The 10th character of a 17-character VIN is the model year. For example, F means 2015, L means 2020 and R means 2024. The codes repeat every 30 years, so the same letter also stands for a year 30 years earlier; the chart below lists both.
Decode a VIN now with NHTSA data →
How to read the year from a VIN
- Count to the 10th character from the left.
- Find it in the chart below.
- If it could be two years, use the vehicle's age and the 7th character (next section) to choose.
VIN year chart (1980–2039)
| Code | Model year (first cycle) | Model year (second 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 |
Why the same letter means two years
There are 30 usable characters for the model year, so the list starts over every 30 years: A was 1980 and again 2010. For cars, SUVs and light trucks from the 2010 model year on, NHTSA's VIN rule uses the 7th character to separate the cycles: a letter in position 7 points to 2010–2039, a digit to 1980–2009. Heavy trucks, buses and trailers don't follow this convention, so use the vehicle's age and records.
Check it with the decoder
The free VIN decoder applies these rules for you and returns the model year that NHTSA's vPIC database holds for the VIN.
FAQ
What does the 10th digit of a VIN mean?
It is the model year. Letters A to Y (skipping I, O, Q, U and Z) stand for 1980 to 2000 and 2010 to 2030; digits 1 to 9 stand for 2001 to 2009 and 2031 to 2039.
Is the VIN year the year the car was built?
No, it is the model year, which usually starts in the second half of the previous calendar year. The build month and year are on the door-jamb certification label.
What year is a VIN with R in the 10th position?
For a car or light truck built recently, R means 2024. The same letter meant 1994 in the previous cycle.