Determination of the release date of the car. VIN decoding section

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Before entering into a DKP (purchase and sale agreement) for a used car, it is important to find out the date of manufacture of the car. This procedure will help to identify fraudulent attempts on the part of the seller. vehicle and make a conclusion about the rationality of the intended acquisition. Today, Autocode will talk about the ways in which you can determine when a car was produced.

What the VIN tells you

Most vehicles have a VIN - a special identification code consisting of 17 characters (numbers and letters). It contains information about the manufacturer and release date of the car. Most often, the year of manufacture of the vehicle is located on the 10th position of the VIN code. It is important to know that in different periods the methods of marking the date of production of the vehicle changed.

Including:

• from 1980 to 2000 and, since 2010, the letters of the Latin alphabet from A to Y are used for this, with the exception of the letters I, O, Q, U and Z
• from 1971 to 1979 and from 2001 to 2009. the date of issue of the machines had a digital designation.

Please note that the VIN contains only the last digit in the year number. For example, the Latin A denotes cars of both 1980 and 2010, the number 4 - 1974 and 2004, etc.

Some automakers use their own labeling system. For example, in the United States on Ford vehicles the date of manufacture of the machine is located on the 11th and 12th positions of the VIN. It also includes the month of production. And vehicles from Japan don't have a VIN at all.

In addition, when checking a car, you need to know that most manufacturers indicate in the VIN code information about the so-called model year car release. It does not begin on January 1, but on July 1. Therefore, the VIN code data may not correspond to the calendar that is familiar to us.

From the foregoing, it is clear that it is not so easy to find out the year of manufacture of a car by VIN on your own. Therefore, it is better to use a proven Internet resource to check the vehicle.

How to find out the year of manufacture of a car online

A simple and reliable way to find out the year of manufacture by wine or state. car number - use the services of the Autocode service. Enter the VIN or number of the state registration plate of the car in a special search form. Within a few minutes, the system will issue a report with information about the year of manufacture of the car and other useful information. In particular about:

• the number of vehicle owners;
• run;
• the presence of restrictions (pledge, arrest, etc.) and other data important for making a purchase decision.

The cost of a detailed report is 349 rubles.

How to find out the year of manufacture of the machine by marking components

Various parts and mechanisms of the car also carry information about the date of production. Let's see how to get this information.

Glass

You can find out the month and year of manufacture of the car by the stamps on the windows. Auto glass manufacturers use different ways branding. The year of manufacture is indicated by one digit, which corresponds to the last digit of the calendar year (similar to VIN). Thus, the number "6" can mean 1996, 2006, and 2016. Next, you need to be guided by logic. For example, if you know that this model The vehicle was produced from 1998 to 2010. - respectively, the number "6" will mean 2006 release.

The month is indicated by Latin letters (from A to M in alphabetical order) or combinations of dots and (or) slashes.

To illustrate, here are a few examples:

• ….6 or 6…. - April 1996, 2006 or 2016;
• 9 ABC or ABC 9 - January 1989, 1999 or 2009 (only the first letter of three counts).

There are exceptions to the rules. For example, on the windows of Fiat cars, January is denoted by the letter "B". Accordingly, the notation system is shifted by one position, and December is already branded not with “M”, but with “N”.

When determining the date of manufacture of a car, it is important to check all the windows. If you find that the markings of individual elements do not match, ask the seller if the vehicle has been in an accident that caused the replacement of one or more glasses.

The production date of the machine is stamped on a label affixed to the bottom of each seat belt. Belt clips have a similar branding. The designations are simple: day, month and year of issue. Therefore, it will be easy to understand them.

Shock absorbers on the hood and trunk

Since the mid-90s of the 20th century, on cars from Europe, these nodes have also been marked, by which it is easy to determine when the car was produced. The year of issue is indicated in two ways:

• 25/98 (where the first digit is the serial number of the week from 1 to 52, and the second is the year);
• 318/95 (where the first digit is the serial number of the day from 1 to 365, and the second is the year).

Similar markings can be applied to the terminals battery as well as the muffler.

The discrepancy between the data on individual nodes and the date of production indicated in the technical passport of the vehicle is a good reason to think about the advisability of acquiring it. Often, buyers are faced with the fact that "native" parts, for one reason or another, have been replaced with new ones. It is impossible to know the exact date of manufacture of a car from them. Therefore, we still recommend using the All-Russian service for verification.

