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 VN5; add the serial after the hyphen to find the year.

VN5 · 4BA-VN5 · Subaru
Built	Chassis numbers
2020	VN5-002043 to 010487VN5-010489 to 010594VN5-010596 to 010616VN5-010619 to 010620VN5-010622 to 010634VN5-010636 to 010639VN5-010641 to 010643VN5-010645 to 010649VN5-010651 to 010652VN5-010654 to 010654VN5-010659 to 010663VN5-010665 to 010665VN5-010668 to 010668VN5-010670 to 010671VN5-010673 to 010673VN5-010675 to 010675
2021	VN5-010488 to 010488VN5-010595 to 010595VN5-010617 to 010618VN5-010621 to 010621VN5-010635 to 010635VN5-010640 to 010640VN5-010644 to 010644VN5-010650 to 010650VN5-010653 to 010653VN5-010655 to 010658VN5-010664 to 010664VN5-010666 to 010667VN5-010669 to 010669VN5-010672 to 010672VN5-010674 to 010674VN5-010676 to 033732VN5-033734 to 033750
2022	VN5-033733 to 033733VN5-035004 to 035105VN5-035180 to 046716VN5-046719 to 046746VN5-046748 to 046748
2023	VN5-046717 to 046718VN5-046747 to 046747VN5-046749 to 048201VN5-050002 to 057490VN5-060047 to 065699VN5-065701 to 065866VN5-065868 to 065904VN5-065906 to 065937VN5-065939 to 065956VN5-065958 to 065968VN5-065971 to 065971VN5-065975 to 065975VN5-065977 to 065977VN5-065979 to 065979VN5-065985 to 065985
2024	VN5-065700 to 065700VN5-065867 to 065867VN5-065905 to 065905VN5-065938 to 065938VN5-065957 to 065957VN5-065969 to 065970VN5-065972 to 065974VN5-065976 to 065976VN5-065978 to 065978VN5-065980 to 065984VN5-065986 to 084854VN5-084856 to 084857VN5-084861 to 084861VN5-084863 to 084866VN5-084868 to 084873VN5-084876 to 084887
2025	VN5-084855 to 084855VN5-084858 to 084860VN5-084862 to 084862VN5-084867 to 084867VN5-084874 to 084875VN5-084888 to 085068VN5-102006 to 116108VN5-116110 to 116304VN5-116306 to 116310VN5-116312 to 116312

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.