1995 or 1996

[FGG]

I just purchased a Red/Tan 1996 NSX-T. It is without question fantastic. I have a question which I hope is not too ignorant to ask. I seem to recall seeing the answer in the "FAQ" but I cannot find it now. My car was made in September 1995 and sold new in the US in April 1996. The VIN has the "TT" designation which reflects a 1996, however the drivers manual says 1995 NSX, even though on the inside cover all of the purchaser's info reflects the 1996 purchase date. Is this just the wrong manual or does ACURA only issue a manual in the same year of construction, in this case 1995. I seem to have read that unlike in the US a car built in Japan in a particular year will be designated as that year's model even though in the US models which are built in the fall of one year are typically considered the following year's model.

 

[Eric5273]

Sounds to me like you have a 95 which was sold late as a leftover. It doesn't really matter since I think 95 & 96 are identical. I don't think there were any changes in 96.

 

[emvanderpol]

If the 10th letter/digit in your VIN# is a "S" then your car is a 1995, if it is a "T" then it is a 1996. Hope this helps.

 

[nsxtasy]

The VIN has the "TT" designation which reflects a 1996, however the drivers manual says 1995 NSX, even though on the inside cover all of the purchaser's info reflects the 1996 purchase date. Is this just the wrong manual or does ACURA only issue a manual in the same year of construction, in this case 1995.

Which manual are you referring to?

I believe the owner's manual is always printed for the model year of the car (not the year of construction), and as emvanderpol correctly indicates, your car is considered a 1996 model year car, based on its VIN. (Of course, it is possible that the owner lost the owner's manual that came with the car, and then bought one for a '95 on eBay.)

However, they often do not publish a new service manual when there are no changes from one year to the next, and there were no changes from '95 to '96. So, if you order a service manual for a '96, it may say that it's the '95 service manual, and there may not be a separate service manual for the '96.

Sometimes, even if there are changes, they won't reprint the entire service manual, but they will offer a supplement. For example, my 2001 Integra Type R is very similar, but not identical, to a 1998 Integra Type R. When you order a service manual for the 2001, they send you a 1998 service manual plus a 2001 supplement.