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 JF4; add the serial after the hyphen to find the year.

JF4 · 6BA-JF4, DBA-JF4 · Honda
Built	Chassis numbers
2017	JF4-1000001 to 1010315JF4-2000001 to 2004542
2018	JF4-1010316 to 1032895JF4-2004543 to 2016388JF4-3000001 to 3000008JF4-4000001 to 4000034JF4-8000001 to 8000965JF4-8100001 to 8100193
2019	JF4-1032896 to 1052200JF4-1100001 to 1105809JF4-2016389 to 2024251JF4-2100001 to 2102425JF4-3000009 to 3000014JF4-4000035 to 4000052JF4-8000966 to 8001654JF4-8100194 to 8100325JF4-8200001 to 8200264JF4-8300001 to 8300045
2020	JF4-1105810 to 1122353JF4-1200001 to 1201301JF4-2102426 to 2108469JF4-2200001 to 2200609JF4-8200265 to 8200987JF4-8300046 to 8300155JF4-8400001 to 8400036JF4-8500001 to 8500003
2021	JF4-1201302 to 1219402JF4-2200610 to 2208623JF4-8400037 to 8400903JF4-8500004 to 8500143
2022	JF4-1218001 to 1218041JF4-1219348 to 1219356JF4-1219403 to 1239170JF4-2208022 to 2208055JF4-2208607 to 2208611JF4-2208624 to 2217399JF4-8400904 to 8401704JF4-8500144 to 8500287
2023	JF4-1239171 to 1256394JF4-2217400 to 2223927JF4-8401705 to 8402264JF4-8500288 to 8500365

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.