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 JF1; add the serial after the hyphen to find the year.

JF1 · DBA-JF1 · Honda
Built	Chassis numbers
2015	JF1-1533071 to 1537595JF1-1600004 to 1673146JF1-1800001 to 1818879JF1-2235830 to 2237066JF1-2400004 to 2424543JF1-2500001 to 2505773JF1-3203773 to 3203815JF1-3400001 to 3400834JF1-3500001 to 3500088JF1-4202621 to 4202684JF1-4400001 to 4400787JF1-4500001 to 4500073JF1-5200137 to 5200141JF1-5400001 to 5400071JF1-5500001 to 5500013JF1-6200699 to 6200724JF1-6400001 to 6400424JF1-6500001 to 6500055JF1-7003670 to 7014316JF1-7100001 to 7100450JF1-8400118 to 8400126JF1-8504306 to 8504452JF1-8600002 to 8600073JF1-8700001 to 8702567JF1-8800001 to 8800008JF1-8900001 to 8900374JF1-9001395 to 9006328JF1-9100001 to 9100095
2016	JF1-1818880 to 1921081JF1-2505774 to 2539115JF1-3500089 to 3500928JF1-4500074 to 4500918JF1-5500014 to 5500111JF1-6500056 to 6500648JF1-7100451 to 7103331JF1-7200001 to 7201420JF1-8800009 to 8800061JF1-8900375 to 8903526JF1-9100096 to 9101496JF1-9200001 to 9200674
2017	JF1-1921082 to 1994850JF1-2539116 to 2559623JF1-3500929 to 3501316JF1-4500919 to 4501183JF1-5500112 to 5500132JF1-6500649 to 6500779JF1-7201421 to 7204786JF1-7300001 to 7300011JF1-8800062 to 8800088JF1-8903527 to 8906454JF1-9200675 to 9202051JF1-9300001 to 9300007
2018	JF1-7300012 to 7303547JF1-9300008 to 9301262
2019	JF1-7303548 to 7307240JF1-9301263 to 9302405

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.