EZGO Serial Number Decoder: Find Your Model & Year

EZGO Serial Number Decoder: Find Your Model & Year

Last verified July 2026. Covers TXT, RXV, Express, Valor, Liberty, 2Five, Marathon, Medalist, and Cushman.

EZGO identification trips people up for one reason: the serial number doesn't tell you the year. Owners find the six- or seven-digit serial, search it, and get nothing. The year lives in a second number on the same plate — the manufacturer's code — and the plate's location tells you which model you have before you read a single digit.

And with EZGO, the model is only half the identity. A 2010 "EZGO" could be a 36V PDS TXT, a 48V TXT48, a Danaher-controlled RXV, an Express S4, or a Cushman-badged Hauler built on the same Textron production lines. They share almost no drivetrain parts. This guide sorts all of it.

Step 1: The plate location tells you the model

Plate location Model Years
Near the charging receptacle under the driver's seat Valor 2017–present
Rear passenger-side frame, plus a sticker at the base of the steering column and one under the front end RXV / RXV ELiTE 2008–present
Behind the access panel under the seat / below charger receptacle TXT 2003–present
Under the seat area (dual plates, Textron style) Express S4 / S6 / L6, Liberty 2009–present
Inside the passenger-side glove box TXT 1996–2002
Inside the passenger-side glove box Medalist 1994–1995
Under the passenger-side glove box Marathon 1976–1993
Frame under the driver-side seat Pre-Marathon 1965–1975
Below driver-side front of seat + chassis between seat back supports Cushman Hauler / Shuttle (modern) 2009–present
Dash plate near the handbrake, under the seat, or frame rail Cushman Truckster / vintage models 1952–2002

Newer carts also print the model name — TXT, Freedom TXT, RXV, or Freedom RXV — vertically on the body below the armrests. One clarification while we're here: "Freedom" is a trim level, not a model. A Freedom TXT is a TXT with personal-use equipment (headlights, higher speed code). For parts purposes, ignore the word Freedom and identify the platform underneath.

Step 2: The manufacturer's code gives you the year

On the plate you'll see two numbers:

  • Serial number: six or seven digits. The cart's unique ID. It does not encode the year.
  • Manufacturer's code: a letter plus four digits (1980 and newer). The letter is the build month (A = January through L = December). The last two digits are the model year.

J 26 98  = built in October, 26th week sequence — a 1998 cart

Manufacturer's code Decode
J2698 Built October — 1998 TXT
B0510 Built February — 2010 TXT48
E1692 Built May — 1992 Marathon

Two exceptions: carts built 1976–1978 put the year in the first two digits instead of the last two. And the street-legal 2Five LSV carries a true 17-digit VIN — the only EZGO that does — because it's registered for public roads. Run those through the free NHTSA VIN decoder.

If the code is worn or missing, EZGO's website has a serial lookup, or the code stamped on the motor/engine can date the cart — email us a photo of whatever you can find and we'll sort it out.

Step 3: Identify the platform and drive system

This is where wrong parts get ordered. Here's every family EZGO (and its Textron sister brand Cushman) has put in a driveway or on a jobsite.

TXT (1996–present)

The most common golf cart in America, and the one with the most fitment traps because it spans four electrical systems:

System Years Voltage How to identify
Series 1996–2000s (fleet) 36V No Run/Tow switch under seat; lever F/R switch
DCS 1994.5–1996 36V Run/Tow switch; "DCS" decal on many
PDS 1996.5–2009 36V Run/Tow switch under seat; dash rocker F/R on most
TXT48 2010–present 48V 48V decal; four 12V or six 8V batteries

Series, DCS, and PDS controllers, motors, and solenoids do not interchange, and none of them cross to the TXT48. Gas TXTs have their own timeline: 295cc twins early, the 350cc Robin from 2001, the 13hp Kawasaki FJ400 single from the mid-2000s, and the Textron-built EX1 617cc EFI engine from 2019 on. Recent TXT ELiTE trims run factory Samsung lithium.

