Unexpected VIN code for Yaris Hybrid MK4?

[cleansheets]

I looked at a new 2023 yaris hybrid today and the vin code started with YAR, which seems to indicate belgium origin according to https://epicvin.com/blog/vin-country-codes-of-the-vehicles

I thought yaris cars were made in France or Czech republic, does anyone know what's going on here? Previous (older) cars I've looked at had VNK, which makes sense for France.

[flash22]

You not get a correct VIN data on the web for a new car, the aftermarket takes an age to catch up, if the car is in production or in shipping, only Toyota will have the correct information

the Yaris will be VNK or JTD - euro Mk3's are all VNK

Did you take a picture of the VIN ?

[cleansheets]

Yes I did take a picture. Not sure how safe it is to share the whole VIN so I kept only the first digits.

https://picallow.com/yaris-vin/

(temporary link)

Does this look right? Could it be some scam, some weird import? It's not from a major dealer so I'm wondering.

Btw, I'm not in the UK, this is from a dealer in Poland - but I thought all european Yaris cars were all made in the French factory (VNK) or the newer Czech one (JTD). So what is this YAR, any idea?

Can someone with another Yaris mk4 confirm if the other numbers look right? Are the weights and model numbers correct/sensible?

[flash22]

New one on me, the vin tag looks right, the Address is TME (Toyota Europe) it may be for legal reasons supplying cars to your market

Can you give me the 11th and 12th digits

[cleansheets]

They are 00 ... is that weird? (the rest is non-zero)

[Devon Aygo]

13 hours ago, cleansheets said:

I looked at a new 2023 yaris hybrid today and the vin code started with YAR, which seems to indicate belgium origin according to https://epicvin.com/blog/vin-country-codes-of-the-vehicles

I thought yaris cars were made in France or Czech republic, does anyone know what's going on here? Previous (older) cars I've looked at had VNK, which makes sense for France.

Can you PM the full chassis number and I can check it against Toyota EU database

 

[cleansheets]

PM'ed

[Devon Aygo]

Ok, VIN codes used to be quite rigid and a JT chassis number meant a Japanese built however that went out of the window with Aygo MK1 which gained a JT chassis number this continued with MK2 & Mk3 Aygo all of which come out of the Czech Republic and then Yaris Cross coming out of France.

The Yaris in this case is a Czech built model built the 8th November 2022 quite why YAR is used I have no idea, the only other models Toyoa sell which use YAR are the Stellantis built Proace's.

I am assuming YAR is used as differentiation as there is a VN French built Yaris, JT Japanese built Yaris so YAR is used to differentiate?

[anchorman]

5 minutes ago, Devon Aygo said:

Ok, VIN codes used to be quite rigid and a JT chassis number meant a Japanese built however that went out of the window with Aygo MK1 which gained a JT chassis number this continued with MK2 & Mk3 Aygo all of which come out of the Czech Republic and then Yaris Cross coming out of France.

The Yaris in this case is a Czech built model built the 8th November 2022 quite why YAR is used I have no idea, the only other models Toyoa sell which use YAR are the Stellantis built Proace's.

I am assuming YAR is used as differentiation as there is a VN French built Yaris, JT Japanese built Yaris so YAR is used to differentiate?

I don’t know where this YAR comes from unless it’s an accommodation number for YARis.  The newer VMIs allow JT (Japan Toyota) but the 11th digit is the plant identifier.

[cleansheets]

Thanks, all useful info! So from the EU database search, the car looks completely legit? Does it give any extra information about the car details, e.g. trim, any extras, fuel economy figures, etc, or are these details not embedded in the chassis number?

Thinking back, I think I've seen YAR twice now, once in the photo, but also once early on in my car hunt where I didn't note it down or pay too much attention to it.

I have been talking to dealers to understand a bit more about the opaque situation regarding imports in my market, and it seems there are three types of cars sold here:
a) official imports, which are cars spec'ed for the local market according to the local toyota website.
b) parallel imports, where a dealer buys it from another country himself and brings the car over, bypassing "official" toyota dealers and undercutting prices (in this case, the specs would be according to the toyota site of the original country)
c) "direct factory imports", which are purchased directly from the factory and brought over not via offial toyota channels (not spec'ed for the local market), in which case specs could be anything. (dealers are a bit secretive about the details for this one...)

