The 17-character VIN identifies a lot about your car, including the model year. Here's what each character (a number or letter) represents, from left to right: 1st character: Country of manufacture 2nd character: Manufacturer 3rd character: Vehicle type 4th–8th characters: Brand, body style, model, and series 9th character: Security check number 10th character: Model year 11th character: Assembly plant 12th–17th characters: Vehicle's serial number