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Every vehicle produced since 1981 has a unique vehicle identification number, or VIN for short. A VIN contains data specific to the vehicle it is attached to including the year the vehicle was manufactured. The 10th digit of every VIN represents the year the vehicle was made. Here is a simple VIN year chart to help you decode the year your vehicle was manufactured in.
The letters I (i), O (o), Q (q), U (u) and Z (z), as well as the number zero, are never used on a VIN because they can be confused with other digits. You may have noticed that some digits repeat, this is because the 10th digit of the VIN is re-used every 30 years.
Match the 10th digit of your vehicle’s VIN to the VIN year table below to find out what year it was made. I hope you find this 10th digit VIN decoder chart useful. Learn more about your ATV VIN number.
| Code | Year | Code | Year | Code | Year | Code | Year | Code | Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A = | 1980 | L = | 1990 | Y = | 2000 | A = | 2010 | L = | 2020 | ||||
| B = | 1981 | M = | 1991 | 1 = | 2001 | B = | 2011 | M = | 2021 | ||||
| C = | 1982 | N = | 1992 | 2 = | 2002 | C = | 2012 | N = | 2022 | ||||
| D = | 1983 | P = | 1993 | 3 = | 2003 | D = | 2013 | P = | 2023 | ||||
| E = | 1984 | R = | 1994 | 4 = | 2004 | E = | 2014 | R = | 2024 | ||||
| F = | 1985 | S = | 1995 | 5 = | 2005 | F = | 2015 | S = | 2025 | ||||
| G = | 1986 | T = | 1996 | 6 = | 2006 | G = | 2016 | T = | 2026 | ||||
| H = | 1987 | V = | 1997 | 7 = | 2007 | H = | 2017 | V = | 2027 | ||||
| J = | 1988 | W = | 1998 | 8 = | 2008 | J = | 2018 | W = | 2028 | ||||
| K = | 1989 | X = | 1999 | 9 = | 2009 | K = | 2019 | X = | 2029 |
The ATV VIN number charts and information to help you search for and decode your ATV’s VIN.
Every sport ATV has a 17 digit VIN (vehicle identification number), even if you need to search for the ATV VIN location a little. You’ll find the VIN plate mounted to the frame of the ATV, usually on the bottom left side. This information guide will help you with ATV VIN identification.
Kawasaki for example has the VIN mounted on the left side of the frame below the engine. If you have nerf bars installed it’s possible that part of the VIN will be hard to see. Don’t mistake the engine number, which is mounted on the engine, as a VIN number because they are different.
A VIN or Vehicle Identification Number is standardized. Whether your ride a Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Polaris, Yamaha or other ATV all will contain 17 characters that can include capital letters from A through Z and numbers 1 through 0. The letters I, O and Q are never used within a VIN in order to avoid mistakes made by misreading them. No signs or spaces are allowed in the Vehicle Identification Number.
The position of each letter and/or number in the VIN code reveals important information about where and when your ATV was made, the type of engine it has, the model or series of ATV, various equipment/attributes and its production sequence.
Contact the vehicles manufacturer with specific VIN related questions. Contact your local DMV, department of motor vehicles, if you need to replace your VIN plate (if it broke off or you installed a new frame etc). Here is a general breakdown of what your ATV VINs number means.
| 1971 | 1 |
| 1972 | 2 |
| 1973 | 3 |
| 1974 | 4 |
| 1975 | 5 |
| 1976 | 6 |
| 1977 | 7 |
| 1978 | 8 |
| 1979 | 9 |
| 1980 | A |
| 1981 | B |
| 1982 | C |
| 1983 | D |
| 1984 | E |
| 1985 | F |
| 1986 | G |
| 1987 | H |
| 1988 | J |
| 1989 | K |
| 1990 | L |
| 1991 | M |
| 1992 | N |
| 1993 | P |
| 1994 | R |
| 1995 | S |
| 1996 | T |
| 1997 | V |
| 1998 | W |
| 1999 | X |
| 2000 | Y |
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2002 | 2 |
| 2003 | 3 |
| 2004 | 4 |
| 2005 | 5 |
| 2006 | 6 |
| 2007 | 7 |
| 2008 | 8 |
| 2009 | 9 |
| 2010 | A |
| 2011 | B |
| 2012 | C |
| 2013 | D |
| 2014 | E |
| 2015 | F |
| 2016 | G |
| 2017 | H |
| 2018 | J |
| 2019 | K |
| 2020 | L |
– VIN Number Year Chart and it continues year by year: 2011 = B, 2012 = C, 2013 = D, 2014 = E, 2015 = F, 2016 = G etc.
