A Nissan Versa VIN is 17 characters. Positions 1–3 say who built it and where, 4–8 describe the body and engine, 9 is a check digit, 10 is the model year, 11 is the plant, and 12–17 are the serial number. Decode a Versa VIN here and you also get its 68 recall campaigns and 2,967 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — free.
How to read a Nissan Versa VIN
Here is a real 2025 Nissan Versa VIN from our database, split into its parts:
VIN 3N1CN8BV2SL847598 — decoded free on its own report page.
| Position | Section | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | WMI | World Manufacturer Identifier — country, manufacturer and vehicle type. |
| 4–8 | VDS | Vehicle Descriptor Section — body style, engine, restraint system, series. |
| 9 | Check digit | A calculated digit that validates the whole VIN. Wrong digit = wrong VIN. |
| 10 | Model year | One character for the model year. Letters skip I, O, Q, U and Z. |
| 11 | Plant | The assembly plant that built the car. |
| 12–17 | Serial | Sequential production number of this exact vehicle. |
Nissan Versa VIN prefixes, and when each one was used
Characters 1–3 are the World Manufacturer Identifier. Every Nissan Versa we have on record, from 2007 to 2025, carries the same one — 3N1, which makes it a quick way to confirm you are looking at a real Versa:
| VIN starts with | Years seen | Built in | Vehicle type | VINs on record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3N1 | 2007–2025 | Mexico | Passenger Car |
Position 11 names the plant. On the Nissan Versa it is not one number either — assembly moved between 8 of them over the years:
| Plant code | Years active | VINs on record | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| L | 2007–2025 | 2,756 | |
| K | 2012–2018 | 169 | |
| C | 2007–2015 | 9 | |
| 1 | 2009–2018 | 6 | |
| 8 | 2012–2014 | 3 | |
| A | 2007–2009 | 3 | |
| U | 2008–2015 | 3 | |
| 4 | 2008–2010 | 3 |
Counted from the 2,943 dated Nissan Versa VINs attached to NHTSA complaints — the largest such set for this model — with every code checked against the NHTSA manufacturer registry, so mistyped entries are dropped; the figures say how many records carry each code, not how many Versas left the line.
Model-year codes for the Nissan Versa
Position 10 carries the model year, skipping I, O, Q, U and Z. The alphabet comes round every 30 years, which the Nissan Versa has not yet outlived — its 20 years still map one-to-one. All 20 model years of the Nissan Versa, 2007 to 2026, with the character each one carries:
| Model year | VIN character (position 10) | Same character as |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | T | — |
| 2025 | S | — |
| 2024 | R | — |
| 2023 | P | — |
| 2022 | N | — |
| 2021 | M | — |
| 2020 | L | — |
| 2019 | K | — |
| 2018 | J | — |
| 2017 | H | — |
| 2016 | G | — |
| 2015 | F | — |
| 2014 | E | — |
| 2013 | D | — |
| 2012 | C | — |
| 2011 | B | — |
| 2010 | A | — |
| 2009 | 9 | — |
| 2008 | 8 | — |
| 2007 | 7 | — |
When two years share a character, the check digit and serial range tell them apart — that is what the decoder does automatically.
Body and engine characters we see on Nissan Versa VINs
Positions 4 through 8 describe the build, and manufacturers assign them themselves — the same letter means different things on different marques. Across 96 VINs the Nissan Versa uses 7 different characters in these three slots alone — the ones below, ordered by how much of the Nissan fleet each covers:
| Position | Characters seen on real VINs | Variety |
|---|---|---|
| 4 — body | C (77%) · B (23%) | 2 distinct |
| 5 — series | N (76%) · C (24%) | 2 distinct |
| 8 — engine | P (51%) · V (40%) · E (9%) | 3 distinct |
A character that dominates the column usually marks the body style the model was mostly sold in; a spread across several means multiple bodies or engines shared the same platform.
What a decoded Nissan Versa VIN gets you
Reading the characters is the easy part — the reason to decode a VIN is what sits behind it. For the Nissan Versa that is 2,967 owner complaints and every recall campaign NHTSA has on record, keyed to the same VIN you just read:
| Data | For this model | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Recall campaigns | 68 campaigns | NHTSA |
| Owner complaints | 2,967 filed | NHTSA |
| Fuel economy | 33 mpg combined (avg) | EPA |
| Crash-test ratings | 14 rated model years | NHTSA |
| Model years covered | 20 years | ForCar catalog |
Where to find the VIN on a Nissan Versa
A Nissan Versa VIN normally opens with 3N1. Four places on the car carry the full number, and all four must agree — on a Nissan Versa, a plate that disagrees is where fraud shows itself first.
| Where | How to see it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Dashboard, driver side | Through the windshield, bottom corner | Easiest to check before you touch anything |
| Driver door jamb | Open the door, sticker on the pillar | Also lists tyre pressures and build date |
| Under the hood | Firewall or strut tower plate | Survives a windshield replacement |
| Title and insurance | Paper documents | Must match the car — a mismatch means fraud or a swapped panel |
You know what it is. Find out what it's worth.
- Exact value for this VIN, adjusted for mileage
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
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Frequently asked questions
Is this Nissan Versa VIN decoder free?
Yes — decoding a Nissan Versa VIN costs nothing and needs no account. Beyond the year, plant and build characters you also get what NHTSA holds on the Nissan Versa — 68 recall campaigns and 2,967 owner complaints — at no charge.
How many characters is a Nissan Versa VIN?
Seventeen, on every Nissan Versa built from 1981 onwards, when the 17-character format became mandatory in the US. The oldest Nissan Versa VIN on file here is a 2007, so everything in our Nissan data already uses the modern layout.
Why do two Nissan Versa model years share the same VIN character?
Position 10 cycles through the alphabet every 30 years, skipping I, O, Q, U and Z. A 1995 and a 2025 car can carry the same letter. The check digit and serial range separate them.
Can a Nissan Versa VIN tell me if the car was in an accident?
Not from the characters themselves — they describe how the Nissan Versa left the factory, not what happened to it afterwards. Crash and title records sit in separate databases keyed to the same number. What is public are the 2,967 complaints Nissan Versa owners filed with NHTSA, and those we do show. Run the number through our VIN check to see what is on the record for it.
Do the body and engine characters mean the same thing on every Nissan?
No, and that is the usual mistake — positions 4–8 are assigned per model, not per brand. A letter that means one body on the Nissan Versa can mean a different one on another Nissan, and something else again on another marque. On Nissan Versa VINs the character that dominates position 4 is C — read it against the table above, not against a generic chart.
What if the VIN on the dashboard doesn't match the door jamb?
Treat it as a red flag on any car, and on a Nissan Versa check the prefix first: for the model year in question it should open with 3N1, depending on when the car was built — anything outside that set did not come off a Nissan Versa. Beyond that, mismatched plates mean either a replaced panel or a tampered identity — ask for documents and verify before any money changes hands.
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