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 JF3; add the serial after the hyphen to find the year.

JF3 · 6BA-JF3, DBA-JF3 · Honda
Built	Chassis numbers
2017	JF3-1000001 to 1065372JF3-2000001 to 2023031
2018	JF3-1065373 to 1201809JF3-2023032 to 2077918JF3-3000001 to 3000036JF3-4000001 to 4000056JF3-8000001 to 8003201JF3-8100001 to 8100375
2019	JF3-1201810 to 1321745JF3-1400001 to 1438333JF3-2077919 to 2119464JF3-2200001 to 2213715JF3-3000037 to 3000070JF3-4000057 to 4000082JF3-8003202 to 8005528JF3-8100376 to 8100672JF3-8200001 to 8200740JF3-8300001 to 8300080
2020	JF3-1438334 to 1550503JF3-2213716 to 2251349JF3-2300001 to 2303935JF3-5000001 to 5009322JF3-8200741 to 8203300JF3-8300081 to 8300328JF3-8400001 to 8400223JF3-8500001 to 8500009
2021	JF3-2303936 to 2349680JF3-5009323 to 5122871JF3-8400224 to 8402810JF3-8500010 to 8500269
2022	JF3-2346036 to 2346167JF3-2346915 to 2346918JF3-2349465 to 2349465JF3-2349468 to 2349471JF3-2349473 to 2349477JF3-2349479 to 2349479JF3-2349483 to 2349487JF3-2349489 to 2349496JF3-2349498 to 2349515JF3-2349518 to 2349587JF3-2349681 to 2402605JF3-5112389 to 5112715JF3-5115644 to 5115644JF3-5117184 to 5117184JF3-5117398 to 5117398JF3-5122577 to 5122822JF3-5122872 to 5247447JF3-5247449 to 5248942JF3-5248944 to 5248944JF3-5248953 to 5248955JF3-5248958 to 5248959JF3-5248961 to 5248961JF3-5248966 to 5248969JF3-5248972 to 5248974JF3-8402811 to 8405097JF3-8500270 to 8500583
2023	JF3-2402606 to 2443665JF3-5247448 to 5247448JF3-5248943 to 5248943JF3-5248945 to 5248952JF3-5248956 to 5248957JF3-5248960 to 5248960JF3-5248962 to 5248965JF3-5248970 to 5248971JF3-5248975 to 5351420JF3-8405098 to 8406680JF3-8500584 to 8500722

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.