Nissan FAST Explained: Nissan and Infiniti Parts by VIN
One catalog, two badges
Nissan and Infiniti share platforms, engines and a great deal of hardware, so Nissan publishes both through FAST rather than running two systems. A Q50 and a Skyline are the same car wearing different badges, and their parts data sits in the same place.
In practice that saves you a second subscription and a second habit. The VIN tells the catalog which badge it is looking at, and the right diagrams follow on their own.
Reading a Nissan part number
Nissan numbers run in two blocks of five, like 54668-XXXXX. The first block identifies the component group, the second identifies the specific part within it. Numbers in the 54xxx range belong to front suspension, 11xxx to the engine, 26xxx to lighting. Once you have seen a few hundred of them the first block starts telling you where you are before you read the description.
Two numbers that differ only in the second block are usually the same component in different specifications, not the same part twice. Left and right, with and without a sensor, one market and another. The catalog shows which one your VIN calls for, and that is the number to order.
When the car has no VIN
Japanese-market Nissans do not carry a 17-character VIN. They carry a chassis code and a serial, written like BNR34-000001, where the letters identify the model and the digits count the cars. If you take in imports at all, you will run into one of these fairly quickly.
FAST accepts the chassis number for these cars. What you lose is the equipment detail a VIN would have given you, so you check the build against the vehicle itself: the data plate, the engine stamp, the trim codes. Our guide on VIN versus chassis number covers how the two systems differ and where each one stops.
Market builds that look identical
A Qashqai sold in Europe and one sold in Australia share a name and very little else once you reach brakes, suspension and cooling. Nissan builds to local conditions and local regulation, and the catalog knows which version you have only if you give it the VIN.
This is the situation where working from the model name and year tends to let you down. The photograph looks right, the description looks right, and the bracket still sits a few millimetres out when the part arrives. Starting from the VIN takes that risk off the table.
Superseded numbers
Nissan replaces part numbers as designs change, and the old number keeps appearing in forum posts and old invoices long after the factory stopped making it. FAST walks the chain and shows you the number that ships today.
You can sometimes still find stock against a middle link in that chain, but it will be the design Nissan has since moved away from. See what a parts supersession is for how the chains work and why the last link is the one you want.
Frequently asked questions
Does FAST cover Infiniti as well as Nissan?
Yes. Nissan publishes both through the same catalog, because the two ranges share platforms and a large amount of hardware.
What does a Nissan part number look like?
Two blocks of five digits, such as 54668-XXXXX. The first block is the component group, the second identifies the part inside it.
Can I look up a Japanese import without a VIN?
Yes. Japanese-market cars use a chassis code and serial such as BNR34-000001, and FAST accepts it. You get less equipment detail than a VIN would give, so verify the build against the car.
Do I need a Nissan dealer account?
Not with VINsearch — though what you get here is Microcat rather than FAST. One login opens Nissan and Infiniti in the browser along with the rest of the 53 manufacturer catalogs, from a $5 day pass.