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 195,704 VINs across 19 factory builds, and 1,715 listings are reported active. The configuration price reference is $6,894.

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

◷ Updated September 22, 2026 ▤ National asking prices, refreshed nightly

$6,894
Configuration price reference
1,715
On sale today with the 3.5L 6-cyl
2002–2023
Model years it was fitted
19
Factory configurations
195,704
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
$5,450
155 hp · 37 on sale
3.5L 6-cyl this page
2002–2023
$6,894
255 hp · 1,715 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 8,143 232 3 2018 19,618 330 1 2017 35,263 414 1 2014 23,268 196 1 2013 12,010 81 1 2012 17,084 122 1 2011 16,113 96 1 2010 15,369 80 1 2009 11,977 58 1 2008 5,856 17 1 2007 8,243 20 1 2006 5,893 17 1 2005 5,384 28 1
2004 6,906 9 1
2003 1,203 4 1
2002 3,374 11 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 195,704 VINs.

What does a 3.5L 6-cyl Maxima cost?

$6,894 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.