RXV (2008–present) — three generations, and it matters

The RXV is EZGO's modern platform: 48V AC drive, independent rear suspension, and an electromagnetic motor brake instead of a mechanical park brake. That motor brake is behind the RXV's signature complaint — cart beeping, brake won't release, won't move — and it's also why RXVs are sensitive to battery and controller changes.

Generation Years Controller / power Parts notes
RXV Gen 1 2008–2011 Danaher AC controller, 48V lead-acid Danaher-specific harnesses and upgrade kits
RXV Gen 1 (late) 2012–2015 Curtis 1206AC, 48V lead-acid 2012–2013 carts can carry either controller — verify before ordering; Curtis and Danaher parts are not interchangeable
RXV refresh 2016–present Curtis AC, 48V Updated body and dash; many body/accessory parts split at 2016
RXV ELiTE 2018–present AC drive with Samsung SDI lithium (56V-class pack) Factory lithium. Controllers, chargers, and upgrade kits are ELiTE-specific — lead-acid RXV parts do not cross

Before you buy an RXV controller, motor, or lithium kit: pop the access cover and read the controller label. 2011-and-older is Danaher; 2014-and-newer is Curtis 1206AC; 2012–2013 could be either. Aftermarket kits (Navitas included) ship in separate Danaher and Curtis versions, and ELiTE carts need a third variant. This one check prevents most RXV returns.

Express S4 / S6 / L6 (2009–present)

EZGO's stretched 4- and 6-passenger utility-crossover line. TXT drivetrain DNA — gas models moved through the same Kawasaki-to-EX1 engine progression, electrics run 48V with ELiTE lithium options on newer builds, and the L6 adds a factory lift. Many TXT electrical parts cross over; body, suspension, and lift-kit fitment is Express-specific.

Valor (2017–present)

The value-priced personal cart on the TXT platform — 48V electric or EX1 gas. Most TXT-era parts fit, and the ID plate sits near the charging receptacle under the driver's seat.

Liberty (2021–present)

EZGO's first four-forward-facing-seat cart, ELiTE-only (Samsung lithium). Treat it like an ELiTE RXV for electrical sourcing: lithium-specific everything.

2Five (2009–2010s)

The street-legal LSV. Real 17-digit VIN, DOT glass, and LSV-specific lighting. Drivetrain parts overlap with the RXV era, but anything safety-related is 2Five-specific.

Marathon (1976–1993) and Medalist (1994–1995)

The Marathon is the classic square-body EZGO: 36V series electric with resistor speed control on older units, or 2-stroke (through 1991) and 4-stroke gas. The Medalist bridged two years between Marathon and TXT and shares most of its parts catalog with the early TXT. Marathon parts availability is still good — but nothing crosses over from the TXT era.

Cushman (Textron's work-vehicle brand)

Cushman is EZGO's sister brand under Textron, and the carts come through the same dealer network — which is why so many "EZGO" owners actually have a Cushman badge on the cowl. Two very different eras:

Modern Cushman (2009–present): Hauler 800 / 800X / 1200 / 1200X, Shuttle, and related work vehicles are built on EZGO platforms — the Hauler 800 is essentially a TXT-based workhorse, and newer models use the same 48V electric and EX1 gas drivetrains. Two ID plates: one on the body below the front driver's side of the seat, one on the chassis between the seat back supports. Textron asks for the manufacture date code, serial number, and model together when identifying parts. Practical upshot: a huge share of TXT-family drivetrain parts fit modern Cushman Haulers — identify the platform and order accordingly.

Vintage Cushman (1952–2002): Trucksters, Golfsters, and Haulsters decode from the model number, not the serial. The model number is six digits starting with 8 (like 898100), followed by a dash and four more digits — the first two digits after the dash are the year (898100-7324 = 1973). Find the plate on the dash near the handbrake, under the seat, or stamped into the frame — on electrics, check near the charge port. The serial number itself matters less than that model number.

Putting it together

The full identity of an EZGO for parts purposes reads like: "2004 TXT, electric, PDS" or "2013 RXV, Curtis controller." That last term is the one owners most often don't know — and it's the difference between a part that bolts on and a return label.

Now find your parts

Troubleshooting instead of upgrading?

Can't make sense of your plate? Email us a photo of it and we'll identify the cart and confirm fitment before you order anything.