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- Fast and Accurate
Nissan VIN Decoder
Think you know that Nissan vehicle well enough? Ask our Nissan VIN decoder. Get free access to key details like the original specs, trim, engine, and more. Run a full car check to see any hidden records, like insurance write-off and theft status.
What is a Nissan VIN Number decoder?
A Nissan VIN decoder is a simple online tool that reads your car’s VIN to show details like model, engine, trim, and features. It helps you check if a car’s info is real and matches what the seller says. This is important when buying or selling a used car to avoid hidden problems, past damage, or even stolen vehicles.
How to Decode a Nissan VIN Number?
A Nissan VIN is a 17-digit code that’s unique to each vehicle. The letters I, O, and Q aren’t used because they look like 1 or 0. No two VINs are the same, and each part of the VIN tells you something like who made the car, where it was built, the model, and key specs. Think of it as your car’s fingerprint.
What is the VIN Made Up of?
The VIN structure is made up of three key sections:
- Characters 1 to 3 show who made the car and the country it was built. This section is referred to as the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI).
- Characters 4 to 9 provide specific information like the model, engine type, and body style, collectively referred to as the Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS).
- The last section is the Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS) and represented by the last eight characters (10th to 17th). Here, you will find the year the car was made, the manufacturing plant, and its unique serial number.
What Each Nissan VIN Character Means
1st to 3rd Characters:
The first three characters represent the country and manufacturer. Some characters to expect include:
- JN1 or JN3 – Japan Produce Nissan Passenger Vehicle.
- JN6 – Japan Produce Nissan Truck & Van.
- JN8 – Japan Produce Nissan Multi-Purpose Vehicle.
- 1N4 – USA Produce Nissan Car.
- 1N6 – USA Produce Nissan Truck.
- 5BZ – USA Produce Nissan Truck & Van.
- 5N1 – USA Produce Nissan Multi-Purpose.
- 3N1 – Mexico Produce Nissan Car.
4th Character:
This contains the Nissan engine type. Here are a few characters you would come across:
- A – VG30D, VK45DE, VQ35DE, VK56DE, VQ40DE, QR25DE
- B – KA24DE, SR20DE, VQ35HR, MR18DE, QR25DE
- C – SR20DE, VG30DETT, QG18DE
- D – KA24DE, QG18DE, VQ35DE
- E – VE30DE, GA16DE, VG33E
- F – KA24E
- H – VG30E
5th Character:
This contains the model line. A few characters to expect include:
- A – Armada, Titan, Maxima
- B – Sentra
- C – Versa (07-11)
- D – Truck, Xterra (00-04), Frontier
- J – Maxima
- N – Xterra (05-11)
- R – Pathfinder
- S – 240SX, Rogue (08-11)
- U – Altima
- Z – 300Z, 350Z, Murano
6th Characters:
This reveals if there is a model change. If it’s zero (0), this means no change occurred. Two characters to expect include:
- 6 – Frontier King Cab
- 7 – Frontier Crew Cab
7th Characters:
The body type is indicated by the seventh character. Typical characters include:
- 1 – 4-Door Sedan, Standard Body Truck
- 4 – 2-Door Coupe
- 5 – 4-Door Wagon
- 6 – 2-Door Convertible, Fastback, King Cab Truck
- 7 – Crew Cab Truck
- 8 – 8- Door Wagon
8th character:
Here, a lot can be decoded as it can represent the safety system, restraint or drive type. Some of the characters include:
- A – Air Bag System.
- C – Air Bag System.
- D – Driver & Front Passenger Air Bag + 3 Point Seat Belt.
- E – Driver and front passenger SRS air bags, SRS side air bags, SRS curtain air bag & 3 point manual seat belt.
- P – Passive Restraint System.
- S – 2 Wheel Drive (2WD) – Rear ABS.
- T – 2 Wheel Drive (2WD) – 4-Wheel ABS.
