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 JJ1; add the serial after the hyphen to find the year.

JJ1 · 5BD-JJ1, HBD-JJ1 · Honda
Built	Chassis numbers
2018	JJ1-1000001 to 1001611JJ1-2000001 to 2001087JJ1-3000001 to 3015427JJ1-4000001 to 4002535
2019	JJ1-1001612 to 1003478JJ1-2001088 to 2002127JJ1-3015428 to 3036751JJ1-4002536 to 4008608
2020	JJ1-1003479 to 1004391JJ1-2002128 to 2002737JJ1-3036752 to 3052500JJ1-3100001 to 3100002JJ1-4008609 to 4013152JJ1-4100001 to 4100001
2021	JJ1-1004392 to 1004407JJ1-2002738 to 2002747JJ1-3052501 to 3053526JJ1-3100003 to 3107734JJ1-4013153 to 4013466JJ1-4100002 to 4103196JJ1-5000001 to 5004780JJ1-6000001 to 6001451
2022	JJ1-3107735 to 3111533JJ1-4103197 to 4106107JJ1-5004781 to 5019511JJ1-5019513 to 5019516JJ1-5019518 to 5019518JJ1-5019521 to 5019524JJ1-5019527 to 5019527JJ1-6001452 to 6005407
2023	JJ1-3111534 to 3112919JJ1-4106108 to 4107085JJ1-5019512 to 5019512JJ1-5019517 to 5019517JJ1-5019519 to 5019520JJ1-5019525 to 5019526JJ1-5019528 to 5034166JJ1-5034168 to 5034173JJ1-5034175 to 5034175JJ1-5034177 to 5034180JJ1-5034189 to 5034190JJ1-6005408 to 6010459JJ1-6010461 to 6010464
2024	JJ1-5034167 to 5034167JJ1-5034174 to 5034174JJ1-5034176 to 5034176JJ1-5034181 to 5034188JJ1-5034191 to 5036871JJ1-5100001 to 5112006JJ1-6010460 to 6010460JJ1-6010465 to 6011191JJ1-6100001 to 6103428
2025	JJ1-5112007 to 5126411JJ1-5126426 to 5126426JJ1-5126428 to 5126428JJ1-5200001 to 5200006JJ1-6103429 to 6107806JJ1-6200001 to 6200003

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.