Position 7 is a digit
- Input
- 1HGCM82633A004352
- Expected output
- 2003
Code 3 means 2003 or 2033, and the 2 in position 7 points to the 1980-2009 cycle.
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model year from VIN
The tool reads the 10th character, shows the years it can stand for and applies the position 7 rule when the VIN is American. If doubt remains, you pick the year with a tap.
Code 3 means 2003 or 2033, and the 2 in position 7 points to the 1980-2009 cycle.
K means 1989 or 2019 and the 9 in position 7 picks 1989.
T means 1996 or 2026 and the letter A in position 7 picks 2026 (a sample VIN built only for the test).
The first symbol in the table.
The digits 1 to 9 cover 2001 to 2009 and 2031 to 2039.
They are never used as a model year code.
The 17 characters split into six parts: WMI (positions 1 to 3, manufacturer and country), VDS (4 to 8, vehicle description), check digit (9), model year (10), plant (11) and serial number (12 to 17). The tool's table shows each position in its own color. The letters I, O and Q do not exist in a VIN so they cannot be confused with 1, 0 and 0.
Because the code has 30 symbols. They started being used in 1980, and the US rule of 2008 kept the system in place for at least another 30 years, through 2039.
Not always. It is the model year, which the manufacturer defines. In Brazil CONTRAN Resolution 968/2022 limits the model year to the year of manufacture, the one before or the one after, so the difference is at most one year.
In the US it would be, since those symbols are not year codes. Outside North America it is common, because position 10 is not mandatory as a year. The tool warns and lets the rest of the decoding go on.
| Section | Positions | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| WMI | 1-3 | 1HG | Identifies the manufacturer and the country of origin (WMI). |
| VDS | 4-8 | CM826 | Describes model, body, engine and restraints. The code is each manufacturer's own, so it can only be decoded with their table (NHTSA publishes the US ones). |
| Check digit | 9 | 3 | Control digit computed over the other 16 characters (ISO 3779). |
| Model year | 10 | 3 | Position 7 is a number: under the NHTSA rule (49 CFR 565.15) the code means 1980 to 2009. |
| Plant | 11 | A | Code of the factory where the vehicle was assembled, set by each manufacturer. |
| Serial | 12-17 | 004352 | The vehicle's production serial number. |
The decoding above runs in your browser, without contacting any server.
Optional. Sends this VIN to NHTSA's public database (US government) and shows make, model, engine, plant, safety equipment and recall campaigns. Works best with vehicles sold in the US.
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