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 GB5; add the serial after the hyphen to find the year.

GB5 · 5BA-GB5, 6BA-GB5, DBA-GB5 · Honda
Built	Chassis numbers
2016	GB5-1000001 to 1014322GB5-5000001 to 5000185
2017	GB5-1014323 to 1065345GB5-5000186 to 5000883GB5-6000001 to 6000162
2018	GB5-1065346 to 1102285GB5-5000884 to 5001399GB5-6000163 to 6000872
2019	GB5-1102286 to 1131134GB5-3100001 to 3110472GB5-5001400 to 5001736GB5-6000873 to 6001305GB5-7100001 to 7100110GB5-8100001 to 8100002
2020	GB5-3110473 to 3147722GB5-7100111 to 7100580GB5-8100003 to 8100390
2021	GB5-3147675 to 3147675GB5-3147723 to 3180720GB5-7100581 to 7101012GB5-8100391 to 8100796
2022	GB5-3180721 to 3197853GB5-3200001 to 3218168GB5-7101013 to 7101194GB5-7200001 to 7200210GB5-8100797 to 8100953GB5-8200001 to 8200162
2023	GB5-3218169 to 3250681GB5-7200211 to 7200573GB5-8200163 to 8200388
2024	GB5-3250682 to 3255281GB5-7200574 to 7200710

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.