Nissan VIN Decoder
Enter any 17-character Nissan VIN. Free US-market Nissan VIN decoder backed by the official NHTSA VPIC database — engine code, assembly plant, model year, body class, and every open recall, in about 30 seconds.
How to read a Nissan VIN
A Nissan VIN, like any modern road-vehicle VIN, is 17 characters split into three blocks: the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) in positions 1–3, the Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) in positions 4–9, and the Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS) in positions 10–17. Here's a real Nissan VIN broken down position by position.
112N344B5L647B8V9210L11C122133144155166177
| Position | Chars | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Country of origin 1 = United States. Many Nissans sold in the US are US-built (Altima/Rogue in Smyrna, TN; Frontier/Titan in Canton, MS). Mexico-built models (Sentra, Versa, Kicks) begin with 3, and Japan-built models (Z, GT-R) begin with J. |
| 2-3 | N4 | Manufacturer (WMI) N4 = Nissan US passenger-car division (1N4). Other Nissan WMIs include 5N1 (US-built SUVs — Rogue/Pathfinder/Murano), 1N6 (US-built trucks — Frontier/Titan), 3N1 (Mexico-built Sentra/Versa), and JN1 (Japan-built Z/GT-R and imports). Nissan's luxury division, Infiniti, uses its own WMIs. |
| 4-8 | BL4BV | Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) Encodes the model line, body style, restraint system, and engine. Nissan does not publish a public VDS-to-trim table, so CheckMyVIN reports what NHTSA VPIC returns directly (Model, Trim, Body Class, Engine, Drive Type) rather than guessing what individual characters mean. |
| 9 | 2 | Check digit A mod-11 checksum computed from the other 16 positions. NHTSA uses it to reject typos before returning a decode — if the check digit is wrong, VPIC returns an error and CheckMyVIN treats the VIN as unreadable. |
| 10 | L | Model year L = 2020. The full year code table is below. The 30-year cycle skips I, O, Q, U, Z and 0 to avoid being confused with similar-looking digits. |
| 11 | C | Assembly plant For this VIN, C maps to Nissan's Smyrna, Tennessee plant (Altima/Maxima/Rogue/Leaf). CheckMyVIN reads Plant City and Plant Country directly from the VPIC record rather than inferring the plant from this character — position 11 is brand-internal. |
| 12-17 | 234567 | Production sequence A 6-digit serial number that increments through the model year at that plant. Not useful on its own, but combined with year and plant it confirms the VIN is internally consistent. |
VIN year codes (position 10)
The 10th character of every modern VIN encodes the model year. The cycle skips the letters I, O, Q, U and Z, and the digit 0, to avoid being confused with similar digits. This table covers every model year currently on US roads.
| Code | Year | Code | Year | Code | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2010 | H | 2017 | R | 2024 |
| B | 2011 | J | 2018 | S | 2025 |
| C | 2012 | K | 2019 | T | 2026 |
| D | 2013 | L | 2020 | V | 2027 |
| E | 2014 | M | 2021 | W | 2028 |
| F | 2015 | N | 2022 | X | 2029 |
| G | 2016 | P | 2023 | Y | 2030 |
Nissan WMI codes (positions 1–3)
The first three characters of the VIN identify the manufacturer and country of assembly. Nissan uses several WMI codes depending on plant and model line.
| WMI | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1N4 | Nissan passenger car (Altima, Maxima, Leaf) — USA (Smyrna, TN) |
| 5N1 | Nissan SUV/MPV (Rogue, Pathfinder, Murano) — USA (Smyrna, TN) |
| 1N6 | Nissan truck (Frontier, Titan) — USA (Canton, MS) |
| 3N1 | Nissan passenger car (Sentra, Versa) — Mexico (Aguascalientes) |
| JN1 | Nissan (Z, GT-R and other imports) — Japan |
Nissan build sheet & options
A full Nissan build sheet — the original factory options, paint code, package contents, and dealer-installed accessories — is not part of the federal NHTSA VPIC dataset. CheckMyVIN can confirm engine family (QR/HR four-cylinders, VQ/VR V6s), assembly plant, model year, body class, and recall history pulled live from NHTSA, but it cannot return the original option list. For that, the parts/service sticker, the build record at a Nissan dealer (which can be pulled from the VIN), and the owner portal are the authoritative sources. CheckMyVIN never claims options data it cannot verify against the NHTSA record.
