For many decades now, Jeep has been a brand name beloved by many across the world, with hundreds of thousands of units still being sold every year across the world. Beautiful as they are, some people may still wish to make further enhancements in order to personalize their own vehicle. They may also be purchasing a second-hand jeep as a collector’s item, or for some other sentimental reason.

For these reasons and more, owners are interested in getting hold of their Jeep build sheet. If your Jeep was manufactured after 1998, then this won’t be too much of a problem. It’ll just need a little Internet browsing. If your vehicle is a bit more “classic” than that, then the process gets trickier. The sad truth is that you might not be able to get your Jeep build sheet. In today’s article, we’ll explain how you can at least try!

First Things: What is a Build Sheet?

For anyone not in the know, a “build sheet” is a piece of paper that workers used while they were assembling a particular vehicle. It was used primarily on the Trim and Chassis line to tell assembly line workers what components needed to be put where on the car. It was made up of a series of codes and numbers that indicated which parts were installed on the car, what color they were, and more. The idea has evolved over the years, but the basic principle has endured.

No one had much use for the Jeep build sheet once it your car was finished. The original idea was to provide a set of instructions to workers so that they would make fewer mistakes when installing the components on new vehicles. After production, therefore, many were discarded. Rather than being put in the garbage can or the shredder, they were usually put into the car itself. They were sometimes even cleverly concealed in the headliner, behind door panels, and under the carpet.

Bonus: What Does Jeep Stand For?

Getting Your Jeep Build Sheet Today

Though it seems a rather archaic idea to some, Jeep understands well that it’s good and proper to maintain records of build sheets, and so for all models built after 1998, it’s a simple process. Unfortunately, if your car was built before that, then you may not have as much luck, but there are still channels to explore.

Scenario 1: Your Jeep was manufactured from 1998 onwards

Should your car fall into this category, then the Jeep build sheet is really just a formality. All you’ll need is your Jeep’s 17-character Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), and your laptop.

First – Open a new browser window and visit the following link – FCA Community

Second – Enter your VIN and click “search” – it should then display your vehicle equipment sheet containing all standard and optional equipment for when that vehicle was built.

And that’s all there is to it for you. It’s that simple.

On that webpage, you’ll notice a reminder that says “Vehicles built before 1998 are not eligible for this functionality.” But, owners of older Jeeps needn’t despair, there are still channels through which they may find their Jeep build sheet.

Scenario 2: Your Jeep was manufactured before 1998

The system above for finding your Jeep build sheet was designed for models made after 1998, but there are two things you might still try. There has been some considerable success with both of these methods, but nothing is guaranteed.

The root of the problem goes back to before 1998; before the time when Jeep build sheets and other records were not kept digitally. The year 1998 was the turning point when the records were digitalized, and Jeep build sheet records became required as part of the input.

First – You can try your luck with the website solution. Sources inside the company have confirmed before that sometimes you will get a hit, even if your car doesn’t fit the manufacturing year parameters. As it happens, quite a few of the older records were inputted into the digital system manually by some thoughtful (and hardworking) souls at Jeep. If yours was one of them, then you’ll still get a hit.

It’s worth a shot. It’s free and the worst that can happen is you get a simple error or rejection.

Second – Get in touch with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and make an inquiry. Their “Historical Services” department can take your 17-character VIN and search for you within their remaining archive. You can reach them using any of the following details:

FCA Historical Services

12501 Chrysler Freeway

CIMS (Dept. Code): 410-11-21

Detroit, MI 48288

Email: Danielle.szostak@fcagroup.com (may take up to 7 business days to respond)

Fax: (313) 252-2928

The Jeep Build Sheet: Good Hunting!

For whatever reason you’re trying to get hold of it, we hope that these tips can bring you some success. The Jeep build sheet is the most accurate and comprehensive summary of exactly what’s in your Jeep. Good luck in your search!