Will This Part Fit My Car? Using Your VIN, Model Year and Generation to Get It Right

Most parts that come back to a parts shop were ordered for the right car. They were just meant for a different generation, a facelift a year earlier, or a trim level with a different sensor or lamp. The make and model are where fitment starts, not where it ends. Five minutes with your registration card avoids most of those returns.

Last checked on 29 October 2026.

Step 1: find your VIN

The vehicle identification number (VIN) is a 17-character code unique to your car. In the UAE you will find it on the vehicle registration card, the mulkiya, where it is shown as the chassis number. It is also on the car itself: usually on a plate at the base of the windscreen on the driver's side, readable through the glass, and often on a label on the door pillar.

Copy all 17 characters. VINs never use the letters I, O or Q, so they cannot be mistaken for 1 and 0. If you read an "O", it is a zero.

Step 2: know what the VIN says

The US rules that define the VIN, which most manufacturers worldwide also follow, split it into sections:

• Characters 1–3: the manufacturer and type of vehicle (the world manufacturer identifier).
• Characters 4–8: the vehicle's attributes, such as line, series, body type, engine type and restraint systems, coded by the manufacturer.
• Character 9: a check digit that catches copying mistakes.
• Character 10: the model year.
• Character 11: the assembly plant.
• Characters 12–17: the production serial number.

The model-year code (character 10)

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, 2021 = M, 2022 = N, 2023 = P, 2024 = R, 2025 = S, 2026 = T, 2027 = V, 2028 = W, 2029 = X, 2030 = Y.

Two cautions. The model year is not the build date: a 2026 model can be built in 2025. And not every manufacturer encodes the year in character 10 for every market. If the code does not match, the model year printed on your mulkiya is the one to use.

Step 3: generation beats year

A model name can cover cars that share almost no body parts. What matters is the generation, and within it the facelift. Three examples that matter on UAE roads:

• Nissan Patrol. The Y62 went on sale in 2010 and was replaced by the all-new Y63, unveiled in Abu Dhabi in September 2024. The older Y61 stayed in the range alongside the Y62 for years. A "2015 Patrol" can therefore be either a Y61 or a Y62, which share almost no exterior parts. Within the Y62, bumpers, grilles and lamps changed at the facelifts, so our Y62 listings name the exact years, for example a front fog-light kit for 2010–2013.
• Toyota Land Cruiser. The 200 Series arrived in 2007, and the 300 Series replaced it with a Middle East-focused reveal in June 2021. Parts are not shared between them: an LC300 side step will not bolt to an LC200.
• Toyota Hilux. The eighth generation, known as the Revo, premiered in 2015 and succeeded the Vigo. Some parts carry over, but many do not. Our listings say which generations a part fits, as with this Hilux Revo and Vigo tow bar.

Step 4: same car, different equipment

Two cars of the same generation and year can still need different parts. Check these before ordering:

• Headlight and fog-light type: halogen, LED or adaptive units use different housings, connectors and sometimes control modules.
• Parking sensors and cameras: bumpers, grilles and mirrors come with or without the holes and brackets for them.
• Cab and bed length on pickups: single, extended and double cabs take different side steps, tonneau covers and liners.
• Drive side: a car imported from a right-hand-drive market has different dashboard parts and a different headlight beam pattern.
• Factory packages: tow packages, off-road packages and sport trims can change bumpers, wiring and mounting points.

The easiest check is a photo of the part you are replacing, taken where it meets the car, with any part number or label visible.

Step 5: let us check it

Every listing on our site names the vehicles and years it fits. If yours is not listed, or you are unsure about any of the points above, send us your VIN and a photo of the old part through a part request. We will confirm the fit before you order, and if we do not stock the right part we can usually source it.

Sources

• US Code of Federal Regulations, 49 CFR Part 565 — §565.15 VIN content requirements (sections of the VIN, check digit, model-year codes) and §565.13 (permitted characters; I, O and Q are excluded).
• Gulf News — How to check a used car's accident history in the UAE (chassis number on the mulkiya).
• Times of Oman — Nissan unveils the all-new Patrol Y63 in Abu Dhabi (September 2024).
• JCN Newswire — Toyota's new Land Cruiser makes world premiere (June 2021, successor to the 200 Series of 2007).
• WardsAuto — Toyota taps Thailand for new-gen Hilux pickup launch (eighth-generation Hilux, 2015).

PartMate sells parts and accessories. Model histories are summarised from the manufacturers' launch coverage; the fitment on each product page is the reference for that product.