Based on international standards, each car is assigned a special VIN identification code. This abbreviation stands for Vehicle Identification Number (translated from English - vehicle identification number). The set of letters, numbers for the machine is unique. Based on these data, a number of characteristics of the vehicle are determined, including the year of production. The identification code is marked on the car itself, duplicated in the documents (registration certificate, technical passport). Each character of the code is an indicator of specific information.

Why define this data?

When buying a new car in the showroom, it is worth remembering that the year of purchase is not the year of manufacture of the vehicle, however, the values ​​differ minimally. Buying a used car is a riskier thing, the owner will not always provide reliable data on the age of the car. If a potential buyer is able to determine the exact year of production, and it will be different from the declared one, then there will be a good reason for bargaining. The year of issue is important when crossing the border of Russia, since the amount of customs duty depends on this indicator. For cars under 3 years old, it is significantly less than for older vehicles.

When insuring (both compulsory and additional) a car, great attention is paid to age, the amount of regular insurance payments depends on it. It is important to know exactly the year of manufacture of the car and when passing the technical inspection. The law provides that cars under 3 years old are exempt from mandatory technical inspection (the year of manufacture is taken into account, not the year of purchase). The insurance company does not require a diagnostic inspection card if the car left the assembly line less than three years ago. To accurately determine the year of manufacture of the vehicle, the VIN code is used.

Checking instructions

When inspecting a car, a potential buyer can ask for documents for the vehicle and see the VIN code. If this is not possible, then they are looking for a plate under the hood, bumper, on the transverse frame. VIN consists of an alphanumeric sequence (letters - Latin, numbers - Arabic). The symbols I, O, Q, U, Z are not used in the compilation of the code, since their spelling is similar to numbers. To determine the year in which the vehicle left the assembly line, you need:

1. Find the identification code (in the documents, on the plate).
2. Determine which character is in the 10th place of the code. This sign is an indicator of the year of manufacture.
3. Compare the found sign with a specific year.

Cars produced in 2001-2009 have a corresponding digital designation. For example, a car manufactured in 2001 has the number 1 in the tenth position of the code; for a car in 2002 - the number 2, etc. From 1980 to 2000, marking was based on the Latin alphabet, excluding characters similar to numbers. For example, if the car was manufactured in 1980, then the letter A is in the tenth place of the VIN code; for vehicles manufactured in 1981 - the letter B, etc. Starting from 2010, the alphabetical marking began to be repeated, so the letter A will also be on cars of 2010 release. It is difficult to determine the release date more precisely, there is no clear indication of the month in the code. It is customary to start the car year in July, so the calendar indicators do not fully correspond to the car year. The year of issue is also indicated on windshield if it hasn't been changed. Mercedes manufacturers duplicate the year of manufacture on the steering unit - under the rubber pad that covers the signal button. For many foreign-made cars, the release date is written on the fasteners of the seat belts.

Question - " how to find out the exact release date of a car” occurs not only in ordinary buyers choosing a vehicle for themselves. This question is quite common, and worries dealers to a greater extent.

The fact is that the manufacturer does not always indicate the exact date in the accompanying documents. There are times when in the accompanying documents the manufacturer noted only the month of release of the vehicle. And he kept silent about the year.

Solution to this problem

The first step to finding out the production date of a car is to look up the car in the database by its identification number. But do not forget that even this kind of procedure may not provide the desired information. The fact is that often through this method, a person is more likely to find out the release date of a certain car model, but not the release date of a specific vehicle.

Release date of cars produced abroad

As for cars produced abroad, things are much better here. In order to find out the year of manufacture of a foreign car, its owner or buyer, enough to go to customs. Indeed, in customs, this information is stored for many years.

But if the above methods still did not help you, there is one more way out.

Carry out a technical examination for the car

But do not forget that this procedure is recommended to be carried out in institutions that have all the necessary licenses.

As you know, the year of the car can be found according to the data in the TCP and the registration certificate. But few people know, it is also possible to recognize the year by related units and markings on car windows, seat belts, etc.

It is important to remember the main thing, sometimes at the factory itself they can install glasses from last year's batch and, accordingly, the year on the glasses will be, for example, 2010, and auto 2011 is normal. But if your car has a longer glass year, for example, 2014, and the car is 2013, then you should think about whether your car was in an accident.

