How To Find Ford Vehicle Manufacturing Date With VIN Number?

So, How Do You Read A Ford VIN To Find Out Its Age?

1. Locate the VIN: This 17-character code is usually found in multiple places on your Ford. Typical locations include the base of the front windshield, under the driver’s seat carpet or stamped in the engine bay. 
2. Check the 11th and 12th characters: These characters represent the year and month of manufacture.

In Ford vehicles, the VIN characters begin mostly with MAJ. The 11th character represents the year of manufacturing while the 12th character represents the month of manufacture.

Using the following table, you can easily decipher the manufacturing date:

Code Structure For Year

Take a look at the characters used for different years:

Code Structure For Month

Take a look at the characters used for different months of the year. The month code for every year from 2009 to 2023 is listed in the table below:

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With this knowledge, you can determine the exact age of your Ford and make informed decisions about maintenance and repairs.

Let’s take the VIN from the image above as an example. The VIN ​​MAJAXXMRKAER4**** is from a Ford EcoSport. Here, the 11th character – E – represents the year of manufacture. The 12th character – R – represents the month of manufacture. Using the table above, we can determine that this particular Ford EcoSport was manufactured in October 2014. 

Note: The month of manufacture can only be decoded after the year of manufacture is determined as Ford’s alphabetical codes for the month keep changing on a rotational basis every 4 years.

VIN Number Location On Ford Cars

The VIN placement varies across the make and model of vehicles. In most Ford cars, the VIN placement is on the base of the windshield.

Here are the other possible placements of VIN in different make and models:

• On the front door jamb
• Under the front grille
• Under the driver's side floor carpet
• Inside the engine bay
• Beneath the spare wheel in the boot

The Benefit of Ford Car VIN Number

The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of an Ford car offers several benefits to both manufacturers and consumers:

• Identification: The VIN uniquely identifies each vehicle manufactured by MG. It acts as a fingerprint for the car, distinguishing it from all the others. This is important for a variety of purposes, including registration, insurance, and tracking recalls or warranty claims.
• Vehicle History: The VIN allows potential buyers to access the vehicle's history through services like CarFax or AutoCheck. This history can include past accidents, title issues, service records, and more, helping buyers make an informed decision.
• Manufacturing Information: Certain digits within the VIN encode information about the car's manufacture, such as the country of origin, manufacturing plant, model year, and vehicle type. This information can be valuable for regulatory compliance and quality control.
• Anti-theft Measures: VINs are used to detect vehicle theft. VINs are used by law enforcement agencies to track stolen vehicles and identify owners. 
• Recall Notices and Warranty Claims: VINs are used by manufacturers to identify specific vehicles affected by recalls or warranty claims. 
• Parts Compatibility: The VIN helps ensure that the correct parts are used. Auto manufacturers maintain databases that link VINs to specific parts and specifications, facilitating accurate repairs and replacements.
• Insurance Purposes: VINs are necessary for insurance companies to accurately evaluate the value and risk profile of a vehicle.

Overall, the VIN plays a vital role in various aspects of automobile manufacturing, sales and ownership, providing essential information and facilitating critical processes throughout the vehicle's life cycle.

Also Read: How To Find Tata Vehicle Manufacturing Date With VIN Number?

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