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 HA9; add the serial after the hyphen to find the year.

HA9 · EBD-HA9 · Honda
Built	Chassis numbers
2015	HA9-1241534 to 1243210HA9-1300006 to 1310167HA9-3601169 to 3601219HA9-3700165 to 3700171HA9-3800115 to 3800121HA9-3900001 to 3900339HA9-4000001 to 4000050HA9-4100001 to 4100035
2016	HA9-1310168 to 1319518HA9-3900340 to 3900634HA9-4000051 to 4000092HA9-4100036 to 4100071
2017	HA9-1319519 to 1334743HA9-1400001 to 1400001HA9-3900635 to 3901018HA9-4000093 to 4000158HA9-4100072 to 4100103
2018	HA9-1334744 to 1335421HA9-1400002 to 1410135HA9-4200001 to 4200331HA9-4300001 to 4300048HA9-4400001 to 4400037
2019	HA9-1410136 to 1416545HA9-1500001 to 1506278HA9-4200332 to 4200494HA9-4300049 to 4300070HA9-4400038 to 4400049HA9-4500001 to 4500162HA9-4600001 to 4600043HA9-4700001 to 4700019
2020	HA9-1506279 to 1521848HA9-4500163 to 4500605HA9-4600044 to 4600134HA9-4700020 to 4700047
2021	HA9-1521849 to 1530173HA9-4500606 to 4500720HA9-4600135 to 4600144

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.