VIN Number & Model Year Mystery

[Tacoma Dad]

As a newbie here, I just purchased a used 2017 Tacoma TRD Sport Access Cab and love it! I am however trying to solve a mystery which has left both the dealership and I puzzled.

The traditional new model year begins (vehicles leaving the plant) in July/August depending on manufacturer. Researching my vehicle's documents on the Toyota website, my vehicle was built at the Texas plant in October 2017, delivered in January 2018 and first put on the road in February 2018 on the 16th.

Now, on a Vehicle Identification Number starting from the right, the last 6 characters indicate the serial number (build sequence) of the unit. The 7th character from the right indicates the assembly plant and the 8th character (letter) indicates the model year [A=2011 model, D=2014 model] etc.. Now my 8th character is "H", indicating that it is a 2018 model.

So the mystery - the VIN clearly indicates my vehicle is a 2018 model year but the Monroney Sticker indicates a 2017 model year. It can't be both. When I visited the NHTSA site, it considered my vehicle (recall and TSB wise) as a 2018 as none of the 2017 recall/TSB notices applied.

I look forward to those Tacoma experts here weighing in on what model year my vehicle really is.

Many thanks!

Tacoma Dad
White 201? Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport 4x4 Access Cab

 

[whippersnapper02]

I purchased my 2010 in December of 2009 with a build date in 2009. It was sold as a 2010 and documents say 2010 so I consider it such.

 

[B-Man]

All vehicle info comes from that VIN. If the VIN says its a 2018 then I'd believe that cause that's what the Courthouse is gonna follow when you go to pay the taxes. Insurance is gonna do the same and follow the VIN for coverage. Your bank whose financing this is gonna follow that VIN also. Congrats on the 2018 and Welcome to the forum!

 

[kp.taco]

It's a 2018

 

[Lil G]

It's a 2018

Creepy avatar. Real creepy lol

 

[kp.taco]

Creepy avatar. Real creepy lol

It's almost Halloween [emoji316] I got the same pic as a background on my phone...

 

[Lil G]

That’s way to scary for me

 

[Bogunn]

All vehicle info comes from that VIN. If the VIN says its a 2018 then I'd believe that cause that's what the Courthouse is gonna follow when you go to pay the taxes. Insurance is gonna do the same and follow the VIN for coverage. Your bank whose financing this is gonna follow that VIN also. Congrats on the 2018 and Welcome to the forum!

Agreed. If the VIN says 2018 than it’s a 2018 for all intents and purposes.

 

[OR17TRD]

All vehicle info comes from that VIN. If the VIN says its a 2018 then I'd believe that cause that's what the Courthouse is gonna follow when you go to pay the taxes. Insurance is gonna do the same and follow the VIN for coverage.
Your bank whose financing this is gonna follow that VIN also. Congrats on the 2018 and Welcome to the forum!

It's a 2018

Agreed. If the VIN says 2018 than it’s a 2018 for all intents and purposes.

+1^
Sounds like the docs got screwy somehow. Hopefully you got a good deal since it was last year’s model not a new 2018 haha

 

[OR17TRD]

I purchased my 2010 in December of 2009 with a build date in 2009. It was sold as a 2010 and documents say 2010 so I consider it such.

My 2017 was built in November 2016 sold in February 2017. Probably why I’ve had so many issues with it. Those 2016’s had all kinds of problems.

 

[Bogunn]

My 2017 was built in November 2016 sold in February 2017. Probably why I’ve had so many issues with it. Those 2016’s had all kinds of problems.

True. The first model year for any vehicle is always the worst.

 

[OR17TRD]

True. The first model year for any vehicle is always the worst.

Seems like they’ve worked a lot of it out.

 

[Bogunn]

Seems like they’ve worked a lot of it out.

They seem to have. Like you said, ‘16 seems to have had the most trouble with fewer kinks each year.
They’ll get them perfect and then come out with the fourth gens. Lol

 

[kp.taco]

They seem to have. Like you said, ‘16 seems to have had the most trouble with fewer kinks each year.
They’ll get them perfect and then come out with the fourth gens. Lol

[emoji33]

 

[OR17TRD]

[emoji33]

Right after you get a turd gen haha

 

[TucsonSteve]

As a newbie here, I just purchased a used 2017 Tacoma TRD Sport Access Cab and love it! I am however trying to solve a mystery which has left both the dealership and I puzzled.

The traditional new model year begins (vehicles leaving the plant) in July/August depending on manufacturer. Researching my vehicle's documents on the Toyota website, my vehicle was built at the Texas plant in October 2017, delivered in January 2018 and first put on the road in February 2018 on the 16th.

Now, on a Vehicle Identification Number starting from the right, the last 6 characters indicate the serial number (build sequence) of the unit. The 7th character from the right indicates the assembly plant and the 8th character (letter) indicates the model year [A=2011 model, D=2014 model] etc.. Now my 8th character is "H", indicating that it is a 2018 model.

So the mystery - the VIN clearly indicates my vehicle is a 2018 model year but the Monroney Sticker indicates a 2017 model year. It can't be both. When I visited the NHTSA site, it considered my vehicle (recall and TSB wise) as a 2018 as none of the 2017 recall/TSB notices applied.

I look forward to those Tacoma experts here weighing in on what model year my vehicle really is.

Many thanks!

Tacoma Dad
White 201? Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport 4x4 Access Cab

Just a point of clarification, I thought H was 2017 and J 2018?

 

[Bogunn]

Right after you get a turd gen haha

So much to say about @kp.taco and his third gen but I can’t since he’s on a break and in his “safe space”.

 

[kp.taco]

So much to say about @kp.taco and his third gen but I can’t since he’s on a break and in his “safe space”.

#BronyTurdGen

 

[Bogunn]

#BronyTurdGen

Thank you..... [emoji23]

 

[Bogunn]

Just a point of clarification, I thought H was 2017 and J 2018?

As a newbie here, I just purchased a used 2017 Tacoma TRD Sport Access Cab and love it! I am however trying to solve a mystery which has left both the dealership and I puzzled.

The traditional new model year begins (vehicles leaving the plant) in July/August depending on manufacturer. Researching my vehicle's documents on the Toyota website, my vehicle was built at the Texas plant in October 2017, delivered in January 2018 and first put on the road in February 2018 on the 16th.

Now, on a Vehicle Identification Number starting from the right, the last 6 characters indicate the serial number (build sequence) of the unit. The 7th character from the right indicates the assembly plant and the 8th character (letter) indicates the model year [A=2011 model, D=2014 model] etc.. Now my 8th character is "H", indicating that it is a 2018 model.

So the mystery - the VIN clearly indicates my vehicle is a 2018 model year but the Monroney Sticker indicates a 2017 model year. It can't be both. When I visited the NHTSA site, it considered my vehicle (recall and TSB wise) as a 2018 as none of the 2017 recall/TSB notices applied.

I look forward to those Tacoma experts here weighing in on what model year my vehicle really is.

Many thanks!

Tacoma Dad
White 201? Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport 4x4 Access Cab

Good catch @TucsonSteve. I didn’t even really pay much attention to the letters in the initial post actually. You’re absolutely right, H for 17 and J for 18.