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 HA8; add the serial after the hyphen to find the year.

HA8 · EBD-HA8 · Honda
Built	Chassis numbers
2015	HA8-1214147 to 1214443HA8-1300004 to 1302531HA8-3600178 to 3600188HA8-3700211 to 3700218HA8-3800306 to 3800314HA8-3900001 to 3900070HA8-4000001 to 4000086HA8-4100001 to 4100114
2016	HA8-1302532 to 1305703HA8-3900071 to 3900130HA8-4000087 to 4000149HA8-4100115 to 4100192
2017	HA8-1305704 to 1310119HA8-3900131 to 3900199HA8-4000150 to 4000225HA8-4100193 to 4100312
2018	HA8-1310120 to 1310374HA8-1400001 to 1403365HA8-4200001 to 4200037HA8-4300001 to 4300056HA8-4400001 to 4400088
2019	HA8-1403366 to 1404931HA8-1500001 to 1501690HA8-4200038 to 4200064HA8-4300057 to 4300084HA8-4400089 to 4400123HA8-4500001 to 4500023HA8-4600001 to 4600039HA8-4700001 to 4700055
2020	HA8-1501691 to 1506073HA8-4500024 to 4500076HA8-4600040 to 4600118HA8-4700056 to 4700164
2021	HA8-1506074 to 1507751HA8-4500077 to 4500085HA8-4600119 to 4600133HA8-4700165 to 4700174

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.