Yamaha Golf Cart Serial Number Lookup: Find the PID, Decode Model and Year

Quick answer: a Yamaha golf cart serial number, which Yamaha calls the PID (Primary ID), is a three-character model code, a dash and a production number, like JW9-0512345. The first three characters tell you the model: JW9 is a Drive electric built for the 2011 to 2016 model years. To get the year, find the highest starting number in Yamaha's chart that is still at or below yours, for the same code: JW9-0500101 starts the 2015 model year and JW9-0600101 starts 2016, so this cart is a 2015. On a Drive2 the label is under the seat on the driver's side; on a 1996 to 2007 G16, G19 or G22 it is usually a vertical decal on the dash, left of the steering wheel.

Check recalls with the number. Several Yamaha recalls are defined by PID range, including the 2025 accelerator pedal spring recall (CPSC 25-321) that covers 2016 Drive and 2017 to 2024 Drive2 cars. If your number falls inside a range in a recall notice, CPSC says to stop using the cart and contact a Yamaha dealer for the free repair. Yamaha's recall line listed by CPSC is 866-747-4027.

This page is the long version of the Yamaha part of our golf cart serial number lookup, which decodes 1979 to 2018 PIDs for you. Here you'll find where the PID is on each Yamaha family, what the model codes mean, the starting-number tables for the carts owners ask about most (including 2019 and 2020 Drive2 numbers the tool doesn't cover yet), worked examples and what to do when the number doesn't fit. Everything comes from Yamaha's PID bulletins GC2018-005 and GC2020-007, Yamaha owner's manuals and federal recall notices. For repairs, see our Yamaha guides.

Step 1: Work out which Yamaha you have

The PID location depends on the body style, so it helps to know the family first. These are the golf car families in Yamaha's bulletin, with the years and power types it lists for each:

In Yamaha's model names, A marks the gas version and E the electric one: G16A is the gas G16, G16E the electric; DR2A is a gas Drive2, DR2E an electric. "PTV" means personal transportation vehicle, the privately sold version, and "fleet" means the golf course version. Utility models (Yamahauler, U-Max, Adventurer, UMAX) use the same PID system and are in the same bulletins.

Step 2: Find the PID label

Yamaha's owner's manuals just say the serial number "is identified in the location shown" (or, on older cars, "stamped in the location shown") and point to a drawing. Bulletin GC2018-005 has a full set of location drawings and photos for 1979 to 2019 models. Here is what those drawings show, family by family:

Two things trip people up. First, a gas Yamaha also has an engine serial number on the engine itself. Yamaha's manuals list it separately, and it won't decode in the PID chart. Second, the model name you see on the body (Drive2, QuieTech, PowerTech AC) isn't the PID. CPSC's 2025 recall notice notes that "the model name is located on the left and right side of the vehicle," while the serial is in a different place on each model.

Decal pitfalls and common misreads

• Zero vs letter O in the model code. Codes like J0A and J0J use a digit zero in the middle. Treating it as the letter O sends you to the wrong row (or no row) in the chart.
• Driver vs passenger side under the seat. Drive2 and Drive electric labels are typically on the driver's (left) side; Drive gas is on the passenger (right) side. Looking only on the "wrong" hip restraint wastes a lot of time.
• Engine serial ≠ PID. The number stamped on a gas engine will not decode in Yamaha's golf-car PID bulletin. Use the vehicle PID label.
• Body badge ≠ model code. "Drive2 QuieTech" on the side is marketing; the three-character PID prefix is what the tables use.
• Worn 0 / 6 / 8. Production digits blur together on dirty labels. Wipe gently, photograph, and re-check before you pick a starting-PID row.
• Chart / tool coverage ends. The interactive decoder follows Yamaha's published PID chart through 2018; later Drive2 years need dealer tools or recall-range notices. A clean modern PID that "won't decode" is often a data limit, not a fake label.
• Do not invent starting numbers. If your production number sits between published starts, use the highest start that is still at or below yours for that exact model code - do not guess a year from a badge alone.

Step 3: Read the model code

Every Yamaha owner's manual we checked, from the G9 to the 2021 Drive2 PTV, says much the same thing. The Drive2 wording is: "The first three digits of the serial number are for model identification; the remaining digits are the unit production number." So in J0J-0301020, J0J is the model and 0301020 is the production number. Note that the middle character is often a zero, not the letter O: it's J0A, not JOA. Labels and recall notices sometimes print it either way.

