Nissan VIN decoder: engine first, then the model line and its generation

Nissan and Infiniti WMIs

Japanese-built Nissans start JN1 for cars and JN8 for SUVs, and Infiniti uses JNK for cars and JNR for SUVs. US-built vehicles start 1N4 for cars, 1N6 for trucks and 5N1 for Nissan SUVs, with 5N3 for Infiniti SUVs. Mexican production uses 3N1 for cars, 3N6 for trucks and 3N8 for SUVs.

In Europe, SJN marks Nissan’s Sunderland plant in England and VSK Nissan Motor Ibérica in Spain.

Nissan VIN decoder: the engine comes first

Nissan puts the engine at the front of the descriptor. From the 2010 model year, position 4 is make and engine, position 5 the model line, position 6 the model change number, position 7 the body style and trim, and position 8 the restraint system on cars. On trucks and SUVs, position 8 also covers weight rating, brakes and drive wheels.

Position 5 is the model. L is Altima, T is the Rogue from 2014, Z is the Leaf and D is the Frontier.

Position 6: the generation behind the engine letter

The model change number in position 6 maps to Nissan’s own chassis codes. On an Altima, 3 is the L33 built for 2013 to 2018 and 4 the L34 from 2019. On a Rogue, 2 is the T32 of 2014 to 2020 and 3 the T33 from 2021.

That matters because the engine letter in position 4 changes meaning between generations. On a 2010 to 2018 Altima, A is the 2.5-liter QR25DE and B the 3.5-liter VQ35DE V6. On a 2019-on Altima, A is the 2.0-liter variable-compression KR20DDET turbo and B the 2.5-liter PR25DD. Read positions 4, 5 and 6 together before you order anything engine-related, and note the chassis code, such as L34, because Nissan names its generations that way.

Model year and the Nissan plant letter

Position 10 is the model year: P is 2023, R 2024, S 2025 and T 2026. In position 11, C is Smyrna, Tennessee, which builds the Rogue, Pathfinder, Murano and Infiniti QX60, and N is Canton, Mississippi. K is Cuernavaca in Mexico, L and Y are Nissan’s two Aguascalientes plants, and F is the COMPAS plant there that built the Infiniti QX50 and QX55.

In Japan, M is Tochigi, T is Oppama and W is Nissan Motor Kyushu. A is Sunderland in England, and B is Resende in Brazil.

The international layout and Japanese frame numbers

Outside North America Nissan uses a different order. Position 4 is the body type, position 5 the engine, position 6 the restraint system, positions 7 to 9 the model line and positions 10 and 11 the market the car was built for. There is no model-year character, and the international standard does not require a check digit.

A Qashqai from Sunderland therefore carries its engine in position 5 and nothing year-related in position 10. Apply a US table to it and you will read the wrong engine and an impossible year.

Japanese home-market cars often have a frame number such as PV35-400637 in place of a VIN. Australia registers such grey imports under a filler VIN that wraps the frame number, so that example becomes 6U90000PV35400637 on the register. The catalog wants the original frame number. See VIN vs chassis number for where to find it.

Nissan and Infiniti by VIN in Microcat

The free VIN decoder reads the maker, country and model year. On VINsearch, Nissan and Infiniti open in Microcat, which decodes the VIN or frame number to the chassis code, engine, transmission and trim, then lists the genuine parts for that car with supersessions. The two brands share platforms and many parts, covered in are Infiniti parts the same as Nissan.

Recall status comes from NHTSA or the dealer, and wiring diagrams and repair procedures from Nissan’s service information. Catalog coverage is on the Nissan catalog page.