Nissan Altima · Engine family · 2 offered

Nissan Altima 3.5L six-cylinder

The VQ35DE is the most common engine code the VIN decodes to on the 3.5L six-cylinder configurations below; hybrid variants of the same displacement carry their own code. Rated at 255 hp. We decode it on 48,069 VINs across 23 factory builds, and 355 listings are reported active. The configuration price reference is $5,995.

Cylinders
6
Power
255 hp
Induction
Naturally aspirated
Fuel
Gasoline
Fitted
2002–2015

◷ Updated September 27, 2026 ▤ National asking prices, refreshed nightly

$5,995
Configuration price reference
355
On sale today with the 3.5L 6-cyl
2002–2015
Model years it was fitted
23
Factory configurations
48,069
Altima VINs decoded with it

The price reference is the median of configuration medians, not the median of all active cars. Each configuration has equal weight. Configurations with at least 3 priced listings are used when available; otherwise the reference uses the configurations with a recorded price. Model years, mileage and condition vary. Open a model-year report below for its asking prices across all engines.

Where the 3.5L 6-cyl sits in the Altima engine lineup

Every engine family this model was sold with, ordered by size. The bar spans the model years recorded for it; the price is a reference across priced configurations, with each configuration weighted equally. Older engines look cheaper because the cars are older — overlapping years alone do not match the vehicles by age, trim, mileage or condition.

2.5L 4-cyl
2002–2026
$6,975
170–188 hp · 11,787 on sale
3.5L 6-cyl this page
2002–2015
$5,995
255 hp · 355 on sale

2 engine families, one nameplate. Open the Nissan Altima price hub to compare them side by side, or to jump into any of the others.

Which Altima years got a 3.5L 6-cyl engine

Every model year this engine was fitted to, newest first. The bar is how much of the family's VIN volume sits in that year — long bars are the years this engine was everywhere.

Year Share of VINs VINs On sale Builds
2015 4,210 74 1 2014 2,153 24 1 2013 8,080 83 1 2012 4,770 51 2 2011 2,825 16 2 2010 2,969 20 2 2009 1,754 9 2 2008 7,215 37 2 2007 4,063 10 1 2006 3,082 12 2 2005 4,450 8 2
2004 735 4 2
2003 461 1 1 2002 1,302 6 2

VIN counts come from our decode of the model's build patterns, not from live listings. A year link opens the full Altima report for that year — every engine of the model, not just this one.

23 factory configurations with this engine

Each one is a distinct build as the VIN decodes it — trim, body, gearbox and equipment. Open a build sheet for its full spec and the VINs recorded on it.

2015

1 build

2014

1 build

2013

1 build

2012

2 builds

2011

2 builds

2010

2 builds

2009

2 builds

2008

1 build

2007

1 build

2006

2 builds

2005

2 builds

2004

2 builds

2003

1 build

2002

2 builds

Showing the 22 most-built configurations of 23. Every 2015 Altima build →

The 3.5L 6-cyl Altima: common questions

Which Altima years have the 3.5L 6-cyl?

2002–2015, without a break — 14 model years in our VIN decode, across 23 factory configurations and 48,069 VINs.

What does a 3.5L 6-cyl Altima cost?

$5,995 is a configuration price reference: the median of configuration medians, with each priced configuration weighted equally. It is not a listing-level median or a valuation of an individual car. The year-by-year ladder shows VIN and inventory counts; its links open model-year price reports covering all engines.

What is the engine code, and does it matter?

VQ35DE — the code the VIN decodes to on the configurations on this page. It matters when you order parts or read a service history: the same displacement badge on another model can be a different code with different outputs.

3.5L 6-cyl Altima on the market

Individual vehicles carrying this engine, each with its own listing-history page. The sample is pinned to fixed VIN buckets, so it does not reshuffle day to day.