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 JJ2; add the serial after the hyphen to find the year.

JJ2 · 5BD-JJ2, HBD-JJ2 · Honda
Built	Chassis numbers
2018	JJ2-1000001 to 1000519JJ2-2000001 to 2000453JJ2-3000001 to 3006341JJ2-4000001 to 4001376
2019	JJ2-1000520 to 1001394JJ2-2000454 to 2001212JJ2-3006342 to 3015237JJ2-4001377 to 4005204
2020	JJ2-1001395 to 1001769JJ2-2001213 to 2001545JJ2-3015238 to 3021078JJ2-3100001 to 3100004JJ2-4005205 to 4007555JJ2-4100001 to 4100003
2021	JJ2-1001770 to 1001783JJ2-2001546 to 2001555JJ2-3021079 to 3021424JJ2-3100005 to 3102570JJ2-4007556 to 4007699JJ2-4100004 to 4101709JJ2-5000001 to 5002151JJ2-6000001 to 6000819
2022	JJ2-3102571 to 3103844JJ2-4101710 to 4103037JJ2-5002133 to 5002133JJ2-5002138 to 5002139JJ2-5002142 to 5002145JJ2-5002147 to 5002147JJ2-5002149 to 5002150JJ2-5002152 to 5007618JJ2-5007621 to 5007627JJ2-5007629 to 5007634JJ2-5007636 to 5007637JJ2-6000820 to 6002532JJ2-6002534 to 6002535
2023	JJ2-3103845 to 3104247JJ2-4103038 to 4103534JJ2-5007619 to 5007620JJ2-5007628 to 5007628JJ2-5007635 to 5007635JJ2-5007638 to 5012513JJ2-5012515 to 5012519JJ2-5012524 to 5012524JJ2-5012526 to 5012544JJ2-6002533 to 6002533JJ2-6002536 to 6004929
2024	JJ2-5012514 to 5012514JJ2-5012520 to 5012523JJ2-5012525 to 5012525JJ2-5012545 to 5014045JJ2-5100001 to 5104034JJ2-6004930 to 6005404JJ2-6100001 to 6101679JJ2-6101681 to 6101681
2025	JJ2-5104035 to 5108910JJ2-5108912 to 5108923JJ2-5108926 to 5108928JJ2-5200001 to 5200004JJ2-6101680 to 6101680JJ2-6101682 to 6103776JJ2-6103778 to 6103868JJ2-6200001 to 6200005

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.