Nissan VIN decoder FAQ
Is the Nissan VIN decoder free?
Yes — every Nissan VIN lookup on CheckMyVIN is free, with no signup, no email gate, and no usage cap on individual users. Data comes from the public NHTSA VPIC API. The optional "full vehicle history report" link at the bottom of each report is an affiliate to a paid third-party history service; you can ignore it. Whether you search "Nissan VIN decoder", "Nissan VIN lookup", or "Nissan VIN number decoder", this is the same free tool.
How do I read a Nissan VIN (Altima, Rogue, Sentra, Frontier)?
A Nissan VIN is 17 characters: position 1 is the country (1 = USA, 3 = Mexico, J = Japan), positions 2-3 are the Nissan WMI (1N4 car, 5N1 SUV, 1N6 truck, 3N1 Mexico car, JN1 Japan), position 10 is the model year (L = 2020, see the year table on this page), and position 11 is the assembly plant. Enter the VIN above and CheckMyVIN reads every field via the official NHTSA database — it covers the Nissan lineup including Altima, Rogue, Sentra, Versa, Maxima, Murano, Pathfinder, Frontier, Titan, Kicks, Armada, Leaf, Ariya, and the Z / GT-R.
Where is the VIN located on a Nissan?
Three places on every modern Nissan: the dash plate at the base of the windshield (visible from outside, driver side), the driver-door jamb certification sticker, and on the title / registration. On a classic Datsun, the VIN location and format differ — see the old-VIN question below.
How do I find my Nissan engine code (VQ, VR, QR) from the VIN?
The engine appears in the VPIC fields CheckMyVIN reads — displacement, cylinder count, and configuration. Common Nissan engines include the QR25DE 2.5L and HR-series four-cylinders, the VQ35DE / VQ37VHR V6 (Maxima, Pathfinder, 350Z/370Z), and the twin-turbo VR30DDTT / VR38DETT V6 (Z, GT-R). Enter the VIN above and read the Vehicle Specifications block. The VIN identifies the engine family; the build sheet holds the rest of the option detail.
Can I check my Nissan CVT warranty or coverage by VIN?
Not directly from the public VIN data — warranty status lives in Nissan's own system, not in NHTSA VPIC. Nissan extended the CVT (Xtronic) warranty on a number of models and years because of widespread transmission complaints, so it is worth confirming your specific coverage: give the VIN to a Nissan dealer or Nissan customer service. CheckMyVIN shows the transmission type and any open recalls; it does not show warranty term remaining. (See the CVT note in the buyer's guide on the Nissan hub.)
Can I check Nissan recalls with the VIN?
Yes. CheckMyVIN automatically queries the NHTSA recall API alongside the decode and shows every open campaign for the year/model/make combination. Worked examples — including the 2013-2018 Altima hood-latch campaign and a 2017 Rogue dash-harness corrosion campaign — appear on the /nissan/recall page with the official NHTSA campaign numbers and links to the NHTSA recall portal so you can verify. Nissan is also part of the industry-wide Takata airbag recalls, so older models are worth checking.
Can I get the Nissan window sticker or build sheet by VIN?
The original window sticker (Monroney label) and full build sheet are not in the NHTSA VPIC data, so CheckMyVIN does not reproduce them. What the VIN does give you — engine, plant, model year, body class, drive type, and open recalls — appears free in the report above. For the original Monroney or option list, a Nissan dealer can pull the build record from the VIN.
Is the Nissan Leaf or Ariya covered as an EV?
Yes. The Leaf and Ariya decode as electric vehicles, and the report switches to the EV view — battery details where NHTSA returns them, no oil or spark-plug rows, and EV-specific maintenance. The Leaf was one of the first mass-market EVs, so older ones are common on the used market; the VIN confirms model year and trim.
Can you decode an old Nissan or Datsun VIN (pre-1981)?
Only partially. Federal law standardized VINs at 17 characters in 1981; earlier Nissans — sold in the US as Datsun, including the iconic 240Z/260Z/280Z and 510 — used shorter chassis/serial numbers with a different structure (no standardized check digit, no global WMI registry), and NHTSA's VPIC database has limited coverage of them. CheckMyVIN will not invent fields it cannot verify. For a classic Datsun, the chassis-number plate and marque registries / Z-car clubs are the authoritative decode sources. Be skeptical of any tool that claims to fully "decode" a pre-1981 Datsun VIN.