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 GT2; add the serial after the hyphen to find the year.

GT2 · 3BA-GT2, 5BA-GT2, DBA-GT2 · Honda, Subaru
Built	Chassis numbers
2016	GT2-0002004 to 0003185GT2-0003187 to 0003210GT2-0003212 to 0003244GT2-0003247 to 0003248GT2-0003250 to 0003250
2017	GT2-0002003 to 0002003GT2-0003186 to 0003186GT2-0003211 to 0003211GT2-0003245 to 0003246GT2-0003249 to 0003249GT2-0003251 to 0009502GT2-0030001 to 0032251
2018	GT2-0032252 to 0037514GT2-0045001 to 0046861GT2-0046863 to 0046865
2019	GT2-0046862 to 0046862GT2-0046866 to 0050664GT2-0055001 to 0055628GT2-0055630 to 0055630GT2-0055632 to 0055632GT2-0055634 to 0055635GT2-0055637 to 0055637
2020	GT2-0055629 to 0055629GT2-0055631 to 0055631GT2-0055633 to 0055633GT2-0055636 to 0055636GT2-0055638 to 0059013GT2-0060001 to 0061107
2021	GT2-0061108 to 0063669GT2-0063671 to 0063671
2022	GT2-0063670 to 0063670GT2-0063672 to 0063777GT2-0064102 to 0064103GT2-0064265 to 0066941
2023	GT2-0066942 to 0067333
2024	GT2-1000001 to 1005354GT2-5000001 to 5000237
2025	GT2-1005355 to 1007179GT2-1100001 to 1102120GT2-5000238 to 5000342GT2-5100001 to 5100126

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.