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 GP7; add the serial after the hyphen to find the year.

GP7 · 6AA-GP7, DAA-GP7, DBA-GP7 · Honda, Subaru
Built	Chassis numbers
2015	GP7-0087223 to 0103215GP7-0109001 to 0113959GP7-1000001 to 1028195GP7-5000001 to 5000064
2016	GP7-0113960 to 0126849GP7-0135002 to 0137381GP7-0137383 to 0137392GP7-1028196 to 1046566GP7-1100001 to 1112016GP7-5000065 to 5000101GP7-5100001 to 5100018
2017	GP7-0135001 to 0135001GP7-0137382 to 0137382GP7-0137393 to 0139250GP7-1112017 to 1121901GP7-1200001 to 1206700GP7-5100019 to 5100042GP7-5200001 to 5200010
2018	GP7-1206701 to 1218452GP7-2000001 to 2007894GP7-5200011 to 5200038GP7-8000001 to 8000032
2019	GP7-2007895 to 2012108GP7-2100001 to 2116484GP7-8000033 to 8000044GP7-8100001 to 8100035
2020	GP7-2116485 to 2123678GP7-2200001 to 2201715GP7-8100036 to 8100061GP7-8200001 to 8200006
2021	GP7-2201716 to 2210147GP7-8200007 to 8200027
2022	GP7-2210148 to 2218131GP7-8200028 to 8200038

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.