Nissan Maxima · Engine family · 2 offered

Nissan Maxima 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 197,038 VINs across 19 factory builds, and 1,755 listings are reported active. The configuration price reference is $6,499.

Cylinders
6
Power
255 hp
Induction
Naturally aspirated
Fuel
Gasoline
Fitted
2002–2023
Gearboxes
CVT

◷ Updated November 6, 2026 ▤ National asking prices, refreshed nightly

$6,499
Configuration price reference
1,755
On sale today with the 3.5L 6-cyl
2002–2023
Model years it was fitted
19
Factory configurations
197,038
Maxima 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 Maxima 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.

3.0L 6-cyl
1987–2001
$5,499
155 hp · 34 on sale
3.5L 6-cyl this page
2002–2023
$6,499
255 hp · 1,755 on sale

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

Which Maxima 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
2023 8,200 272 3 2018 19,795 277 1 2017 35,624 463 1 2014 23,454 177 1 2013 12,094 95 1 2012 17,216 125 1 2011 16,209 95 1 2010 15,440 82 1 2009 12,023 55 1 2008 5,880 20 1 2007 8,277 29 1 2006 5,908 15 1 2005 5,405 26 1 2004 6,928 14 1
2003 1,205 2 1
2002 3,380 8 2

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

19 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.

2023

3 builds

2018

1 build

2017

1 build

2014

1 build

2013

1 build

2012

1 build

2011

1 build

2010

1 build

2009

1 build

2008

1 build

2007

1 build

2006

1 build

2005

1 build

2004

1 build

2003

1 build

2002

2 builds

Every 2023 Maxima build →

The 3.5L 6-cyl Maxima: common questions

Which Maxima years have the 3.5L 6-cyl?

2002–2023 — 16 model years in our VIN decode, across 19 factory configurations and 197,038 VINs.

What does a 3.5L 6-cyl Maxima cost?

$6,499 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 Maxima 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.