These are the golf car codes in bulletins GC2018-005 and GC2020-007:

Two limits to keep in mind. Some codes are shared: JC0, JC1, J0D and J0E cover a PTV and several Concierge and specialty versions, and on 2009 to 2012 Drive Concierge cars Yamaha used JW1, JW2, JW8 and JW9 numbers too. The prefix then tells you the platform and power, but not exactly which version. Newer carts also use codes that aren't in either bulletin. CPSC recall 25-321 lists J0S (Drive2 PowerTech AC, from 2021), J2D (Concierge 4, from 2021) and J5A, J5B and J5C (Drive2 lithium versions, from 2022).

Step 4: Find the model year

A Yamaha PID has no year digits in it. Bulletin GC2018-005 lists the PID "that designate[s] the start of production for each Yamaha Golf Car model," model year by model year. Your cart's model year is the row with the highest starting PID that is still at or below yours, for the same three-character code. Read the production number as a plain number: 0512345 is higher than 0500101 and lower than 0600101.

A few quirks in Yamaha's own tables:

• 2012.5. The Drive has a mid-year "2012.5" model (for example YDREKX2, starting at JW9-0200101). It has its own model name and starting numbers in the bulletin, so treat it as a separate model when you order parts.
• Two rows in one year. Some years have two starting numbers, such as the 2005 and 2006 G22. Both rows are that model year, under different model names (G22A1 and G22AB for the 2005 gas car).
• New code, new count. When the code changes (JW1 to JW8, JW2 to JW9), the count starts over at 0000101.

Drive2, 2017 to 2020

From GC2018-005 (2017 and 2018) and GC2020-007 (2019 and 2020). Each number is where that model year begins.

Concierge 4 and 6, Adventurer Sport 2+2 and Super-Hauler Drive2 cars share the J0D (gas) and J0E (electric) number series with the PTV and start at slightly different numbers each year; both bulletins list them. GC2020-007 has no 2020 row for the carbureted J0A fleet car.

Drive2, 2021 and later

We haven't found a public Yamaha bulletin with starting numbers after 2020. CPSC recall 25-321 does list the recalled serial ranges by model year, which gives you a strong hint. For example, it lists J0J Drive2 AC cars from 0400101 to 0414900 as 2021 and 0500101 to 0508700 as 2022, and J0B QuieTech cars from 0400101 to 0419500 as 2021 and 0500101 to 0522400 as 2022. But these are recall ranges, not production starts, and they can overlap: the same notice lists 2020 J0D PTVs up to 0307300 and 2021 J0D PTVs from 0302688. For a 2021 or newer cart, treat the recall table as a guide and confirm the year with a Yamaha dealer.

Drive (YDRA and YDRE), 2007 to 2016

The 2016 AC-motor Drive fleet car starts at JC3-0000101. Drive PTVs use JC0 (gas) and JC1 (electric); the bulletin lists starting numbers for each year from 2010, for example JC0-0700101 for the 2016 EFI PTV and JC1-0600101 for the 2015 DC electric PTV. Our serial number lookup has every row.

G22 G-Max, 2003 to 2007

G14, G16, G19 and G20, 1995 to 2002

In 1996 both the G14 and the G16 have rows: a JN3 or JN4 number is a G14, a JN6 or JN8 number is a G16.

G8 and G9, 1990 to 1995

G1, G2, G3 and G5 numbers are in the full table in our serial number lookup, which uses the same Yamaha bulletin. Their early numbers are irregular: the G2 gas car's 1986 rows include J38-0066101, higher than the 1987 start of J38-0020101. Treat any pre-1990 result as approximate and confirm it with a dealer if the exact year matters.

Worked examples

These are made-up PIDs, chosen to show how the rules work. The starting numbers and recall ranges are Yamaha's and CPSC's.

What the PID is good for

• Ordering parts. Yamaha's manuals tell you to keep a record of the number "for reference when ordering parts from a Yamaha Golf-Car Company dealer." The 2012 and 2012.5 Drive, or the 2005 G22 rows, are exactly the kind of split where a parts counter needs the PID.
• Recalls. Yamaha recalls in CPSC notices are listed by model year, prefix and serial range. Check yours against every notice for your model, not just the newest one.
• The right owner's manual and repair data. Drive gas and electric cars differ in where the PID is, and many specs differ by year. Our Yamaha guides, such as Yamaha Drive2 won't move, ask for the serial first for the same reason.
• Buying used. A seller's "2019" on a cart whose PID decodes as a 2016 Drive tells you something. Keep in mind that a label stays with the part it's stuck to, so a replaced dash or body panel can carry another cart's label, or none.

