Free Nissan Altima VIN Decoder

How to decode a Nissan Altima VIN

Characters 1-3 of a Nissan Altima VIN

The World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) is an integral part of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), which uniquely identifies the manufacturer of the vehicle. It constitutes the first three characters of the VIN and reveals the vehicle maker and the country where it was manufactured. For the Nissan Altima, the WMI is 1N4, where the 1 signifies that the car was produced in North America, N stands for Nissan, and 4 indicates that it’s a passenger car. This code helps to easily identify the vehicle’s make and model before delving into more specific details, such as the features, specifications, and manufacturing location encoded in the subsequent characters of the VIN. Understanding the WMI is the first step in decoding the entire VIN, providing an insightful glimpse into a vehicle’s origins.

List of WMI Codes for a Nissan Altima

WMI: 1N4

• Model Years Covered: 1993-2024
• Example VIN: 1N4BU31F1PC233174
• Manufacturer Name: Nissan North America, Inc.
• Vehicle Type: Passenger Car
• City: Franklin
• State or Province: Tennessee
• Country: United States

Characters 4-8 are the Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) of a Nissan Altima VIN

These characters correspond to components like:

• Engine type
• Transmission
• Model or trim
• Body style
• Gross vehicle weight range

Below find the known vehicle descriptor codes for a Nissan Altima:

Auto manufacturers have some discretion to decide how they want to code this section, but its contents and decoded results are generally consistent.

Character 9 is the “check digit” in a Nissan Altima VIN.

Based on a formula developed by the US Department of Transportation, it helps reduce fraud by ensuring the validity of the VIN.

10th Character in the Nissan Altima VIN — Year Code

11th Character in the Nissan Altima VIN — Plant Code(s)

Known Nissan Altima Assembly Factory VIN Code(s)

VIN Characters 12 - 17 of a Nissan Altima

The final 6 characters in a Nissan Altima’s 17-digit VIN are its serial number, which will be unique to every vehicle.

What info can a Nissan Altima VIN reveal?

• Model Year: The VIN can reveal the vehicles model year being the year the Nissan Altima was manufactured, providing insights into the age and historical value of the vehicle.
• Plant City: The VIN indicates the city where the Nissan Altima was assembled, possibly giving insight into its production location.
• Trim Level: The VIN can provide details about the specific trim level or package of the Nissan Altima, helping to identify the available features and options.
• Body Class: The VIN contains information about the body style of the Nissan Altima, possibly indicating whether it is a sedan or a coupe.
• Transmission Style: The VIN can indicate the type of transmission in the Nissan Altima, possibly revealing whether it is a manual or an automatic.
• Fuel Type: The VIN may reveal the primary fuel type used by the Nissan Altima, such as gasoline or hybrid.
• Safety Features: Standard safety features, such as airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS), and electronic stability control (ESC), can potentially be inferred from the VIN, providing an idea of the vehicle’s safety capabilities.

Sample VIN Decode Report for a Nissan Altima