VIN Model-Year Code Chart: 1980–2039
Use the 10th VIN character to identify a U.S. vehicle model year, distinguish the repeating 30-year cycles and understand the position-7 rule.
Read the notes and limitations before applying any single field to a title, purchase, or safety decision.
The 10th character of a federally standardized 17-character VIN represents model year. Codes repeat every 30 years: A can mean 1980 or 2010, while T can mean 1996 or 2026. For a passenger car, multipurpose passenger vehicle or light truck at 10,000 lb GVWR or less, a numeric 7th character points to 1980–2009 and an alphabetic 7th character points to 2010–2039.
Complete VIN year-code table
Read position 10 first, then use vehicle type, position 7 and manufacturer data to select the correct cycle. The letters I, O and Q are not valid VIN characters; U and Z are not used as model-year codes in this table.
| 10th character | 1980–2009 cycle | 2010–2039 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 |
Worked example: why D means 2013
5TDYK3DC8DS290235- Position 10 is D.
- D maps to 1983 or 2013.
- Position 7 is D, an alphabetic character.
- For this light passenger vehicle, the alphabetic position 7 selects the 2010–2039 cycle: model year 2013.
Model year is not necessarily build year
Federal rules define model year as the year a manufacturer assigns to a discrete vehicle model, regardless of the calendar year in which the vehicle was produced, provided the production period does not exceed 24 months. A 2026-model vehicle may therefore have been assembled during calendar year 2025.
Position 11 is a manufacturer-specific plant code, not a build-date code. Month and day of manufacture usually come from the certification label or manufacturer records, not the model-year character.
When position 7 does not resolve the year
- The federal position-7 cycle note is expressly written for passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles and trucks at 10,000 lb GVWR or less.
- For a motorcycle, heavy truck, bus, trailer, imported vehicle or unusual VIN, use the full manufacturer submission through NHTSA vPIC.
- A model-year code does not establish title history, ownership, accident history or roadworthiness.
- Vehicles outside the modern U.S. 17-character standard may follow a different identification system.
Primary sources behind this reference
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
Frequently asked questions
What VIN character shows the model year?
Position 10 shows the manufacturer-designated model year in a standardized 17-character VIN.
Why can one VIN year code mean two years?
The code sequence repeats on a 30-year cycle. Vehicle type, position 7 and full manufacturer decoding data provide the needed context.
What is the VIN year code for 2026?
T is the position-10 code for model year 2026.
Does the VIN show the exact manufacture date?
No. Position 10 gives model year, not the exact calendar build date. Check the vehicle certification label or manufacturer records for the build month or date.