The car body number (VIN-code), as we have already said, contains a detailed period of its release from the assembly line and technical characteristics. You can determine the year of issue by VIN based on 10 or 11 digits. These numbers are located in the so-called distinctive section of the body number, called, according to international standards, as VIS (Vehicle Identifier Section).
On the 11th place of the VIN-code, the year of issue is placed mainly by American manufacturers. Most "Europeans", including the car factories of the WAG group, use the 10th digit to designate the year.
Note. European-assembled Ford cars are labeled according to US standards, so you can only find out the year of manufacture on them after 11 characters.
How to decipher the symbol of the year of manufacture
The VIN-code symbol indicating the year of manufacture of the vehicle can be either a number or a letter. A series of models, which were manufactured in the period from 1971 to 1979, in the place of the year designation has a number from 1 to 9, in accordance with the last digit of the year.
Models of the period 1980–2000. marked with letters:
- 1980 - A;
- 1981 - B;
- 1982 - C;
- 1983 - D;
- 1984 - E;
- 1985 - F;
- 1986 - G;
- 1987 - H;
- 1988 - J;
- 1989 - K;
- 1990 - L;
- 1991 - M;
- 1992 - N;
- 1993 - P;
- 1994 - R;
- 1995 - S;
- 1996 - T;
- 1997 - V;
- 1998 - W;
- 1999 - X;
- 2000 - Y.
A car produced from 2001 to 2009 will be numbered similar to the period 1971-1979. From 2010 and above, there are corresponding letters again. As you can see, the marking of the year of manufacture is repeated with a period of 30 years. This is enough to identify the model, since the rest of the numbers, say, 1975 and 2005 will still be different.
Note. It is not always possible to find out the specific month of car production. Such, at the 12th position of the number. Most other well-known manufacturers, in particular Renault, Mercedes and Toyota, can provide data on the month only in technical documentation.
Exceptions to the rule
Certain corporations that do not operate in accordance with the global standard may indicate the information about the release date using other ordinal characters of the VIN-code. Sometimes the body number itself even differs in the number of characters. This applies, for example, to Mitsubishi Pajero SUVs, which are produced in the UAE. On these cars, the VIN-code consists of 14 characters. By the way, it is officially believed that the standard itself is purely advisory in nature and does not oblige the company to indicate the release date of the car. Because of this, in rare cases, such data in the body number may not be available at all.
Model and calendar year - what is the difference
The 10th digit of the VIN-code, as a rule, does not mean the calendar year, but the model year of the car's production. What is the difference - the actual month of production of the car and indicated in the VIN-code may differ by up to six months.
This is done in order to have time to transport the car to the region of sale, arrange it, etc. Thus, dealers will be able to offer buyers fresh cars in showrooms, and the manufacturer will have time to sell almost all produced units before the beginning of the next calendar year.
A similar practice was taken during the development of the ICO 3779-1983 standard, created in the United States by the Association of Automotive Engineers. Forming the standard for the designation of the body number, they used the principle of the approach to sales from the side of North American automobile corporations. Summer is the period of car dealerships when these companies showed their new models to the public. And the production date of these models has always been designated as early as next year.
Often October 1 is taken as the starting point of reference for a new lineup. This is the case, in particular, of the aforementioned WAG. But the final version still depends on the specific manufacturer.
Addition
The year of production of a car can be found not only by VIN. It is also evidenced by the numbers and, for example, the engine compartment wiring. If the windshield has not changed in the car, look at the last 2 digits on it - this is the year of manufacture of the glass. Naturally, it should be the same as the year of production of the entire car. Another way to find out the year of manufacture of a car is to study the passport and certificates of the technical device, which also indicates the production period. And not just to study, but to verify the data indicated in the documents with those that. Only in this case you can 100% identify the year of manufacture of the machine and not be fooled when buying.
Good afternoon, dear reader.
In this article I will tell you about an interesting way that allows with a high degree of probability determine the year of manufacture of almost any car.
Of course, many drivers are familiar with this method, but for some it will turn out to be an interesting discovery.
So, you can determine the year of production of a car after a careful study of its glasses.
Year of manufacture on car glass
Almost every car glass contains information about the year of its production. You just need to be able to find it and interpret it correctly.
Typically, the information stamp is located in one of the lower corners of the car glass.
Consider the example shown in the figure on the left.
In this case, we are only interested in the lower part of the information stamp, namely the string "0...".
The number in the given line- this is the last digit of the year in which the car was produced. In this example, the number 0 indicates that the car was produced in 2010.
However, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that in practice the number 0 means both 2010 and 2000, 1990, etc. To determine the exact year, you need to have some information about a specific car model.
For example, take a look at the picture at the beginning of this article. On it you can see that the last digit of the year of manufacture of the car is 4. This photo was taken on a VAZ 2112 car, which was produced from 1999 to 2008. Obviously, the model year of the car is 2004.
