Frigidaire serial numbers use a simple but occasionally ambiguous format. The 3rd character is the last digit of the manufacturing year, and the 4th and 5th characters represent the week of that year. For example, a serial starting with VA518 indicates a unit built in the 18th week of a year ending in '5' (e.g., 2005 or 2015). To resolve the decade, you must cross-reference the appliance's physical style or model introduction date.
The Standard Serial Format
Frigidaire has been owned by Electrolux since 1986. Most units produced since the late 1990s follow this 9-character alphanumeric format:
Example: VA5181234
- Position 1-2: Manufacturing location code.
- Position 3: Last digit of the year (5 = 2005, 2015, or 2025).
- Position 4-5: Week of the year (18 = early May).
- Position 6-9: Sequential production number.
Resolving Decade Ambiguity
Because Frigidaire uses only a single digit for the year, a '5' could mean 1995, 2005, 2015, or 2025. To determine the correct decade:
- Check the Model Number: Use our Brand Acquisition Map to see when your model was first introduced. If the model didn't exist in 2005, the unit must be 2015 or newer.
- Aesthetics: White or almond plastic handles often indicate the 1990s/early 2000s. Stainless steel with digital touch controls usually indicates 2010 or later.
- Energy Guide: Look for a date on the yellow EnergyGuide sticker if it's still attached.
Shared Brand Conventions
Electrolux utilizes the Frigidaire serial format across its entire value-tier portfolio. This includes:
- Tappan: Historic cooking brand.
- White-Westinghouse: Legacy multi-category brand.
- Kelvinator: Primarily refrigeration.
- Gibson: Budget-tier appliances.
Frigidaire-Built Kenmore
Sears Kenmore appliances built by Frigidaire are extremely common. You can identify these by the 3-digit prefix 253 on the model number (e.g., 253.12345678). Once identified, the serial number follows the standard Frigidaire 3rd-digit-year rule. See our Kenmore Decoder for more builder prefixes.