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

SKE · 5AA-SKE · Subaru
Built	Chassis numbers
2018	SKE-002027 to 010378SKE-010380 to 010420SKE-010422 to 010423SKE-010425 to 010438SKE-010441 to 010441SKE-010443 to 010443
2019	SKE-010379 to 010379SKE-010421 to 010421SKE-010424 to 010424SKE-010439 to 010440SKE-010442 to 010442SKE-010444 to 020081SKE-027003 to 035400SKE-035402 to 035479
2020	SKE-035401 to 035401SKE-035480 to 043581SKE-047004 to 051821SKE-051823 to 051827
2021	SKE-051822 to 051822SKE-051828 to 056015SKE-056155 to 058281SKE-070006 to 074263SKE-074265 to 075668SKE-075670 to 075672
2022	SKE-074264 to 074264SKE-075669 to 075669SKE-075673 to 077771SKE-078841 to 089019SKE-100002 to 105957SKE-105959 to 105978SKE-105980 to 105983SKE-105985 to 105990SKE-105992 to 105992
2023	SKE-105958 to 105958SKE-105979 to 105979SKE-105984 to 105984SKE-105991 to 105991SKE-105993 to 113137SKE-150002 to 153675
2024	SKE-153676 to 166034
2025	SKE-166035 to 171395

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.