Note that only a few cars have been produced unchanged for more than 10 years. For example, these include VAZ 2107 and Niva. In practice, however, it is usually not difficult to distinguish between a new car and a 10-year-old car. On an older car, rust usually appears, there are a large number of dents and other body defects.
One more Automotive Glass Stamp Secret... In addition to the year of glass production, it also contains the month of production, but it is a little more difficult to determine it. The month is encrypted in the number of dots next to the year number. Namely:
0 - January 2010.
... ... ... ... ... 0 - February 2010.
... ... ... ... 0 - March 2010.
... ... ... 0 - April 2010.
... ... 0 - May 2010.
... 0 - June 2010.
0. - July 2010.
0. ... - August 2010.
0. ... ... - September 2010.
0. ... ... ... - October 2010.
0. ... ... ... ... - November 2010.
0. ... ... ... ... ... - December 2010.
Note that the three dots to the left of the year number are April, and the three dots to the right of the year are September. Nothing complicated.
Using this diagram, you can easily determine that the first example of this article is about February 2004, and the second - about September 2010.
Using this method, you can find out the year of manufacture of almost any car.
However, I want to note some features to consider:
1. If one of the car windows has been replaced, then the year of manufacture will be different from the rest. Therefore, for greater accuracy, I recommend inspecting all glass in the vehicle.
2. Some cars produced at the beginning of the year have different glasses for different years. For example, a car manufactured in January 2014 may have some glasses from 2013. This is fine.
3. On some new cars, the glass shows not one, but the last two digits of the year of manufacture.
4. On some glasses, information stamps may be erased or even absent. In this case, the year of manufacture of the car cannot be determined.
The international standard ISO 3779, adopted in 1977, regulates the application of the number by which the vehicle is identified - the so-called VIN code. The ability to read VIN correctly will help you quickly determine the vehicle's release date. The skill will come in handy if you plan to buy a car on the secondary market: the code cannot be faked, not only the body is marked, but also the main parts of the power unit, components.
The VIN code consists of a certain combination of Arabic numerals, Latin letters, which cannot be altered. When creating, manufacturers use the calculation algorithm accepted by most countries. Therefore, using the number, it is easy to see through electronic services whether the car is on the wanted list.
When creating an identifier, it is forbidden to use the letters of the Latin alphabet Q, I, O: O can be confused (or altered) into the letter Q, and the letters I and O duplicate the numbers 0 and 1.
The number is entered either in the vehicle registration certificate or in the registration certificate. Sometimes both documents have a corresponding (same) paragraph. On the car itself, the VIN-code can be found on the chassis, integral parts of the body, plates (nameplates):
- instrument panel on the left (the code is visible through the windshield);
- front left pillar;
- cylinder block, block head;
- door sills;
- spars;
- engine compartment - number plate;
- under the driver's seat: the numbers are visible if the seat is moved.
Technical documents for the car indicate all the places where the identification number is stamped.
The American manufacturer uses for marking a part of the dashboard on the driver's side, the opening of the driver's door, where a special sticker with a number is installed.
Car release date via VIN
In the VIN code, manufacturers are not required to indicate the place of assembly of the vehicle, but the date of production is required. Companies indicate not the year of car production, which coincides with the calendar year, but the model year. It starts on July 1 and lasts up to 18 months if the car is not in production.
The following corporations indicate the model date:
- Toyota;
- Mazda;
- Nissan;
- Honda;
- Mercedes-Benz;
American manufacturers, arranging the premiere of a new model, put the date of the series on sale, that is, the next one.
You can quickly find out the year of release of a car by VIN by learning the rules for reading the number. The exit is indicated at 10th, for some American brands at 11th position, a month at the eleventh, for "Americans" at 12th position.
The number indicates the last digit of the year for cars produced from 1971 to 1979, then there are 20 Latin letters in order (except for those excluded) for cars produced from 1980 to 2000. Then the frequency is repeated. If the number 1 is in tenth place, then the car rolled off the assembly line either in 1971 or 2001. If the letter D is indicated, then in 1983 or in 2013.
The classification is based on common sense: a motorist can easily distinguish a car that is 5 years old from a model thirty-five years ago.
You can check the car online. There are enough services in the network that provide such a service. If you apply with an official request to the traffic police website, the VIN code will determine when the car was made, specify the number of owners, the status of the car, etc.
Find out the exit of the machine from the conveyor by the branding of the components
You can quickly find out the release period of a car using the component labeling. However, this is a bad way to check if you need to buy a car from hand: all removable parts, including the windshield, can be replaced with new ones.
Windshield
Windshield manufacturers always mark the part according to international standards. When stamping glass, any form of applying the number can be used, but the principle always remains: the year is marked with a number from 0 to 9 and the month with a letter or the exact number of dots or asterisks. In the combination of the sign, the symbols are used in any order (depending on the manufacturer's certificate).
It is easy to determine the year of manufacture of the windshield: first the year is put in the marking, then three (less often more) letters. The first letter corresponds to the month of issue.
Fiat has assigned the second letter of the English alphabet for the first month, shifting the reading order of the brand by one position.
