Free Nissan VIN Decoder
Nissan VIN Decoder & Lookup Tool
Enter any 17-character Nissan VIN to decode year, trim, engine, transmission, body style, drive type, and assembly plant. Then see what verified buyers actually paid for the same Nissan.
Try a sample: 1N4AL3AP0JC123456Sample 2018 Nissan Altima 2.5 SV built at Smyrna Assembly.
Enter a VIN to Decode
About Nissan
Nissan is a Japanese automaker founded in 1933 and a member of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. The Smyrna, Tennessee plant is one of the largest auto assembly facilities in North America. Nissan VINs starting with 1N4 (passenger cars) or 1N6 (trucks) are U.S.-built; JN-prefixed VINs (JN1 sports/luxury, JN8 SUVs) come from Japanese plants. The eighth character on a Nissan encodes engine — particularly important on Altima and Rogue, which have multiple engine options.
CarWhere has 2 verified Nissan buyer transactions with an average selling price of $22,255 and average discount of 6.7% off MSRP. Use the VIN decoder above to identify the exact Nissan configuration, then compare it against real transaction prices.
What a Nissan VIN Tells You
Every Nissan VIN encodes 13 distinct vehicle attributes. Our decoder surfaces the ones that matter most for identifying, valuing, and researching a specific Nissan:
Year
Model year — encoded in character 10 of the VIN
Model & Trim
Specific Nissan model line and trim level
Engine
Displacement, cylinder count, and fuel type
Transmission
Automatic, manual, CVT, or DCT — and gear count
Drive Type
AWD, FWD, RWD, or 4WD configuration
Body Style
Sedan, SUV, truck, hatchback, coupe, convertible
Plant
Where this specific Nissan was assembled
Country
Country of origin — derived from the WMI prefix
How a Nissan VIN Is Structured
All modern Nissan VINs follow ISO 3779 — the international 17-character VIN standard adopted in 1981. The 17 characters break into four fixed sections:
World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI)
For Nissan, the WMI is typically JN1, JN6, JN8, 1N4, or 1N6, 3N1, 5N1. JN-prefixed VINs identify Nissan vehicles built in Japan. 1N4 and 1N6 identify Nissan vehicles built at Smyrna or Canton, Tennessee/Mississippi. 3N1 identifies Mexico-built Nissan Sentra and Versa.
Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS)
Encodes the Nissan model line, body style, restraint system, and engine. Position 8 specifically identifies the engine — the most ambiguous character because the same digit can mean different engines on different Nissan models.
Check Digit
A mathematical checksum derived from the other 16 characters. If a Nissan VIN doesn't pass the check-digit test, it's either a typo or a forgery.
Model Year
A single character encoding the model year. Examples on a Nissan: L = 2020, M = 2021, N = 2022, P = 2023, R = 2024, S = 2025, T = 2026.
Plant Code
Identifies the specific Nissan assembly plant. Nissan operates plants in Smyrna, Tennessee, Canton, Mississippi, Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Sequential Production Number
The unique six-character serial number for that specific Nissan unit. Two Nissan vehicles with the same year, model, trim, and plant will differ only in this final segment.
Popular Nissan Models
The most common Nissan models by U.S. sales volume. Click any model to see verified buyer transactions and current pricing on CarWhere.
Where Nissan Vehicles Are Built
The 11th character of a Nissan VIN identifies the assembly plant. Nissan operates the following facilities that supply U.S.-market vehicles:
- •Smyrna, Tennessee
- •Canton, Mississippi
- •Aguascalientes, Mexico
- •Cuernavaca, Mexico
- •Tochigi, Japan
- •Oppama, Japan
How to Decode a Nissan VIN
Find the VIN on your Nissan
Locate the 17-character VIN on the lower driver's-side corner of the windshield, the driver's door jamb, your registration, or your insurance card.
Enter the VIN
Type or paste the 17-character VIN into the decoder above. We strip spaces and dashes automatically and convert lowercase letters to uppercase. The tool rejects VINs containing I, O, or Q.
Decode instantly
Click "Decode VIN." Our server queries the NHTSA vPIC database and returns the full vehicle specification in under a second.
See what buyers paid for the same Nissan
If we have verified buyer transactions for the decoded year/make/model, we surface the average selling price, average discount off MSRP, and total verified deal count — and link you to the full Nissan model page.
Nissan VIN Decoder FAQ
What does a Nissan VIN decoder tell you?
A Nissan VIN decoder reveals the model year, model name, trim level, engine type and displacement, transmission, drive type, body style, and assembly plant of any Nissan vehicle. It uses the official NHTSA Vehicle Identification Number database, which every Nissan sold in the United States is registered against. It does not show accident or ownership history.
What does a Nissan VIN start with?
Nissan VINs typically start with JN1, JN6, JN8, 1N4, or 1N6. JN-prefixed VINs identify Nissan vehicles built in Japan. 1N4 and 1N6 identify Nissan vehicles built at Smyrna or Canton, Tennessee/Mississippi. 3N1 identifies Mexico-built Nissan Sentra and Versa.
Where is the VIN on a Nissan?
The easiest place to find the VIN on a Nissan is the lower corner of the windshield on the driver's side dashboard, visible from outside the vehicle. It's also printed on the driver's door jamb sticker, the vehicle title, the registration card, and the insurance card. On older models the VIN may be stamped on the engine block or firewall.
How many characters is a Nissan VIN?
Every Nissan VIN is exactly 17 characters — a mix of letters and numbers. Like all modern VINs, Nissan VINs never contain the letters I, O, or Q to avoid confusion with the digits 1, 0, and 9. A Nissan VIN with fewer or more than 17 characters is either a partial reference or an error.
Is the Nissan VIN decoder really free?
Yes. CarWhere's Nissan VIN decoder is completely free with no signup, account, or credit card required. We use the NHTSA vPIC API — the official U.S. government VIN database that every U.S.-market Nissan is filed against. We additionally cross-reference the decoded year, make, and model against verified buyer transactions in our deal database.
Where are Nissan vehicles built?
Nissan operates assembly plants in Smyrna, Tennessee, Canton, Mississippi, Aguascalientes, Mexico, Cuernavaca, Mexico, plus additional facilities globally. The 11th character of a Nissan VIN identifies the specific plant of manufacture, while the first three characters (the World Manufacturer Identifier) identify the country.
Can I check Nissan recalls by VIN?
Yes — once you decode a Nissan VIN here, you can cross-reference open recalls at the official NHTSA recall lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Nissan also operates an owner portal where logged-in owners can view recall status and schedule free repairs at any authorized Nissan dealer.
Does a Nissan VIN reveal accident history?
No. A VIN decode reveals factory specifications only — make, model, trim, engine, plant. To check accident history, salvage titles, or odometer rollback on a Nissan, you need a vehicle history report from Carfax or AutoCheck, both of which use the VIN as the lookup key but pull from insurance and DMV records.
VIN Decoders for Other Makes
Decoded a Nissan VIN? See what buyers paid.
CarWhere has verified buyer transactions for Nissan vehicles nationwide — real prices from real deal sheets, not dealer ads or algorithm estimates.