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 JF2; add the serial after the hyphen to find the year.

JF2 · DBA-JF2 · Honda
Built	Chassis numbers
2015	JF2-1218059 to 1218733JF2-1400002 to 1411018JF2-1500001 to 1502154JF2-2206454 to 2206681JF2-2400002 to 2404565JF2-2500001 to 2500678JF2-3200820 to 3200851JF2-3400001 to 3400231JF2-3500001 to 3500034JF2-4200953 to 4200995JF2-4400001 to 4400398JF2-4500001 to 4500047JF2-7000526 to 7002563JF2-7100001 to 7100033JF2-8501503 to 8501554JF2-8600002 to 8600039JF2-8700001 to 8700952JF2-8800001 to 8800004JF2-8900001 to 8900142JF2-9000210 to 9001271JF2-9100001 to 9100026
2016	JF2-1502155 to 1518161JF2-2500679 to 2506720JF2-3500035 to 3500281JF2-4500048 to 4500414JF2-7100034 to 7100518JF2-7200001 to 7200239JF2-8800005 to 8800023JF2-8900143 to 8901169JF2-9100027 to 9100303JF2-9200001 to 9200122
2017	JF2-1518162 to 1528951JF2-2506721 to 2509906JF2-3500282 to 3500371JF2-4500415 to 4500539JF2-7200240 to 7200654JF2-7300001 to 7300006JF2-8800024 to 8800033JF2-8901170 to 8902170JF2-9200123 to 9200394JF2-9300001 to 9300007
2018	JF2-7300007 to 7300555JF2-9300008 to 9300265
2019	JF2-7300556 to 7301083JF2-9300266 to 9300509

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.