To make sure that the month of production of the car corresponds to the stamp on the windshield, it is necessary to check all the VIN codes on the body.
Safety belt
This is the second element by which you can check the date of manufacture of the car, provided that the stamp, which some manufacturers put with stamped paint, has not been erased.
The manufacturer's label is attached to the lower part of the belt, where the production date is put. The lower, less often the upper clamps should also be marked. The calendar production date is stamped on the parts.
Using the belt check as a VIN identifier, it is necessary to take into account that when assembling according to a broken cycle, when components are brought to the conveyor from different companies, the date of manufacture of the belt may not coincide with the final year of production of the car.
Shock absorbers
A lot will tell you about the auto check of the struts of the shock absorbers of the trunk and hood, but only if the car was assembled in Europe after 1997. The racks are engraved with two numbers separated by a fraction. The first one denotes the week from 1 to 52, the second number is the last digits of the year.
The second standard for marking the racks is usually to designate the day from 1 to 365, the second number after the fraction is the year when the part was made. Rack marking differs from the VIN code, so many do not pay attention to these two numbers. Knowing such nuances, it is easy to break through the time when the car came off the assembly line.
You can find out the year of production of Japanese cars online. Correct determination of the date of production of Japanese cars will allow you to determine the duty on the import of cars into the Russian Federation.
Companies such as Toyota provide their technical databases to directly determine the release period, as the company provides two-standard labeling. The body number can be stamped on the car as EXZ10 - 0021028, and in the vehicle it is indicated as EXZ100021028.
If you know the rules for reading the VIN-code, then you can immediately determine when the car got into the series. It is important to check if the number matches the rest of the marking characters.
Question - " how to find out the exact release date of a car»Arises not only in ordinary buyers choosing a vehicle for themselves. This question is quite widespread and worries dealers to a greater extent.
The fact is that the manufacturer does not always indicate the exact date in the accompanying documents. There are cases that in the accompanying documents the manufacturer noted only the month of release of the vehicle. And he kept silent about the year.
Solution to this problem
The first step to finding out the release date of a car is to search for a car in the database by its identification number. But do not forget that even this kind of procedure may not provide the desired information. The fact is that often, through this method, a person will sooner find out the release date of a particular car model, but not the release date of a particular vehicle.
Date of issue of cars produced abroad
As for cars produced abroad, things are much better here. In order to find out the year of production of a foreign car, its owner or buyer, just go to customs... Indeed, in the customs office, this information is stored for many years.
But if the above methods still did not help you, there is one more way out.
Carry out technical expertise for the vehicle
But do not forget that this procedure is recommended to be carried out in institutions that have all the necessary licenses.
Many car owners who sell a used car on the market want to hide the actual release date. And if you decide to buy such a car, then you should know that the release date of the car can be determined by the VIN code, which is indicated on the car itself. And if it is not possible to establish the release dates by the body number, then it would be reasonable to seek information from the customs authorities.
A vehicle identification number (VIN code) is assigned to any vehicle in accordance with generally accepted international standards.
It is by him that you can determine in what year a car of a particular model was released. And this is despite the fact that the body number does not have specific information about the date of production of the car.
It should be borne in mind that the international standards approved for the VIN code are only indicative, and the positions of this number plate can be determined independently by each manufacturer. The VIN plate is usually located under the bonnet. And if it is not there, then the VIN number plate can be viewed on the frame in front or on the cross member under the bumper. Some manufacturers put the VIN number under the hood, and it is located along the top edge of the "TV".
The tenth position in the body number - indicates the year of manufacture of the vehicle.
For example, if the vehicle rolled off the assembly line in 1980 or 2010, then the letter A will be in the tenth position. Cars manufactured in 1987 are designated by the letter H, and in 1998 by the letter J. 1992 in the VIN is designated by the letter N, 1993 year - P, 1994 - R. A 1997 car in the VIN number is indicated by the letter V. In the period from 2001 to 2009, the year of production of the car was indicated by numbers. So, in a 2001 car, the tenth position of the VIN code corresponds to number 1, and in a 2009 car - to number 9. Since 2010, Latin letters have again been used, except for the letters O, Y, Q, Z.
But if there are any doubts about the correct determination of the year of manufacture of the car, then it is advisable to use the help of one of the resources that help to decipher the VIN number. There are enough such resources on the World Wide Web today.
But it should be said that you should not unquestioningly trust only the number of the car body, since there is no clear information about the release of the car in it. After carefully checking the VIN number, pay attention to the documents that the car has. In them, among other things, there is information about the year of manufacture of the car. Reliable data about the year of manufacture of the car can be on the electrical cable and various wires located under the hood. In addition, if you look closely at the windshield, the last two digits indicate the year of its manufacture, which should be the same as the year of manufacture. But this is only relevant if the glass has not changed.
Also, keep in mind that the automotive model year begins on July 1st.
And therefore the year of production of some model will not correspond to the year of production of the car and the calendar year. The information that is reflected in the VIN number is approximate, since it cannot determine the specific date of manufacture of the car.
