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 GT3; add the serial after the hyphen to find the year.

GT3 · 3BA-GT3, 5BA-GT3, DBA-GT3 · Honda, Subaru
Built	Chassis numbers
2016	GT3-0002002 to 0002800GT3-0002803 to 0002816GT3-0002818 to 0002826
2017	GT3-0002001 to 0002001GT3-0002801 to 0002802GT3-0002817 to 0002817GT3-0002827 to 0006742GT3-0027002 to 0034157
2018	GT3-0034158 to 0044658GT3-0060008 to 0062658
2019	GT3-0062659 to 0071351GT3-0077001 to 0077704GT3-0077706 to 0077738GT3-0077740 to 0077753GT3-0077755 to 0077757GT3-0077759 to 0077766
2020	GT3-0077705 to 0077705GT3-0077739 to 0077739GT3-0077754 to 0077754GT3-0077758 to 0077758GT3-0077767 to 0084700GT3-0087002 to 0090583
2021	GT3-0090584 to 0095620
2022	GT3-0095621 to 0096108GT3-0096603 to 0096605GT3-0096926 to 0103114GT3-0103116 to 0103206GT3-0103208 to 0103217GT3-0103219 to 0103220
2023	GT3-0103115 to 0103115GT3-0103207 to 0103207GT3-0103218 to 0103218GT3-0103221 to 0103457
2024	GT3-1000001 to 1001747
2025	GT3-1001748 to 1002703GT3-1100001 to 1101200

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.