VIN Year Chart (10th Digit Reference)

There is a lot of information you can get by simply decoding a VIN. 

One of the easiest pieces of information to get from a VIN is the vehicle’s model year. 

You don’t even need to enter your VIN or decipher a code to figure out the model year.

All you’ll need to do is look at a single digit within the VIN number.

Refer to the year chart or use our free VIN decoder to find out a car’s model year by VIN below!

How to Tell What Year a Car is By the VIN Number

In order to figure out a vehicle’s model year, you’ll simply need to look at your VIN. 

Count to the 10th digit, refer to the VIN year chart below, and you’ve got your answer!

And, learn more about vehicle identification numbers and vehicle history reports here. 

What Digit in the VIN is the Year?

In all VINs for vehicles manufactured since 1981, the 10th digit in the VIN represents the model year.

This is true for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and most other vehicles.

VIN Year Chart

The VIN year code is a single digit.

Depending on the year, it will either be a letter or a number. 

The year code started at the letter “A” in 1980, and “1” in 2001.

In 2010, the model year code started over again at “A.”

The VIN will never include the letter I (i), O (o), Q (q), U (u), or Z (z), or the number zero.

Check out the VIN year chart below to determine which model year your vehicle is.

As you can see, the codes recycle every 30 years.

VIN Year Chart: 1980 to 2009

VIN Year Chart: 2010 to 2039

Learn what else your VIN can tell you by just looking at it in our related page: How to Read a VIN Number.