BMW Model Year Lookup — Decode Model Year from VIN

The model year is encoded in position 10 of the 17-character VIN. The character cycles through letters (skipping I, O, Q, U, Z) and numbers. 'N' = 2022, 'P' = 2023, 'R' = 2024, 'S' = 2025, 'T' = 2026.

Not always. A vehicle produced in late 2022 may be sold as a 2023 model year. BMW model years typically begin in August/September of the prior calendar year.

Position 10 of a VIN (the 10th character) universally encodes the model year across all manufacturers including BMW. Each character represents a specific year in a repeating 30-year cycle.

Model year precedes registration in most cases. A 2023 model year BMW may have been registered in 2022 (if produced/delivered early) or 2023/2024 for demo/unsold stock.

The BMV.vin decoder automatically interprets position 10 and displays the model year as a four-digit number. You can also cross-reference: A=1980, B=1981...Y=2000, 1=2001...9=2009, A=2010...Y=2030.

Yes. BMW parts are often superseded or revised at model year transitions. Knowing your exact model year (and production date) ensures you order the correct part variant.

The VIN does not encode week of production — only year. Production month comes from BMW's factory records, retrievable via BMV.vin for most models.

The G20 3 Series had a production run from 2018 to 2025+. There are significant differences between pre-LCI and LCI (facelift) variants, separable by production date and model year.