- Y – 4 Wheel Drive (4WD) – 4-Wheel ABS.
- U – 2WD
- W – AWD (4WD)
9th Character:
This is the security digit and helps confirm the VIN’s accuracy. It’s calculated using a special formula that analyses the other 16 characters.
10th Character:
The tenth character indicates the model year and alternates between numbers and letters. Easily decode your vehicle model year using the VIN to year chart
Code/Year
- A 1980
- B 1981
- C 1982
- D 1983
- E 1984
- F 1985
- G 1986
- H 1987
- J 1988
- K 1989
Code/Year
- L 1990
- M 1991
- N 1992
- P 1993
- R 1994
- S 1995
- T 1996
- V 1997
- W 1998
- X 1999
Code/Year
- Y 2000
- 1 2001
- 2 2002
- 3 2003
- 4 2004
- 5 2005
- 6 2006
- 7 2007
- 8 2008
- 9 2009
Code/Year
- A 2010
- B 2011
- C 2012
- D 2013
- E 2014
- F 2015
- G 2016
- H 2017
- J 2018
- K 2019
Code/Year
- L 2020
- M 2021
- N 2022
- P 2023
- R 2024
- S 2025
- T 2026
- V 2027
- W 2028
- X 2029
Code/Year
- A 1980
- B 1981
- C 1982
- D 1983
- E 1984
- F 1985
- G 1986
- H 1987
- J 1988
- K 1989
- L 1990
- M 1991
- N 1992
- P 1993
- R 1994
- S 1995
- T 1996
- V 1997
- W 1998
- X 1999
- Y 2000
- 1 2001
- 2 2002
- 3 2003
- 4 2004
Code/Year
- 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
11th Character:
The eleventh character, plant code, indicates the assembly plant. Nissan has the following manufacturing plants:
- C – Smyrna, Tennessee, USA
- L – Aguas Calientes, Mexico
- M – Tochigi, Japan
- N – Canton, Mississippi, USA
- T – Tochigi, Japan
- T – Oppama, Japan
- W – Kyushyu, Japan
12th to 17th Characters:
These characters make up the unique sequential number (serial number) of the Nissan. This number doesn’t mean anything special other than the production number when the car was rolled out of the factory.
How to Run a Nissan VIN Number Check?
Follow these simple steps for a free Nissan VIN decoding:
Enter the VIN
Input the 17-character VIN, your email address, and your phone number into the form above.
Click “Decode VIN”
Submit details to initiate the decoding process.
View Specifications
Instantly access the car’s make, model, body type, and other key details.
With a full car check, you get premium access to verify any hidden records, including insurance write-offs, odometer rollback, outstanding finance, and more.
Nissan VIN Number Meaning
A Nissan VIN is a 17-character code that makes each car unique. It shows details like the car’s brand, model, year, engine, and where it was made.
You’ll need the VIN for things like registering the car, getting insurance, or checking its history when buying or selling. It helps confirm the car is real and the details match what you’re told.
Finding the VIN Number on a Nissan
Nissan VIN numbers are usually found:
- On the dashboard (seen through the windshield)
- Driver’s door pillar,
- Engine bay firewall, and
- Vehicle registration certificate (V5C logbook).
When buying a used Nissan, always check that the VIN matches in all locations. If numbers are missing or don’t match, it could mean the car is stolen, damaged, or has fake documents. Report it immediately.
Why Is a Nissan VIN Number Check Crucial?
Nobody wishes to become the victim of a car scam until they end up buying a lemon. To stay safe, get armed with the right information by running a VIN check. Here’s why:
Verify Original Vehicle Specs
Lists factory details like engine size, transmission, and trim. This lets you see if the car matches the seller’s description.
Stolen Vehicle Check
Tells you if the car has been reported as stolen. You could lose the car with no refund once it’s recovered by the police.
Check Write-Off Category
Tells you the damage level if it was written off (like Cat S or Cat N). Some categories mean the car had serious damage and was repaired.
