Nissan VINs start with JN1 or JN8 (Japan), 1N4, 1N6 or 5N1 (US), 3N1 or 3N6 (Mexico) and KNM (Korea, some Rogues). Infiniti uses JNK, JNR and 5N3.
Specs are free. The Nissan's history is the part that costs money — $5.99 of it.
Accident records, title brands, odometer readings, service history and open recalls for this VIN.
Get the full report — $5.99Nissan VIN decoder: reading the code yourself
Nissan does something few makers do: it puts the engine right after the manufacturer code, so the fourth character of a Nissan VIN tells you which engine family the car left the factory with. The rest follows the usual pattern, and the first three characters reveal whether a Rogue came from Tennessee, Japan or South Korea.
| Position | What Nissan encodes there |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | World Manufacturer Identifier (table below). |
| 4 | Engine. On a 2015 Altima, A is the 2.5-litre four and B the 3.5-litre V6. |
| 5–8 | Model line, generation, body and equipment codes: L3 for the 2013–2018 Altima, T2 for the 2014–2020 Rogue. |
| 9 | Check digit. |
| 10 | Model year (table below). |
| 11 | Assembly plant (table below). |
| 12–17 | Production serial. |
Nissan WMI codes (positions 1–3)
| Code | Meaning | Typical vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| JN1 | Car, built in Japan | 370Z, GT-R, Leaf (2011–2012) |
| JN8 | SUV, built in Japan | Juke, Murano (to 2014), Armada (2017 on), first-generation Rogue (2008–2013) |
| 1N4 | Car, built in the US | Altima, Maxima, Leaf (2013 on) |
| 1N6 | Truck, built in the US | Frontier, Titan, NV vans |
| 5N1 | SUV, built in the US | Rogue, Pathfinder, Murano (2015 on), Armada (2004–2015), Xterra |
| 3N1 · 3N6 | Built in Mexico (car · van) | Sentra, Versa, Kicks · NV200 and Chevrolet City Express |
| KNM | Renault Samsung, Busan, South Korea | Rogue (about 2015–2019) |
| JNK · JNR · 5N3 | Infiniti | Infiniti cars and SUVs, which decode here too |
Nissan assembly plant codes (position 11)
| Code | Plant | Builds |
|---|---|---|
| C | Smyrna, Tennessee | Rogue, Pathfinder, Altima, Maxima, Leaf |
| N | Canton, Mississippi | Altima, Frontier, Titan, Murano, NV vans |
| Y | Aguascalientes, Mexico | Sentra, Versa, Kicks |
| K | CIVAC, Cuernavaca, Mexico | NV200, Chevrolet City Express |
| P | Busan, South Korea (Renault Samsung) | Rogue (KNM VINs) |
| M | Tochigi, Japan | 370Z, GT-R, Infiniti sedans and coupés |
| W · 9 | Kyushu, Japan (Nissan · Nissan Shatai) | Rogue and Murano (Japan-built) · Armada |
| T | Oppama, Japan | Leaf (2011–2012), Juke |
Model-year letters (position 10)
Every maker uses the same tenth-character code. 2001–2009 are the digits 1–9; from 2010 the alphabet starts again at A, skipping I, O, Q, U and Z so nothing is mistaken for a digit. The same letters were used for 1980–2000, which is why a VIN's seventh character matters: a letter there means the vehicle is 2010 or newer, a digit means 2009 or older.
| 1 2001 | 2 2002 | 3 2003 | 4 2004 | 5 2005 |
| 6 2006 | 7 2007 | 8 2008 | 9 2009 | A 2010 |
| B 2011 | C 2012 | D 2013 | E 2014 | F 2015 |
| G 2016 | H 2017 | J 2018 | K 2019 | L 2020 |
| M 2021 | N 2022 | P 2023 | R 2024 | S 2025 |
| T 2026 | V 2027 | W 2028 | X 2029 | Y 2030 |
Nissan trouble spots to check in the history report
On a used Nissan the transmission matters more than anything else, and the decode tells you whether the car has a CVT. Years are approximate.
- CVT (continuously variable transmission), about 2013–2018 Altima, Rogue, Sentra, Pathfinder, Versa Note and Juke: shudder, overheating and failure. Several model years got extended warranties through settlements. A replaced CVT, or reprogramming on record, is the thing to look for.
