At a glance
- Infiniti-only WMIs
- JNK (cars), JNR (SUVs), JNT, JNX and 5N3
- Shared with Nissan
- 5N1 (QX60, QX65), JN8 (QX80), 3PC (QX50, QX55)
- Plant codes
- C Smyrna, Tennessee; 9 Kyushu, Japan; F Aguascalientes, Mexico
- Year letter
- S = 2025, T = 2026, V = 2027
On this page
How to read an Infiniti VIN
Infiniti is Nissan's luxury brand, so Nissan files Infiniti's VIN charts with NHTSA and an Infiniti VIN decoder reads them with Nissan's layout. Position 4 is the engine, 5 the model line, 6 a model change code, 7 the grade, and 8 the restraint system combined with 2WD or 4WD. The chart below walks through 5N1AL1E85VC100001, a test VIN we built on Nissan's 2027 QX60 chart with a computed check digit. It shows the pattern; it isn't a specific car.
| Position | What Nissan codes there | In 5N1AL1E85VC100001 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WMI, 1st character: 5 for a vehicle built in the United States | 5 |
| 2 | WMI, 2nd character | N |
| 3 | WMI, 3rd character: 5N1 is Nissan North America's code for multipurpose vehicles | 1 |
| 4 | Engine type: A is the 2.0L gasoline engine | A |
| 5 | Model line: L is the QX60 | L |
| 6 | Model change code | 1 |
| 7 | Grade: E is Pure | E |
| 8 | Restraint system and drive: 8 is a Pure with 4WD | 8 |
| 9 | Check digit, calculated under 49 CFR 565 | 5 |
| 10 | Model year: V is 2027 | V |
| 11 | Plant: C is Smyrna, Tennessee | C |
| 12 | Start of the six-digit production number | 1 |
| 13 | Production number | 0 |
| 14 | Production number | 0 |
| 15 | Production number | 0 |
| 16 | Production number | 0 |
| 17 | Last digit of the production number | 1 |
QX60 grades in position 7 for 2027: E Pure, F Luxe, G Sensory, H Autograph. In position 8, a Pure is 5 with 2WD and 8 with 4WD.
What does an Infiniti VIN decode show?
We ran three test VINs built on Nissan's 2027 charts through NHTSA's vPIC database, the data this decoder reads. Each one decoded clean, with error code 0. They are patterns with a valid check digit, not vehicles we looked up:
| Field | 5N1AL1E85VC100001 | 5N1AC0EX7VC000001 | JN8AZ3AD5V9000001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model and grade | 2027 QX60 Pure | 2027 QX65 Luxe | 2027 QX80 Pure |
| Drive | 4WD | 4WD | 2WD |
| Engine | 2.0L gasoline | 2.0L gasoline | 3.5L gasoline |
| GVWR class | 2E: 6,001 to 7,000 lb | 2E: 6,001 to 7,000 lb | 2F: 7,001 to 8,000 lb |
| Plant | Smyrna, Tennessee | Smyrna, Tennessee | Nissan Shatai Kyushu, Fukuoka, Japan |
| Manufacturer named | Nissan North America | Nissan North America | Nissan Motor Company |
vPIC also fills in airbag locations and seat belt types from the restraint code in position 8.
A real Infiniti VIN decoded: 2019 QX50
This 2019 QX50 went through an NHTSA crash test (test 10783), and the test record lists its VIN. NHTSA's vPIC database returns this for 3PCAJ5M13KF128478:
| Field | vPIC result |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | 2019 Infiniti QX50 |
| Body and drive | Crossover SUV, 4 doors, two-wheel drive (4x2) |
| Engine | 2.0L engine with a CVT (vPIC lists no horsepower) |
| Plant | Aguascalientes, Mexico (COMPAS plant) |
| GVWR | Class 1C: 4,001 to 5,000 lb |
| Airbags | Front, knee (row 1), side (row 1) and curtain (rows 1 and 2) |
| Listed as standard | Automatic emergency braking, pedestrian automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning |
vPIC's airbag and safety fields can be incomplete; the window sticker or owner's manual has the full list.
Infiniti model codes for 2027
Positions 4 to 6 identify the model and position 7 the grade. The same letter means a different grade on each model, so read position 7 together with positions 4 to 6.
| Model | WMI | Positions 4 to 6 | Grade letters (position 7) | Plant (position 11) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QX60 | 5N1 | AL1 | E Pure, F Luxe, G Sensory, H Autograph | C, Smyrna |
| QX65 | 5N1 | AC0 | E Luxe, F Sport, J Autograph | C, Smyrna |
| QX80 | JN8 | AZ3 | A Pure, B Luxe, C Autograph, D Sensory | 9, Kyushu |
From Nissan's model year 2027 VIN coding system (W-2432-E, dated September 16, 2026). Nissan codes the QX65 as 4WD only; the QX80's 3.5L engine puts it in GVWR class F.
Is it a QX50 or a QX55?
Both came from the COMPAS plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico (plant code F), and Nissan's 2025 chart starts them the same way: 3PC, then A for the 2.0L engine, J for the line and 5. Position 7 is where they split:
- QX50: A Pure, B Luxe, E Sensory, F Sport, with A in position 8 for 2WD or B for 4WD.
- QX55: J Luxe, K Essential, L Sensory, all 4WD, with R in position 8.
Check position 7 yourself. When we ran test VINs built on the 2025 QX55 chart (3PCAJ5JR0SF000001, plus the K and L versions), vPIC returned the model as QX50 while still naming the QX55 grade, such as "QX50 Essential". By Nissan's chart, J, K or L in position 7 with R in position 8 is a QX55. vPIC's 2026 Infiniti list has only the QX60 and QX80.
Which WMIs are Infiniti's?
Every Infiniti WMI in NHTSA's records is registered to Nissan Motor Company or Nissan North America. NHTSA's DecodeWMI service lists JNK (cars), JNR (multipurpose vehicles), JNT (trucks), JNX (incomplete vehicles) and 5N3 as Infiniti only. JN1, JN8, 1N4, 3N1, 3PC, 5N1 and SJK are shared by Nissan and Infiniti, so a 5N1 VIN can be a QX60 or a Nissan. The decoder reads the make from the whole VIN, and if it turns out to be a Nissan it points you to the Nissan VIN decoder.
vPIC knows 34 Infiniti model names, from the G20, J30 and Q45 through the FX35, M37 and Q50 to the QX65.
Where is the VIN on an Infiniti?
Three places, no tools needed:
- Through the windshield at the lower left corner. Federal rules make it readable from outside next to the left windshield pillar, in characters at least 4 mm tall (49 CFR 565.13).
- On the certification label at the driver's door opening, which also gives the month and year of manufacture (49 CFR 567.4).
- On the title, the registration and most insurance cards.
Paint isn't coded in the VIN; where to find the paint code shows the label to look for.
What can't an Infiniti VIN tell you?
Packages and options. The VIN codes grade, drive and engine, so two QX60 Autographs with the same first 11 characters can still be equipped differently. It isn't a history report either: the decoder shows Nissan's coding and the recalls NHTSA lists for the model, not accidents or past owners. If a VIN fails the check digit, look for a mistyped character first; I, O and Q never appear in a VIN. Selling the car? How to sell a car covers the rest of the job.