Spot Mileage Fraud
Compare mileage records to detect tampering or clocking.
Outstanding Finance Check
Make sure there’s no outstanding finance that could result in repossession.
Confirm Previous Keepers
Tells you how many people have owned the car before. Too many owners may suggest the car has had problems.
Nissan VIN Decoding: Free Vs. Full Car Check
Choose between our free VIN decoding and a detailed, paid full car check. The latter is highly recommended if you buy a used car.
Free VIN Decoding
Our free Nissan VIN decoder provides basic car specifications, such as model, year, transmission, engine details, trim, and more.
See below for what our free VIN decoder provides.
Year
Body style
Colour
Gears
Make
Trim level
Engine size
Fuel type
Model
Transmission
Engine cylinders
Displacement
Vehicle type
Vehicle class
Engine specs
Emission standard
Number of doors
Number of seats
Displacement
Emissions
Full Car Check Service
Get a complete picture of your Nissan’s history, including MOT records, write-offs, theft, finance status, and more. Our full car check report reveals the following:
High-risk records
Written-off check
Stolen records
Outstanding finance
Mileage history
Scrapped records
Auction history
Plate change history
MOT history
Ownership records
Logbook checks
Colour change history
Tax Status
Imported checks
Exported checks
Vehicle Registration
Nissan Vehicles' Latest Stories
- The Nissan Qashqai and Juke were among the UK’s top five best-selling cars in 2024, with 42,418 and 34,454 units sold, respectively.
- Older models like the Nissan Sunny and Bluebird have higher theft rates, with 332 and 316 thefts per 10,000 vehicles, respectively.
- In 2024, Nissan sold 100,446 cars in the UK, marking a 12.3% increase from the previous year and capturing a 5.14% market share.
- Nissan’s Sunderland plant, employing around 6,000 people, has produced over 11.5 million vehicles since its opening in 1986, including half a million electrified cars in recent years.
- In fiscal year 2024, 45% of Nissan’s European sales were electrified vehicles, with the Juke achieving record sales of 104,000 units and the all-electric Ariya reaching 20,600 units.
Other Smart Car Check Tools
We provide all-inclusive vehicle check services to simplify your car research and deliver the exact information you need. Here’s an overview of the additional tools available:
Registration Number Check
Retrieve vehicle details using the registration number.
MOT History Check
Access past MOT records to evaluate the car’s condition.
Insurance Write-Off Check
Identify vehicles previously classified as total losses.
Tax Check
Confirm tax status and compliance.
Stolen Car Check
Verify if the car is flagged as stolen in databases.
MPG Check
Determine the fuel efficiency and performance of the car.
Motorcycle VIN Check
Get specific data and history for motorcycles.
Car Value Check
Estimate the current market value of the vehicle.
Car Outstanding Finance Check
Verify if a car has an outstanding finance or loans.
Get our Smart Car Check Mobile App
Are you looking for the best car history check UK? Make a smart decision with Smart Car Check App. Perform a Reg. number check in the UK to uncover any past problems and hidden history that the seller will not tell you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to check a Nissan VIN number?
Input the VIN into our reliable VIN check tool to instantly reveal any hidden issues relating to write-off, MOT status, mileage discrepancies, theft, and other high-risk records.
How do you read a Nissan VIN plate?
A 17-digit Nissan VIN has three sections :
- WMI – World Manufacturer Identifier (Digits 1–3): Identifies the vehicle’s manufacturer and country of origin.
- VDS – Vehicle Descriptor Section (Digits 4–9): Provides details about the vehicle, such as model, body type, engine, and safety features.
- VIS – Vehicle Identifier Section (Digits 10–17): Includes the model year, manufacturing plant, and the vehicle’s unique serial number.
How do you check engine by VIN number?
Use our reliable Nissan VIN decoder to find details about the engine, such as type, size, and displacement. You will also find other specs like the trim, transmission, and more.
