How to decode a 2009 Nissan Altima VIN

Characters 1-3 of a 2009 Nissan Altima VIN

World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) codes uniquely identify the manufacturer and country of origin for vehicles worldwide. The 2009 Nissan Altima’s WMI is “1N4,” indicating it is a passenger car manufactured by Nissan North America, Inc. in the United States. Specifically, this manufacturer is located in Franklin, Tennessee. WMIs are the first three characters of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), serving as a global standard for identifying vehicle makes and models across the automotive industry.

List of WMI Codes for a 2009 Nissan Altima

WMI: 1N4

Model Years Covered: 1993-2024
Example VIN: 1N4BL24E09C119492
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 2009 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 2009 Nissan Altima:

Known VDS for a 2009 Nissan Altima
BL24E	BL21E	AL21E	AL24E	CL21E

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 2009 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 2009 Nissan Altima VIN — Year Code

Year Code	Year
9	2009

11th Character in the 2009 Nissan Altima VIN — Plant Code(s)

Known 2009 Nissan Altima Assembly Factory VIN Code(s)

Plant Code	Plant City	Plant State	Plant Country	Plant Company Name	Example VIN
C	Smyrna	Tennessee	United States	Smyrna Plant	1N4BL24E09C119492
N	Canton	Mississippi	United States	Canton Plant	1N4BL21E09N403049

VIN Characters 12 - 17 of a 2009 Nissan Altima

The final 6 characters in a 2009 Nissan Altima’s 17-digit VIN are its serial number, which will be unique to every vehicle.

Check your Nissan Altima’s VIN below:

How to find a 2009 Nissan Altima’s VIN?

Locating the VIN number on your 2009 Nissan Altima is key for identification. Here’s how to find it:

Look at the dashboard on the driver’s side of your 2009 Nissan Altima. The VIN can typically be seen through the windshield.
Examine the door jamb on the driver’s side of your Nissan Altima. The VIN may be found on a label or sticker where the door latches upon closing.
Inspect the engine bay of your Altima; there’s often a VIN plate or sticker mounted on the firewall or other components.
Review your Nissan Altima’s service records or owner’s manual, as the VIN is usually recorded in these documents for reference.
Check the trunk area; sometimes the VIN can be found under the trunk carpet or on the trunk lid.
If you have the existing vehicle registration or insurance documents for your Nissan Altima, the VIN will be listed there as well.

What info can a 2009 Nissan Altima VIN reveal?

Model Year: The VIN can reveal the vehicles model year being the year 2009, providing insights into the age and potential market value of the vehicle.
Body Class and Drive Type: It discloses that the vehicle is a Coupe with a 4x2 drive type, offering insights into both the vehicle’s body style and its drivetrain configuration.
Engine Specifications: Key information about the engine, including its manufacturer (Nissan), model (QR25DE), configuration (In-Line), number of cylinders (4), and displacement (2.5L or 2500cc), are decoded from the VIN, illustrating the vehicle’s performance capabilities.
Fuel Type and Efficiency: The VIN specifies that the primary fuel type for the vehicle is Gasoline, which is essential for understanding the vehicle’s fuel usage and environmental impact.
Safety Features: The vehicle comes equipped with front and curtain airbags in the 1st row (Driver and Passenger), indicating a focus on passenger safety.
Manufacturing Details: The VIN discloses the manufacturing location as Smyrna, Tennessee, United States, by the Smyrna Plant, giving insight into the vehicle’s production origin.
Additional Features: It indicates specifics like the vehicle’s cooling type (Water), the presence of a Direct Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), and a manual seat belt type, which are instrumental in understanding the vehicle’s comfort and safety technologies.

Don’t have your 2009 Nissan Altima’s VIN handy? Try our license plate lookup instead!

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Sample VIN Decode Report for a 2009 Nissan Altima

Vehicle Spec	Value
Body Class	Sedan/Saloon
Cooling Type	Water
Curtain Air Bag Locations	1st Row (Driver and Passenger)
Displacement (CC)	2500.0
Displacement (CI)	152.55936023683
Displacement (L)	2.5
Doors	4
Drive Type	4x2
Engine Brake (hp) From	170
Engine Brake (hp) To	175
Engine Configuration	In-Line
Engine Manufacturer	Nissan
Engine Model	QR25DE
Engine Number of Cylinders	4
Front Air Bag Locations	1st Row (Driver and Passenger)
Fuel Type - Primary	Gasoline
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating From	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating To	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)
Model	Altima
Model Year	2009
Plant City	Canton
Plant Company Name	Canton plant
Plant Country	United States
Plant State	Mississippi
Seat Belt Type	Manual
Side Air Bag Locations	1st Row (Driver and Passenger)
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Type	Direct
Valve Train Design	Dual Overhead Cam (DOHC)
Vehicle Descriptor	1N4AL21E*9N
Vehicle Type	Passenger Car
Sample_VIN	1N4AL21E09N400793