Perhaps YAR is used for one of these, maybe c? (incidentally, b and c cars are about 20% cheaper than a)

[flash22]

After a bit of digging, there are various Toyota's that get the YAR vin inc the Yaris. Yaris cross and Proace - it maybe a way for Toyota to keep track of these cars in other markets or they are just special order cars

[Toyota excel2023]

I have ordered last year for my toyota yaris cross hybrid excel last june and started building last december from France. But why is my VIN starts with letter J and from VIN spy it says it is built in 2022 from Japan. Why it is not 2023 as it was built in December from France manufacturing plant. Does anyone have an idea or can someone explain this to me why it is from Japan and not France? And not the 2023 model since it was built in december 2023 as the my toyota app stated. 

[Parts-King]

PM me the registration number, I will see what I can find out 

[anchorman]

20 hours ago, Toyota excel2023 said:

I have ordered last year for my toyota yaris cross hybrid excel last june and started building last december from France. But why is my VIN starts with letter J and from VIN spy it says it is built in 2022 from Japan. Why it is not 2023 as it was built in December from France manufacturing plant. Does anyone have an idea or can someone explain this to me why it is from Japan and not France? And not the 2023 model since it was built in december 2023 as the my toyota app stated. 

It is an accommodation code.  It was built in France indicated by the letter A before the last 6 numbers.  

[anchorman]

Scroll down to position 11.

https://en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/Vehicle_Identification_Numbers_(VIN_codes)/Toyota/VIN_Codes

[flash22]

On 3/23/2024 at 7:23 AM, anchorman said:

Scroll down to position 11.

https://en.m.wikibooks.org/wiki/Vehicle_Identification_Numbers_(VIN_codes)/Toyota/VIN_Codes

that is for a US Vin

Toyota use JTD for the cross built in France and also cars produced at TMMCZ, the yaris uses VNK still (TMMF) unless it comes out of TMMCZ (mainly eu models)

i can also look up the info, if you drop me a vin via PM

[hind]

3 hours ago, flash22 said:

and also cars produced at TMMCZ

My Czech made Yaris starts with YARKBAC 🙂 which is incorrectly assigned to Belgium plant.

On 11. position I have 0 🙂 

[flash22]

there is no Belgium plant, YAR is registered to Toyota Europe HQ as part of PSA/Stellantis

On 5/30/2023 at 11:58 AM, flash22 said:

After a bit of digging, there are various Toyota's that get the YAR vin inc the Yaris. Yaris cross and Proace - it maybe a way for Toyota to keep track of these cars in other markets or they are just special order cars

 

[hind]

I was referring to the wiki article stating that

Y (YA-YE)

Belgium

[anchorman]

11 hours ago, flash22 said:

that is for a US Vin

Toyota use JTD for the cross built in France and also cars produced at TMMCZ, the yaris uses VNK still (TMMF) unless it comes out of TMMCZ (mainly eu models)

i can also look up the info, if you drop me a vin via PM

It says Onnaing France?

[flash22]

YAR is just a WMI registered to Toyota Europe HQ

https://www.toyota-europe.com/about-us/toyota-in-europe/toyota-motor-europe

https://www.toyota-europe.com/about-us/toyota-in-europe/european-manufacturing-plants

Drop me a PM With the VIN

[anchorman]

30 minutes ago, flash22 said:

YAR is just a WMI registered to Toyota Europe HQ

https://www.toyota-europe.com/about-us/toyota-in-europe/toyota-motor-europe

https://www.toyota-europe.com/about-us/toyota-in-europe/european-manufacturing-plants

Drop me a PM With the VIN

It’s not my car but why do you say it’s not French when the code says it is.  Your signature is wrong too.  

[flash22]

My sig is correct for the most part - after 2021 there are changes

I did not say it wasn't French, they use a YAR that is registered to Toyota Europe HQ for some vehicles