When the PID doesn't decode

• Worn or painted-over label. Clean it with a damp cloth only and photograph it at an angle with a flashlight. If you can read the code but not every digit, you still know the model and roughly the era.
• Number below the first start, or above the last one. Recheck for a misread digit, especially 0, 6, 8 and the letter O. If it's a 2021 or newer cart, the public bulletins simply don't cover it yet.
• Code not in the tables. It may be a utility vehicle, a specialty car or a newer model. Utility codes (Adventurer, U-Max, Yamahauler) are in the same bulletins and our lookup tool.
• No label at all. Labels get lost under replaced dash panels, seats or bodies. CPSC's Yamaha recall notices say Yamaha will help if you can't find the serial number; Yamaha's recall line listed there is 866-747-4027, or ask an authorized Yamaha dealer.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the serial number on a Yamaha golf cart?

Under the seat on most Drive and Drive2 cars: on the driver's side for the Drive2 and the electric Drive, on the passenger side for the gas Drive. On 1996 to 2007 G16, G19, G20, G21 and G22 cars it's usually a vertical decal on the dash left of the steering wheel. Older G-series cars have it on the frame under the seat or under the rear of the body.

How do I tell what year my Yamaha golf cart is?

Read the three-character code, then find the highest starting PID at or below yours in Yamaha's chart for that code. For example, JW9-0512345 falls between the 2015 start (0500101) and the 2016 start (0600101), so it's a 2015. Our lookup tool does this for 1979 to 2018 PIDs.

What is a Yamaha PID number?

The Primary ID, Yamaha's name for the golf car serial number. Yamaha says the PID "is used by Yamaha Golf-Car Company to identify the model / model year of each car for warranty and parts identification purposes."

Can I tell gas from electric by the serial number?

Yes, from the three-character code. JW8 is a carbureted gas Drive and JW9 an electric one, J0B a QuieTech gas Drive2 and J0J a PowerTech AC electric. The table in Step 3 lists them all.

Is the engine number the same as the serial number?

No. Gas Yamahas have a separate engine serial number on the engine. Yamaha's owner's manuals list the two separately, and only the PID on the frame or dash label identifies the cart's model and year.

Why does the chart say 2012.5?

Yamaha's bulletin lists a mid-year 2012.5 Drive with its own model names (YDRAKX2 gas, YDREKX2 electric) and starting numbers (JW8-0200101 and JW9-0200101). Because Yamaha uses the PID for parts identification, give the dealer the full number rather than just "2012."

More Yamaha help: Yamaha Drive2 won't move, how to test a golf cart solenoid, how to water golf cart batteries, the Club Car serial number guide, and every free tool on our tools page.

Sources

• Yamaha Golf-Car Company, Tech Exchange GC2018-005, "All Golf Car Models: Starting Primary ID (PID) Numbers and PID Location for All Vehicles (1979~2018)," October 22, 2018 (starting PIDs, model codes, PID location charts). Yamaha's own link (yamahagolfcar.com, GOLF_CAR_MODEL_V3.pdf) returned "not found" when we checked; copy hosted by Yamaha Golf Cars of California
• Yamaha Golf-Car Company, Tech Exchange GC2020-007, "2019~2020 Golf Car and Utility Models: Starting Primary ID Numbers and Locations," February 21, 2020: copy hosted by Yamaha Golf Cars of California
• Yamaha owner's/operator's manuals: Drive2 48V fleet DR2E17, 2021 Drive2 PTV QuieTech, Drive YDRA gas, G16A/G16E, G9A/G9E (golfcars.yamaha-owners-manuals.com); G19E (LIT-19626-00-76) and G22E (LIT-19626-00-79) manuals, G19E copy and G22E copy hosted by DD Motor Systems
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall notices 20-718 (2020 Drive2 front hubs, label location), 25-321 (accelerator pedal spring, serial ranges 2016 to 2024, newer prefixes), 26-027 (Drive2 PTV brakes), 26-028 (Drive2 PTV stop lights) and 26-542 (2021-2022 Drive2 electric fleet brake cable, label location)

Last checked against the documents above on October 28, 2026. Yamaha, Drive, Drive2, QuieTech, PowerTech AC, G-Max, Ultima, Concierge, Adventurer, UMAX and Yamahauler are trademarks of their owner; Golf Cart Clinic is independent and not affiliated with Yamaha.