2002, 2032, 2062 |
| 3 | 2003, 2033, 2063 |
| 4 | 2004, 2034, 2064 |
| 5 | 2005, 2035, 2065 |
| 6 | 2006, 2036, 2066 |
| 7 | 2007, 2037, 2067 |
| 8 | 2008, 2038, 2068 |
| 9 | 2009, 2039, 2069 |
Notice that the letters I, O, Q, and Z do not appear. These were left out of the system to prevent confusion with the numbers 1 and 0. The cycle starts over with "A" after "Y" and the numbers 1 through 9.
How to count to the 10th position
The VIN reads left to right, starting with position 1. Count each character — letter or number — until you reach position 10. For example, if your VIN is 1HGCV41JXMN109186, count like this: 1 (position 1), H (position 2), G (position 3), C (position 4), V (position 5), 4 (position 6), 1 (position 7), J (position 8), X (position 9), M (position 10). The 10th character is M, which means the vehicle was made in 1991, 2021, or 2040.
A common mistake is to count only the letters or only the numbers. Count every single character in order, regardless of whether it is a letter or digit. This ensures you land on the correct position.
Understanding what "model year" means
The year code in the VIN represents the model year, which is when the manufacturer built the vehicle. This is not always the same as the calendar year in which you bought it or registered it. A car built in late 2023 might be sold and registered in early 2024, but its VIN will still show 2023 as the model year.
Model year is important for parts compatibility, warranty coverage, and recall information. If you are looking up repair manuals or checking whether your vehicle is affected by a safety recall, use the model year from the VIN, not the year you purchased the car.
Why the 30-year cycle exists
The VIN system was standardized in 1981 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The designers chose 30 characters (excluding I, O, Q, and Z) for the year code because it was a practical number that would not repeat within a typical vehicle's lifespan at that time. Most vehicles were expected to be scrapped or off the road within 30 years, so repeating the code was not a problem.
Today, vehicles last longer, which means a 30-year-old car is more likely to still be on the road. This is why you need to look at the context — the decade — to know which of the three possible years applies. If you are unsure, your registration or insurance documents will always show the correct year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I cannot find my VIN?
Check your vehicle registration, insurance card, or title document first — these always have the full VIN printed on them. If you have lost those documents, contact your state's Department of Motor Vehicles with your license plate number, and they can provide your VIN. You can also call your insurance company; they have your VIN on file.
Does the VIN year match the calendar year the car was sold?
Not always. The VIN shows the model year, which is when the vehicle was manufactured. A car built in September 2023 might not be sold until January 2024. The model year in the VIN will still be 2023, even though you bought it in 2024.
Can I use the VIN year to check for recalls?
Yes. The NHTSA website (safercar.gov) lets you search for recalls by VIN or by entering the model year, make, and model. Use the year from the 10th character of your VIN to get accurate recall information for your specific vehicle.
What if my VIN has a letter that is not on the chart?
The letters I, O, Q, and Z never appear in the 10th position of a VIN. If you see one of these letters there, you may have miscounted the positions. Recount from the left, making sure you count every character including numbers.