VIN Year Decoder Chart
The 10th character of every 17-digit VIN is its model-year code. It follows a fixed 30-year cycle — the letters A through Y (skipping I, O, Q, U and Z) and then the numbers 1 through 9 — that runs 1980 to 2009 and repeats for 2010 to 2039. Use the chart below to read the year straight off any VIN, and the 7th-digit rule to tell the two cycles apart.
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Quick Answer
- Which digit of a VIN is the model year?
- The 10th character of a 17-character VIN encodes the model year. It uses a fixed 30-code cycle: the letters A–Y (skipping I, O, Q, U, and Z) followed by the numbers 1–9. For example, A = 1980 or 2010, T = 1996 or 2026, and 9 = 2009 or 2039.
- How do I tell 1987 from 2017 if both are “H”?
- The code repeats every 30 years, so look at the 7th character. If the 7th character is a number, the vehicle is from the 1980–2009 cycle; if it is a letter, it is from the 2010–2039 cycle. That single digit resolves the ambiguity.
- Do all vehicles use this year chart?
- Every road vehicle built to the 17-character VIN standard from 1981 onward uses it. Pre-1981 vehicles used shorter, non-standard VINs and are not covered. To decode a full VIN — not just the year — run it through a free VIN decoder.
The Full VIN Model-Year Code Chart
Find the 10th character of the VIN in the Code column. Because the same code is reused every 30 years, each row lists both possible model years. The 7th-character rule below tells you which one applies.
| Code (10th char) | Model Year (Cycle 1) | Model Year (Cycle 2) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Source: the model-year encoding defined by ISO 3779 and US federal regulation 49 CFR Part 565. The cycle resets to “A” again in 2040.
The 7th-Character Rule
Since the 30 year codes repeat, a “T” could mean 1996 or 2026. The VIN resolves this with the 7th character:
- If the 7th character is a number, the model year is in the 1980–2009 cycle.
- If the 7th character is a letter, the model year is in the 2010–2039 cycle.
In practice you rarely need it — a car in daily use is almost never 30 years old — but for classics and older trucks the 7th-digit check is the definitive tiebreaker.
Worked example
Take a VIN whose 10th character is H:
- 10th char “H” → 1987 or 2017
- 7th char is a letter → use Cycle 2
- Result: 2017 model year
How the VIN Is Structured
The model-year code does not sit alone — it is one field in a standardized 17-character string. Knowing the layout makes it easy to find the 10th character and understand what the surrounding digits mean.
World Manufacturer Identifier
Country and maker — e.g. a leading 1, 4, or 5 is the United States.
Vehicle Descriptor Section
Model, body style, engine, and restraint system details.
Check digit
A math-verified digit that catches typos and altered VINs.
Model year
The single character this chart decodes.
Assembly plant
The factory where the vehicle was built.
Serial number
The unique production sequence for that individual vehicle.
Decode Every Digit, Not Just the Year
The year is one character. A full report reads the whole VIN — make, engine, trim, plant, plus title, accident, and recall history.
Keep Decoding
The year is the starting point. These tools read the rest of the VIN and the vehicle's history.
Always check the VIN before you buy
Our free report reveals accidents, title brands, odometer rollback, theft records, and open recalls in seconds.
VIN Year Codes: Frequently Asked Questions
Everything buyers ask about reading the model year from a VIN.
Why does the VIN year chart skip the letters I, O, Q, U, and Z?+
The VIN standard omits I, O, and Q because they are too easily confused with the numbers 1 and 0. U and Z are left out of the 10th-character year position specifically to avoid confusion with other characters and to keep the 30-year cycle clean. That leaves 21 usable letters (A–Y minus I, O, Q, U, Z) followed by the digits 1–9, for exactly 30 year codes.
What is 'model year' versus the year a car was actually built?+
The 10th VIN character encodes the model year the manufacturer assigned, which is not always the calendar year the car rolled off the line. Automakers commonly begin building a new model year in the middle of the prior calendar year — a 2026 model can be produced starting in mid-2025. The VIN always reflects the assigned model year, not the production date.
Does the model year cycle really repeat every 30 years?+
Yes. The same 30 codes ran from 1980 through 2009, then started over: A = 2010, B = 2011, and so on through 9 = 2039. When 2040 arrives the cycle resets again to A. Because most vehicles on the road are far newer than 30 years, the 7th-character letter-versus-number rule almost always removes any real-world ambiguity.
Can I trust the year code, or can it be faked?+
The year code is part of the manufacturer-stamped VIN, so on an unaltered vehicle it is reliable. But a cloned or re-stamped VIN can carry a year that does not match the car. If the 10th-character year seems inconsistent with the vehicle's condition, features, or title paperwork, verify the full VIN against national databases before you buy — mismatches are a classic sign of VIN fraud.
Where exactly is the 10th character on the VIN?+
Count 10 characters from the left in the 17-character VIN. You will find the VIN on the driver-side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver-side door-jamb sticker, the vehicle title, and the registration. The full breakdown is: characters 1–3 are the World Manufacturer Identifier, 4–8 describe the vehicle, 9 is a check digit, 10 is the model year, 11 is the plant, and 12–17 are the serial number.
Does the 10th digit tell me anything besides the year?+
On its own, no — it is strictly the model-year code. To learn the make, engine, trim, plant, and full build details you need to decode the other positions, and to see title brands, accidents, mileage, and recalls you need a full history report that cross-references NMVTIS and NHTSA records by the complete VIN.
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