JDM Engine Codes and Families
Fifteen families, grouped by the manufacturer that built them. Each page covers the variants, where the code is stamped, and what actually changes between two engines wearing the same name.
If you do not know your engine code
Most people do not, and it is not a prerequisite for anything here. Two routes get you to the answer: start from your vehicle and let the generation and trim identify the engine, or read the code off the block yourself. it takes a torch and a couple of minutes once you know where each manufacturer stamps it, which is not the same place.
The family code alone is rarely enough to order on. Nearly every family below spans variants that differ in cylinder head, intake, compression or engine management, and those differences decide whether an engine will work in your car. That is what each page is for.
Honda
- B181.8 L · Inline-fourThe 1.8-litre B-series four from the Integra: the engine that built the Honda swap scene, and now an ageing unit bought mostly by people who already own one.
- D171.7 L · Inline-fourThe 1.7-litre SOHC four from the seventh-generation Civic. A high-volume, low-cost replacement engine and one of the most practical used-engine buys in Phoenix.
- J303.0 L · V6, 60-degreeThe J30 powered Honda's six-cylinder Accord and Acura models through the late 1990s and 2000s, sitting below the J35 in displacement but sharing the same J-series architecture.
- J323.2 L · V6, 60-degreeThe J32 powered the Acura TL and CL through the 2000s, with the J32A2 Type-S being the highest-output naturally aspirated J-series engine of its era.
- J353.5 L · V6, 60-degreeThe 3.5-litre Honda V6 fitted to the Odyssey, Pilot, Ridgeline and Accord V6: the family’s workhorse six and a common replacement on high-mileage minivans.
- K202.0 L · Inline-fourThe 2.0-litre K-series four from the RSX, Civic Si and JDM Type R cars. The high-revving end of the family and the one most often bought for a swap rather than a repair.
- K242.4 L · Inline-fourThe 2.4-litre K-series four fitted to the Accord, CR-V, Element and TSX, and the most commonly requested Honda replacement engine in the Valley.
- R181.8 L · Inline-fourThe 1.8-litre four from the eighth- and ninth-generation Civic. The engine in every Civic that is not an Si, and a high-volume Phoenix replacement.
Toyota
- 1AR-FE2.7 L · Inline-fourThe 1AR-FE is Toyota's 2.7-litre four-cylinder, replacing the 2AZ-FE in later RAV4 and Highlander applications with improved efficiency and output.
- 1JZ2.5 L · Inline-sixThe 2.5-litre JZ-series six from the Chaser, Mark II and Soarer: the 2JZ’s shorter-stroke sibling, almost entirely a JDM import in the US market.
- 1MZ-FE3.0 L · V6, 60-degreeThe 1MZ-FE was Toyota's mainstream 3.0-litre V6 through the late 1990s and early 2000s, powering the Camry V6, Solara, Highlander and ES300.
- 1UZ-FE4.0 L · V8, 90-degreeThe all-aluminium 4.0-litre V8 that launched the Lexus LS 400: durable, smooth, and bought in Phoenix mostly as a swap engine.
- 2AZ-FE2.4 L · Inline-fourThe 2.4-litre four from the Camry, RAV4, Highlander and Scion tC: high-volume, widely available, and the Toyota replacement engine Phoenix asks about most.
- 2GR-FE3.5 L · V6, 60-degreeThe 2GR-FE replaced the MZ-series as Toyota's mainstream V6, powering the Camry, Highlander, RAV4 and numerous Lexus models from 2006 onward.
- 2JZ3.0 L · Inline-sixToyota’s 3.0-litre inline-six from the Supra, Aristo and GS300: the most requested JDM engine by name, and the one where verifying what you are actually buying matters most.
Nissan
- QR25DE2.5 L · Inline-fourNissan’s 2.5-litre four from the Altima, Sentra and Rogue: the four-cylinder counterpart to the VQ35DE and a very common Phoenix replacement.
- VK56DE5.6 L · V8, 90-degreeThe VK56DE is Nissan's 5.6-litre V8, powering the Titan, Armada and QX56 with a robust design that shares little with the smaller VQ family.
- VQ35DE3.5 L · V6, 60-degreeNissan’s 3.5-litre V6: fitted to the Altima, Maxima, Murano, Pathfinder, Quest and 350Z, and across the Infiniti range. One of the most widely available used V6s in Phoenix.
- VQ37VHR3.7 L · V6, 60-degreeThe VQ37VHR is the higher-output evolution of the VQ family, replacing the VQ35DE in the 370Z, G37, Q50 and QX50 with variable valve event and lift technology.
Subaru
- EJ202.0 L · Flat-four (boxer)The 2.0-litre Subaru boxer from the JDM WRX and STI: imported rather than domestic, and bought almost entirely by people who want the turbocharged version.
- EJ252.5 L · Flat-four (boxer)Subaru’s 2.5-litre boxer from the Forester, Outback, Legacy and Impreza: the engine behind Phoenix’s most common Subaru replacement question, head gaskets included.
- FA202.0 L · Flat-four (boxer), 4-cylinderThe FA20 is Subaru's modern horizontally opposed four-cylinder, co-developed with Toyota for the BRZ/FR-S, replacing the EJ20 in newer applications with direct injection.
- FB252.5 L · Flat-four (boxer), 4-cylinderThe FB25 replaced the EJ25 in naturally aspirated Subaru applications, addressing the head gasket issues that plagued the EJ series with an improved design.
How this data is maintained
Displacement, configuration and factory applications are drawn from published manufacturer data and cross-checked. Where a figure could not be established to that standard it is left out rather than estimated, which is why bore and stroke appear on some families and not others.
Power and torque figures are deliberately absent everywhere. They vary by market, model year, fuel grade and measurement standard, and a single number quoted without that context is marketing rather than specification.
Engine reference data last verified against its sources on August 23, 2026.
Next steps
- VehiclesFind the engine your vehicle was built with, by model and trim.
- How to Find Your Engine CodeWhere the code is stamped on each family, and why one location does not fit all.
- How to Verify Engine FitmentThe checks that decide whether an engine will actually work in your car.
- Engine FinderTell us the vehicle and we identify the engine before quoting it.
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