2018 = J, 2019 = K, 2020 = L, you get the idea. Important: The letters i,q, u and o are never used so skip them accordingly. Also important: To tell the difference between an older and newer ATV the 7th digit is referenced. Example, the letter A in 10th position could mean a 1980 or a 2010 ATV. To know which it is look to the 7th digit, if the 7th digit is a number the earlier year is accurate. If the 7th digit is a letter the later year is accurate.
– 11th digit : Assembly plant
– 12th to 17th digits : These ATV vin numbers increase by one for each unit that rolls off the assembly line, the last four are always numbers.
It’s very helpful to know your ATV VIN when purchasing aftermarket parts. Here is a chart of what your Honda ATV VIN may look like, it’s useful information to have when doing a VIN check.
Honda VIN Chart
To do a free ATV VIN search visit the ATV VIN Check page.
Suspension.
Shock absorbers must be free of oil, and CV boots must be free of holes through which moisture can enter. To check the condition of the wheel bearings and hub bushings, you need to raise the ATV with a jack and shake the wheels vertically and horizontally - if there is play, one of these parts is worn out. Most often these are bearings. You also need to check all the suspension arms for play - perhaps ball bearings or silent blocks need to be replaced. nine0003
ATV with working shock absorbers lowers and rises evenly - when pressing on the rear or front, one of the sides should not sag.
Transmission. Gearboxes must be free of oil leaks and cracks. The oil in them can be checked by lowering a plastic clamp into the filler neck or unscrewing the drain bolts: it’s bad if the liquid is opaque, it contains chips or other foreign particles. To check the modes of operation of the transmission, you need to jack up the front of the ATV. When all-wheel drive is on, when turning the left wheel, the right wheel should rotate in the opposite direction, and vice versa.
When the differential lock is engaged, both wheels rotate in the same direction. Transfers should be included without effort and crunch. nine0003
Engine. It must be free of oil. A serviceable motor starts in 2-3 seconds and works without a metallic rattle, an arbitrary increase and decrease in idle speed.
Bad sign - black oil or with foreign particles. Normally it is transparent.
A malfunction is also indicated by black, white or blue smoke from the exhaust pipe, as well as a burning smell. At idle, the exhaust gases of a serviceable ATV are almost transparent. nine0003
It is advisable to measure the compression in the cylinders - this will require a compression meter with adapters for different threads of the candles and knowledge of the normal compression value in the cylinders of a particular ATV model, taking into account the decompression meter.
Coolant . You need to check with a cold engine. The antifreeze level must be between the minimum mark “LOW” and the maximum mark “FULL”.
The liquid should not be cloudy. If there is sediment or dirty “flakes” under the radiator cap, the motor was poorly maintained and may have overheated. nine0003
Air filter . If there are oil stains on it, most likely the ATV turned over.
Electrical . It is necessary to check the operation of the parking lights, high and low beams, turn signals, alarms, horns, heating, winches. Error indicators - for example, an electric booster - should go out when the engine is started.
Electric power steering . With the ATV running and jacked up, turn the steering wheel left, right, then center. With a working electric power steering, the steering wheel does not turn on its own. nine0003
Frame. Cracks, extensive corrosion, welding spots, stripped or fresh paint in the places where the suspension arms are attached, on the arms themselves and on the bottom of the frame - a reason to refuse to buy. Cracks or welding in the cargo platform area are not critical.
The difference in one or more bolts of the engine, variator or bridge, as well as traces of sealant on the crankcase connectors, indicates that the assembly was disassembled to fix the breakdown.
ATV in good working order does not pull to one side. When moving back and forth with the wheels fully inverted, there is no cod. The start of movement and acceleration without jerks and bumps. When you turn on the four-wheel drive and differential lock, it becomes more difficult to turn the steering wheel. nine0003
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