The marking of the year on the glass is encrypted to some extent, and it is difficult for an ordinary car owner to parse this “cipher” and calculate the year of the car on the glass. In this article, we will take a closer look at how to find out the year and even the month of glass production. Thus, when inspecting a car for sale, no one will mislead you by trying to hide the real age of a used car from you.

Typically, automotive glass markings are located in one of the bottom corners. As an example, consider the factory stamp shown in the figure.

Now in order:
Number 1 - designation of the type of automotive glass.
Digit 2 is the code of the country that grants the approval.
Number 3 - compliance with UNECE requirements.
Number 4 - the year and month of glass production are indicated.
Number 5 - the sign of the manufacturer.

As you probably guessed, we will especially need to disassemble the lower part of this stamp (symbols indicated by the number 4). In this example, the number "14" represents the last two digits of the year of manufacture. That is, this car was produced in 2014. But, please note that not all manufacturers can indicate two digits in the release date. Some are limited to just one. For example, if on the glass that you are considering, instead of the number "14" there is one digit, for example "0", then it is the last, fourth digit of the year of manufacture. Therefore, this car was released either in 2000, or in 2010, and maybe even in 1990.

In this case, its model will help you determine the year of manufacture of the car on the windows. Let's say a manufacturer started producing a certain car model in 2005. Therefore, if we see the number “0” on the glass stamp, then this cannot in any way mean the year of manufacture of 2000, and, moreover, 1990. Most likely, this machine was produced in 2010. Or let's take another example - more specific. Let's assume that only one number is also indicated on the marking, for example, "4". The brand of this car is VAZ 2112. Even if you are not very versed in cars, then by searching for information on the Internet, you can find out that the VAZ 2112 was produced by a car factory from 1999 to 2008. Therefore, the number "4" can indicate only one version of the year of issue - 2004, and not 1994 or 2014, since in those years this car just not released! As you can see, everything is quite simple.

Of course, there are rare exceptions when a certain brand of car has been produced for more than 10 years. These machines include, for example, "Niva" from VAZ. In such cases, in order to find out the year of the car, it is necessary to pay attention not only to the markings on the windows, but also to the external condition, for example, the presence of corrosion, scratches, dents and other features of a used car. Be that as it may, I think many will be able to distinguish relatively new car from the one that was released over ten years ago.

Well, now let's try to deal with the month of manufacture of the car. Determining it is a little more difficult, but also quite real. Near the numbers indicating the year of issue, there is a certain number of dots (see figure). It is precisely on them that we will now learn to determine the month. The diagram below shows how this can be done:

14 (six dots, then a year) - the month of January
. . . . . 14 (five dots, then a year) - the month of February
. . . . 14 (four dots, then a year) - the month of March
. . . 14 (three dots, then a year) - the month of April
. . 14 (two dots, then a year) - the month of May
. 14 (one dot, then a year) - the month of June
fourteen . (first year, then one dot) - month of July
fourteen . . (first year, then two dots) - month of August
fourteen . . . (first year, then three dots) - the month of September
fourteen . . . . (first year, then four dots) - month of October
fourteen . . . . . (first year, then five dots) - month of November
fourteen . . . . . . (first year, then six dots) - the month of December.

As can be seen from this diagram, if the dots are located before the numbers, then this is the first half of the year, if after the numbers, then the second. Now, looking with knowledge of the above picture, we understand that this car was released in February 2014.

And finally, I would like to draw attention to some non-standard situations. It happens that a used car has previously had an accident, or for other reasons, one or two windows were once broken. And since the damaged glasses have been replaced, the markings on the glasses themselves may differ. In this case, it is recommended to pay attention not to one, but to all the windows of the car in order to have a complete picture of it.

If, for some reason, the stamp on the glass is missing or simply overwritten, then this method will no longer be able to determine the age of the car, you will have to do it in another accessible way.

The international standard ISO 3779, adopted in 1977, regulates the application of a number by which a car is identified - the so-called VIN code. The ability to read the VIN correctly will help you quickly determine the date of manufacture of the car. The skill will come in handy if you plan to buy a car for secondary market: the code cannot be faked, not only the body is marked, but also the main parts of the power unit, components.

The VIN code consists of a certain combination of Arabic numerals, Latin, which cannot be altered. When creating, manufacturers use the calculation algorithm adopted by most countries. Therefore, using the number, it is easy to see through electronic services whether the car is on the wanted list.

When creating an identifier, it is forbidden to use the letters of the Latin alphabet Q, I, O: O can be confused (or converted) into the letter Q, and the letters I and O duplicate the numbers 0 and 1.

