VIN Model Year Codes: 10th Digit Chart

How to tell 1990 from 2020: the position-7 rule

Only 30 characters can be year codes, so every code is used twice, 30 years apart. The tiebreaker is position 7. Since the 2010 model year, cars, SUVs and light trucks must have a letter there; older ones usually have a number. The federal rule spells it out:

“If position 7 is numeric, the Model Year in position 10 of the VIN refers to a year in the range 1980-2009. If position 7 is alphabetic, the Model Year in Position 10 of the VIN refers to a year in the range 2010-2039.”49 CFR 565.15(d), Note to Table VII

The rule covers passenger cars, and SUVs, vans and trucks up to 10,000 lb gross vehicle weight rating. A number in position 7 is a sure sign of the older cycle. A letter is reliable for anything built under the current rule. Some pre-2010 makers also used letters in that spot, though, so if a decode gives a year that is plainly 30 years off, go with the title.

Worked examples

A recent car. In 1HGCR2F3XHA000000 the 10th character is H, which means 1987 or 2017. Position 7 is F, a letter, so the model year is 2017. Our VIN decoder confirms it as a 2017 Honda Accord.

An older car. If a VIN has a 5 in position 7 and a T in position 10, the number in position 7 puts it in the first cycle, so it's a 1996 model. On a newer car, T in position 10 with a letter in position 7 would mean 2026.

Codes you'll see on the newest cars: R is 2024, S is 2025, T is 2026, V is 2027 and W is 2028. The letter U is skipped, so a 2027 model jumps from T to V.

Model year vs. build date

The code gives the model year, which is a label, not the date the car was made. Federal rules define the model year as the year a manufacturer uses to designate a model, whatever calendar year it was actually produced in, provided the production period doesn't exceed 24 months. That's why a 2027 model can go on sale in the spring of 2026.

The build month and year are printed on the certification label in the driver's door opening; our guide to where the VIN is shows where. The difference matters for recalls, which often cover a range of build dates within one model year. That's why a VIN recall check is more precise than a year, make and model search.

Vehicles the chart can't settle on its own

• Before 1981. The 17-character format became mandatory for the 1981 model year. Older vehicles have shorter, maker-specific numbers, so this chart doesn't apply to them.
• Heavy trucks, buses, trailers and motorcycles. The position-7 rule doesn't cover them. The 10th character is still the model year, but you need the title or registration to know which cycle.
• Vehicles built for other markets. Some countries don't require the model-year character, so an imported vehicle may not follow this chart.

For everything else in the VIN, including the maker code, check digit and plant, see how to read a VIN.