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JDM EnginesPhoenix
VQ-series

VQ35DE Engine in Phoenix, Arizona

Nissan fitted this V6 to more platforms than almost any other engine of its era, which makes the supply deep and the ordering question sharper than it looks.

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Family
VQ35DE (VQ-series)
Displacement
3.5 L
Configuration
V6, 60-degree
Valvetrain
DOHC, 24 valves, variable valve timing
Produced
2000–2020

Bore and stroke are omitted for this family: the code covers variants with different figures, and a single pair of numbers would be wrong for some of them.

The VQ35DE is a 3,498 cc V6 that Nissan fitted to an unusually broad spread of vehicles over two decades: the Altima, Maxima, Murano, Quest, Pathfinder and 350Z, plus the Infiniti G35, FX35, I35 and JX35. That breadth is the reason the used supply is deep and the reason the family code alone does not tell a supplier what you need.

For a Phoenix replacement buyer the common cases are the Altima and the Murano. Both are high-volume vehicles here, both are old enough that engine failure is a live possibility, and both are worth little enough that the replace-or-scrap decision is genuinely close.

The important buying distinction is between the VQ35DE and the later VQ35HR. The HR is a substantially revised engine: different block deck height, different heads, different accessory layout, and it is not a drop-in substitute for a DE despite the shared displacement and family name.

Transverse front-wheel-drive applications (Altima, Maxima, Murano, Quest),  longitudinal rear-drive applications (350Z, G35) also differ in ways that matter well beyond the engine itself.

The VQ35HR is the expensive mistake

The single most costly error made on this family is treating the VQ35HR as a later VQ35DE. It is not. The HR has a different deck height, different cylinder heads and a different accessory layout, and it will not stand in for a DE.

The names invite the confusion, same manufacturer, same displacement, same VQ35 prefix, and the price of acting on it is an engine that cannot be installed and often cannot be returned economically once it has shipped. Confirm which engine a listing describes before any money moves.

Front-drive and rear-drive are different parts

A VQ35DE from a 350Z and a VQ35DE from a Murano are the same engine family arranged for entirely different vehicles. The sump, the accessory drive and the mounting all differ between the longitudinal rear-drive applications and the transverse front-drive ones.

That is why the engine code alone narrows the search without finishing it. The VIN finishes it, and supplying one is the difference between a quote you can act on and a quote that has assumed something.

Vehicles built with a VQ35DE

An unusually broad spread across front-drive and rear-drive platforms, and across both Nissan and Infiniti.

Factory applications for VQ35DE variants, by vehicle, model years, trim and market
VehicleYearsTrim / bodyEngine codeMarket
Nissan Altima2002–2006V6VQ35DEUSDM
Nissan Altima2007–2018V6VQ35DEUSDM
Nissan Maxima2002–2008: VQ35DEUSDM
Nissan Murano2003–2014: VQ35DEUSDM
Nissan Quest2004–2016: VQ35DEUSDM
Nissan Pathfinder2013–2020: VQ35DEUSDM
Nissan 350Z2003–2006: VQ35DEBoth
Infiniti G352003–2006: VQ35DEUSDM

VQ35DE variants

Three specifications. Two of them are the same engine at different compression; the third is a different engine that shares a number.

VQ35DEBoth
The base 3.5-litre specification across most applications.
VQ35DE "Rev-up"Both
Higher-compression specification used in certain 350Z and G35 applications.
VQ35HRBoth
Later substantially revised 3.5-litre. A different engine, not a later DE.

Identifying a VQ35DE

  • The VQ35DE and VQ35HR are different engines despite the shared 3.5-litre displacement and VQ35 designation. Confirm which a listing describes.
  • Transverse and longitudinal applications differ in accessory drive, mounting and sump arrangement.
  • "Rev-up" VQ35DE units used in certain 350Z and G35 applications run a different specification again, including a higher compression ratio.

A seller describing an engine as a particular variant is making a checkable claim. Asking for a photograph of the stamp on the actual unit is not a sign of distrust; it is the normal way this gets confirmed. The engine code guide shows where each family is stamped if you want to read the one in your own car first.

What varies between VQ35DE units

These are the differences that decide whether two engines with the same family code are substitutes in a particular car.

  • VQ35DE and VQ35HR are not interchangeable. This is the most common and most expensive mistake on this family.
  • Front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive applications differ in sump, accessory layout and mounting.
  • Altima and Murano applications differ from one another despite sharing the code; supply year, trim and VIN.
  • Nissan continuously variable transmissions are common behind this engine in FWD applications, and a failing CVT is sometimes misdiagnosed as an engine problem. Confirm which one has actually failed before buying an engine.

Nothing on this page confirms that a specific VQ35DE will work in your vehicle. That takes the year, model and trim at one end and a specific unit at the other, and it happens before a price is given rather than after. What goes into that check is set out here.

Ask about a VQ35DE for your vehicle

The code is pre-filled. Add the year, model and trim, and the variant question gets settled on our side before anything is confirmed.

Step 1 of 3 · Vehicle33%

Step 1 of 3: Vehicle

Which vehicle is the engine for?

Year, make and model get us most of the way. Trim matters more than people expect. A 2008 Civic is a different engine depending on whether it is an Si.

LX, EX, Si, Type-S, V6. Whatever is on the badge.

Know your engine code? Add it here.

If you do not, leave these blank. That is genuinely fine. Working out which engine a vehicle takes is the part we do. Here is where the code is stamped if you want to look.

The single most useful thing you can give us. 17 characters.

We do not confirm that an engine fits your vehicle until it has been checked against it.

Common questions

Can I use a VQ35HR to replace a VQ35DE?

No. Despite the shared 3.5-litre displacement and the VQ35 name, the HR is a substantially revised engine with a different deck height, different cylinder heads and a different accessory layout. Treat them as two different engines that happen to share a number. This is the most expensive mistake made on this family.

My Altima lost power. Is it the engine or the CVT?

Worth establishing before you buy anything. Continuously variable transmission failure is common on these vehicles and can present in ways owners read as engine trouble. An engine replacement fitted behind a failing CVT solves nothing and costs a great deal, so get the diagnosis confirmed first.

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