The number is entered either in the vehicle registration certificate or in the registration certificate. Sometimes both documents have a corresponding (same) paragraph. On the car itself, the VIN code can be found on the chassis, one-piece body parts, plates (nameplates):

• instrument panel on the left (the code is visible through the windshield);
• front left pillar;
• cylinder block, block head;
• door sills;
• spars;
• engine compartment - a plate with a number;
• under the driver's seat: the numbers are visible when the seat is moved.

Technical documents for the car indicate all the places where the identification number is stamped.

The American manufacturer uses part for marking dashboard from the driver's side, the driver's door opening, where a special sticker with the number is installed.

Vehicle release date via VIN

In the VIN code, manufacturers are not required to indicate the place of assembly of the vehicle, but the production date is required. Companies do not indicate the year of production of the car, which coincides with the calendar, but the model year. It starts on July 1 and lasts up to 18 months if the car does not enter the series.

The following corporations indicate the model date:

• Toyota;
• Mazda;
• Nissan;
• Honda;
• Mercedes-Benz;

American manufacturers, arranging the premiere of a new model, set the date for the series to go on sale, that is, the next one.

You can quickly find out the year of manufacture of a car by VIN by learning the rules for reading the number. Exit is listed at the 10th position, for some American brands at the 11th position, for the month at the eleventh position, for the "Americans" at the 12th position.

The number indicates the last digit of the year for cars manufactured from 1971 to 1979, followed by 20 Latin letters in order (except for those excluded) for cars manufactured from 1980 to 2000. Then the frequency is repeated. If the number 1 is in the tenth place of the number, then the car left the assembly line either in 1971 or in 2001. If the letter D is indicated, then in 1983 or in 2013.

The classification is based on common sense: a motorist can easily distinguish a car that is 5 years old from a model that is thirty-five years old.

You can check your car online. There are enough services on the web that provide such a service. If you make an official request to the traffic police website, then the VIN code will determine when the car was manufactured, specify the number of owners, the status of the car, etc.

Find out the output of the machine from the conveyor by the brand of components

You can quickly find out the release period of a car using the marking of components. However, this bad way checks if you need to buy a car from your hands: all removable parts, including the windshield, can be replaced with new ones.

Windshield

Windshield manufacturers always mark the part according to international standards. When branding glass, any form of numbering can be used, but the principle always remains: the year is marked with a number from 0 to 9 and the month with a letter or an exact number of dots or asterisks. In a character combination, characters are used in any sequence (depending on the manufacturer's certificate).

Determining the year of manufacture of the windshield is simple: the year is first marked in the marking, then three (less often more) letters. The first letter corresponds to the month of issue.

The Fiat company assigned the second letter of the English alphabet for the first month for glass marking, shifting the order of reading the stamp by one position.

To make sure that the month of manufacture of the car matches the stamp on the windshield, you need to check all the VIN codes on the body.

Safety belt

This is the second element by which you can check the date of manufacture of the car, provided that the stamp, which some manufacturers put with stamped paint, has not been erased.

A manufacturer's label is attached to the bottom of the belt, where the production date is put. The lower, less often the upper latches should also be marked. The calendar date of production is stamped on the details.

Using belt verification as a VIN identifier, it should be taken into account that when assembling according to a broken cycle, when components are brought to the conveyor from different companies, the date of manufacture of the belt may not coincide with the final year of production of the car.

shock absorber struts

Checking the shock absorber struts of the trunk and hood will tell a lot about the car, but only if the car was assembled in Europe after 1997. On the racks, two numbers are stamped through a fraction. The first represents the week from 1 to 52, the second represents the last digits of the year.

The second standard for marking racks is usually designated as a day from 1 to 365, the second digit after the fraction is the year the part was made. The marking of the racks is different from the VIN code, so many do not pay attention to these two numbers. Knowing such nuances, it is easy to punch the time when the car left the assembly line.

You can find out the year of production of Japanese cars online. Correct release date Japanese cars will allow you to determine the duty on the import of cars into the Russian Federation.

Companies such as Toyota provide their technical databases to determine the period of production directly, since the company provides labeling according to two standards. The body number can be stamped on the car as EXZ10 - 0021028, and in the vehicle it is indicated as EXZ100021028.

If you know the rules for reading the VIN code, then you can immediately determine when the car entered the series. It is important to check if the number matches the rest of the marking characters.