VIN year codes: position 10 decoded

VIN model year codes, 1981–2026

Position 10 of a 17-character VIN encodes the model year. The code runs on a 30-year cycle: letters A–Y excluding I, O, Q, U and Z, then digits 1–9. The digit 0 is never used, and neither are the excluded letters, they're too easily confused with 1 and 0.

Why position 7 matters

Because the cycle repeats every 30 years, the letter "A" means both 1980 and 2010, "B" means 1981 and 2011, and so on. Manufacturers resolve the ambiguity with position 7: it holds a numeric character on vehicles from 1980 to 2009 and an alphabetic character on vehicles from 2010 onwards. Check position 10 first, then position 7 to place it in the right cycle.

Model year is not build year

The code identifies the model year, which is a marketing designation rather than a manufacturing date. Production of a given model year typically begins partway through the previous calendar year, so a car with a model year code for 2024 may well have rolled off the line in mid-2023. If you need the actual build date, look at the sticker in the driver's door jamb, it carries the month and year of manufacture.