- 2005–2010 Frontier, Pathfinder and Xterra: a leak inside the radiator's transmission cooler can mix coolant into the automatic's fluid and destroy the gearbox. Nissan extended radiator coverage; a radiator replacement on record is good news.
- 2.5-litre QR25, 2002–2006 Altima and Sentra: pre-catalytic converter failure and oil consumption.
- 5.6 V8 exhaust manifolds (2004–2015 Titan and Armada): cracking and ticking.
- Leaf battery capacity, especially 2011–2015 cars from hot states: the battery has no active cooling, so ask for a capacity reading; mileage says little.
- Takata airbag inflators: in 2024 Nissan told owners of some older vehicles — 2002–2006 Sentra, 2002–2004 Pathfinder and 2002–2003 Infiniti QX4 — not to drive them until repaired. The free recall check above lists the campaigns for the model and year; nhtsa.gov/recalls confirms whether this VIN's repair was done.
A VIN-first checklist for buying a used Nissan
- Decode the VIN and note the engine and transmission — CVT or conventional automatic.
- Run the history report for accidents, title brands, rental-fleet use (common on Altima, Sentra and Versa) and the service trail.
- Ask a Nissan dealer whether any CVT warranty extension still applies to the VIN.
- Match the dashboard VIN, the door-jamb label and the title.
- Pull the original window sticker to confirm packages the decode doesn't list.
What a Nissan VIN decode can't tell you
Everything above was fixed on the day the vehicle was built, which is exactly why it is reliable and exactly why it is incomplete. A collision, a flood title issued in another state, a rolled-back odometer or a skipped timing-chain service all happen later, so none of them touch the VIN. They live in the vehicle history report: accident and damage records, title brands, the odometer timeline, open recalls, service entries and ownership changes. Decode here for free as often as you like; buy history only for the Nissan you are serious about. Dealers and flippers who check every car can bring that to $1.30 a report.
Guides that go with this decoder
- What to inspect before buying a used car — the lot checklist to print.
- What the 17 digits in a VIN mean — the full position-by-position breakdown.
- Signs of a rolled-back odometer — what a decode can't catch and a report can.
- Is a salvage-title car worth buying? — every brand, and what it does to value.
- Dealer auction VIN checks — the pre-bid routine volume buyers use.
- Other makes: any VIN · Ford · Chevrolet · Toyota · Honda · Nissan · Jeep · BMW · Mercedes-Benz · Audi · Volkswagen · Lexus · Porsche · window sticker lookup
Frequently asked questions
How do I decode a Nissan VIN?
Enter the 17-character VIN above. The decoder returns model year, model, body, engine, drivetrain, transmission and assembly plant from the official NHTSA vPIC database. The first three characters tell you where it was built: JN1 and JN8 are Japan, 1N4, 1N6 and 5N1 the US, 3N1 and 3N6 Mexico, and KNM Busan, South Korea.
Which character in a Nissan VIN is the engine?
The fourth, read together with the model line that follows. On a 2015 Altima, 1N4AL3AP decodes as the 2.5-litre four and 1N4BL3AP as the 3.5-litre V6. The letters are reused across models, so let the decoder translate them.
Which plant built my Nissan?
The eleventh character. C is Smyrna, Tennessee; N is Canton, Mississippi; Y is Aguascalientes, Mexico; P is Busan, South Korea; M is Tochigi, Japan; W is Kyushu, Japan. The decoder names the plant for you.
Why does my Nissan Rogue VIN start with KNM?
Between about 2015 and 2019 some US-market Rogues were built under contract by Renault Samsung in Busan, South Korea, so they carry that company's code, KNM, and plant letter P. They are the same model as a Smyrna-built Rogue (5N1) and decode the same way here.
Has this Nissan's CVT been replaced?
A VIN decode can't say. A CVT replacement or software reprogramming usually appears as a dealer service record in the history report. Nissan extended CVT warranty coverage on several model years, so a Nissan dealer can tell you whether this VIN still qualifies.
Does a VIN decode show if a Nissan has been in an accident?
No. A decode returns factory build data only. Accidents, branded titles, odometer readings, service records and open recalls appear in the full vehicle history report, $5.99 for a single VIN.