How do I find the year my Japanese import was built?

Japanese-market cars have a chassis (frame) number such as AGH30-0250000 instead of a 17-character VIN. Japan's carmakers publish, through their association JAMA, the chassis number ranges each model was built with every year from 2015. Enter the number above and we find the range it falls in.

Is the build year the same as the year on the V5C?

Not always. The year on a UK record for an import can come from its first registration in Japan, so a car built late in one year can show the next year. A V5C year earlier than the build year is a reason to check the chassis number on the car.

Why can't you date a car built before 2015?

JAMA's lists start with cars built in 2015. For older cars the export certificate gives the first registration date in Japan, and the model guide gives the years the model was built.

A serial inside a listed range gives the year straight from the list. A serial in a gap between two ranges gives the likely year or years, and we say so. JAMA describes the lists as reference information, not a certificate.

What year was my Japanese car built?

Japan’s carmakers publish the chassis number ranges every model was built with each year. Enter a chassis (frame) number, such as AGH30-0250000, to see which year’s range it falls in.

That’s a chassis code without its serial. Here are the ranges JAMA lists for DJLFS; add the serial after the hyphen to find the year.

DJLFS · 3BA-DJLFS, 5BA-DJLFS, 6BA-DJLFS, CBA-DJLFS · Mazda
Built	Chassis numbers
2015	DJLFS-100005 to 100090
2016	DJLFS-100091 to 100367DJLFS-300001 to 300056
2017	DJLFS-300057 to 300288DJLFS-500001 to 500023
2018	DJLFS-500024 to 500186DJLFS-600004 to 611617
2019	DJLFS-500187 to 500232DJLFS-611618 to 629576DJLFS-700007 to 708136DJLFS-708138 to 708465DJLFS-708467 to 708492DJLFS-708494 to 708494DJLFS-708496 to 708496DJLFS-708498 to 708499
2020	DJLFS-708137 to 708137DJLFS-708466 to 708466DJLFS-708493 to 708493DJLFS-708495 to 708495DJLFS-708497 to 708497DJLFS-708500 to 713266DJLFS-713268 to 718538DJLFS-718540 to 729753DJLFS-729755 to 729779DJLFS-729781 to 729781
2021	DJLFS-729754 to 729754DJLFS-729780 to 729780DJLFS-729782 to 739571DJLFS-750005 to 758307DJLFS-758309 to 758540
2022	DJLFS-739572 to 739653DJLFS-758308 to 758308DJLFS-758541 to 776747DJLFS-776749 to 776939DJLFS-776941 to 776941
2023	DJLFS-776748 to 776748DJLFS-776940 to 776940DJLFS-776942 to 779190DJLFS-800004 to 810116DJLFS-810118 to 810206DJLFS-850002 to 850786DJLFS-850788 to 850892DJLFS-850894 to 850919
2024	DJLFS-810117 to 810117DJLFS-810207 to 814259DJLFS-850787 to 850787DJLFS-850893 to 850893DJLFS-850920 to 863002DJLFS-863004 to 863156DJLFS-863158 to 863167
2025	DJLFS-814260 to 819448DJLFS-863003 to 863003DJLFS-863157 to 863157DJLFS-863168 to 877184DJLFS-877186 to 877270DJLFS-877272 to 877276

From the JAMA chassis number lists: 車台番号一覧表. We keep only the chassis code, serial ranges and year. JAMA calls them reference information, not a certificate.

To compare it with the car’s UK records, run a free check with its registration: we flag a UK year that comes before the build year. The chassis decoder shows what else the number says.

What the lists cover

Cars built in Japan from 2015 to 2025 by Toyota and Lexus, Nissan, Honda, Mazda, Subaru, Suzuki, Daihatsu and Mitsubishi: 1,182 chassis codes, including cars built for another brand, such as the Toyota 86 that Subaru builds. Lorries and motorcycles are left out. Cars built before 2015, and cars built outside Japan, aren’t in the lists.

Source: the JAMA chassis number lists: 車台番号一覧表, 2015 to 2025, published by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association for garages and inspection stations. We keep only the chassis code, serial ranges and year, and update them each year when the new list comes out.

Model guides with build years by chassis number

Questions

How do I find the year my Japanese import was built?: Japanese-market cars have a chassis (frame) number such as AGH30-0250000 instead of a 17-character VIN. Japan's carmakers publish, through their association JAMA, the chassis number ranges each model was built with every year from 2015. Enter the number above and we find the range it falls in.
Is the build year the same as the year on the V5C?: Not always. The year on a UK record for an import can come from its first registration in Japan, so a car built late in one year can show the next year. A V5C year earlier than the build year is a reason to check the chassis number on the car.
Why can't you date a car built before 2015?: JAMA's lists start with cars built in 2015. For older cars the export certificate gives the first registration date in Japan, and the model guide gives the years the model was built.
How accurate is it?: A serial inside a listed range gives the year straight from the list. A serial in a gap between two ranges gives the likely year or years, and we say so. JAMA describes the lists as reference information, not a certificate.