The 10th character of a VIN encodes the model year of the vehicle. It falls in the Model year block of the 17-character VIN. Below is exactly what it means, with a real sample VIN highlighting the 10th position.
Here it is H, which decodes to model year 2017.
The 10th character is the model-year code. A single letter or digit maps to a year: N = 2022, P = 2023, R = 2024, S = 2025, and so on. The letters I, O, Q, U, Z and the digit 0 are skipped.
The codes repeat on a 30-year cycle, so a given code marks two years 30 years apart; the rest of the VIN and the vehicle's context disambiguate which era it belongs to.
Decode a full VIN → · See all 17 positions →
← 9th character · 11th character →
It encodes the model year of the vehicle. In the sample 1N6AA1EF7H9431296 the 10th character is H.
The model-year code. For example N = 2022, P = 2023, R = 2024, S = 2025.
Position 10 — the tenth character. Count nine in from the left and the next character is the model year.
Yes, on a 30-year cycle, so each code applies to two years 30 years apart; other characters and context tell them apart.