Erstzulassung vs. Modelljahr — What's the Difference?

German ads lead with Erstzulassung (EZ), not model year. They are different dates, and confusing them costs real money.

The two dates

Erstzulassung (EZ) — the date the car was first registered to a keeper anywhere. This is the legal age of the car and what every valuation uses.
Modelljahr (MJ) — the manufacturer's production year, which typically runs from summer to summer. A car built in September 2019 is usually model year 2020.

Why the gap exists

Cars sit. A vehicle built in November 2019 that stayed unsold on a forecourt until March 2020 has EZ 03/2020 but 2019 hardware. It is sold as newer than it is, and it depreciates from the earlier build.

A Tageszulassung is a car registered by the dealer for a single day to book the sale. It is legally "used" with one previous keeper, discounted 10–20%, but is effectively new. Its EZ is what matters for age and warranty start.

What each date controls

Depends on EZ	Depends on Modelljahr
HU due date	Which engine and gearbox you get
Kfz-Steuer band	Facelift or pre-facelift looks
Insurance and valuation	Infotainment generation
Emissions standard in practice	Equipment availability
Warranty start	Known fault fixes

What to ask the seller

Ask for the EZ from the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil II, and separately for the build date. The build month is encoded in the VIN and printed on a sticker in the door jamb or under the boot floor. If the seller resists, that is telling.

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