Club Car Golf Cart Models by Year
Use the production-era table and free serial-number lookup to distinguish Club Car DS, Precedent, Onward, Tempo, Carryall, and Villager families.
How to Identify Your Club Car
- 1
Find the serial sticker below the passenger-side cup holder or glove box.
- 2
Decode the prefix, model year, and production week.
- 3
Compare the decoded year with the DS, Precedent, Onward, and Tempo eras.
- 4
Confirm the family using the body, dash, roof supports, and intended use.
Identify Your Club Car Model and Year
Enter the full Club Car serial number to confirm the model prefix and year before comparing the DS, Precedent, Tempo, and Onward eras.
Club Car Lookup Examples
| Number, code, or clue | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| DS | Long-running boxier family produced from 1980 through 2014. |
| Precedent | Rounded-body platform introduced for the 2004 model year. |
| Onward | Personal-use family introduced for the 2017 model year. |
Club Car Models by Year
Club Car serial prefixes are the most reliable model-family clue. The year ranges below help confirm the result when similar bodies overlap.
| Model family | Production era | Identification clues |
|---|---|---|
| DS | 1980-2014 | Boxier front body, separate seat-back supports, and many aluminum-frame versions. |
| Precedent | 2004 onward | Rounded cowl and integrated body; produced alongside later personal and fleet families. |
| Onward | 2017 onward | Personal transportation family with multiple passenger, lifted, gas, and electric variants. |
| Tempo | 2018 onward | Modern fleet-focused family; use the serial prefix because it can resemble Precedent. |
| Carryall | Multiple generations | Utility family with cargo beds and payload-focused configurations. |
| Villager | Multiple generations | Passenger transport family with higher-capacity seating layouts. |
Where to Find the Club Car Serial Plate
Primary location
Under the passenger-side glove box or below the cup holder.
Backup location
On pre-1981 carts, lift the driver-side seat and inspect the aluminum frame.
Most modern Club Car carts use a barcode sticker and encode the year directly in the serial. Example format: PH0901-123456.
Current Club Car Models
Verify the Result
- Use the serial prefix instead of relying only on the body shape.
- Confirm whether the cart is DS, Precedent, Tempo, or Onward before ordering body parts.
- Check gas, lead-acid electric, or lithium configuration.
- Match the serial sticker to ownership paperwork when buying used.
Reference Sources
Related Club Car Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What years was the Club Car DS made?
The Club Car DS was produced from 1982 through 2014, with many updates and gas or electric configurations during that run.
What year did the Club Car Precedent start?
The Club Car Precedent was introduced for the 2004 model year.
What year did the Club Car Onward start?
The personal-use Club Car Onward family was introduced for the 2017 model year.
How can I tell a Club Car Precedent from a Tempo?
The carts can share visual cues, so use the serial prefix and model sticker first. Then confirm details such as the dash, body panels, and fleet or personal configuration.
