What Cars Have VQ Engines? Nissan & Infiniti Models by Engine Code

VQ is Nissan’s V6 engine family, and Nissan’s own press kits put it in the Maxima, Altima, Murano, Pathfinder, 350Z and 370Z, plus Infiniti’s G35, G37, FX, EX, QX60 and 2014 Q50, but not in every trim or year. This guide lists those cars by engine code with the model year each source page covers, flags the cars that dropped the VQ, and shows where to confirm the engine in your own car.

What Are VQ Engines?

VQ engines are Nissan’s family of V6 gasoline engines. In a December 2001 release, Nissan said the VQ family included 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5-liter engines built in Iwaki, Japan, and that it debuted in the U.S. in the 1995 Nissan Maxima. Nissan’s later releases name the family to Ward’s 10 Best Engines list every year through the 2008 list, which Nissan called the only engine on the list every year since 1995.

The engine code tells you the size and the generation. The codes that show up in the Nissan and Infiniti pages read for this guide are VQ35DE and VQ35HR (both 3.5 liters, 3,498 cc), VQ37VHR (3.7 liters, 3,696 cc) and VQ35DD (3.5 liters, direct injection). Nissan’s pages do not spell out what the letters stand for, so this guide does not guess.

Which Cars Have VQ Engines?

The lists below use only what a Nissan or Infiniti page says for a specific model year. Where a page names a 3.5-liter or 3.7-liter V6 without printing the engine code, the table says so rather than filling it in. Gaps are marked “not confirmed”.

Nissan Cars with VQ Engines

• Maxima (1995 to 2023 confirmed): Nissan says the VQ debuted in the 1995 Maxima, and the 2023 Maxima kit lists engine name VQ35DE at 300 hp and 261 lb-ft.
• Altima 3.5 trims (2002 to 2015 confirmed): the 2002 Altima is on Nissan’s 2002 model-year VQ list, and the 2012 and 2015 kits list VQ35DE next to a four-cylinder QR25DE. Only the 3.5 trims have the VQ.
• Murano (2003 to 2015 confirmed): listed in Nissan’s 2003 release, and the 2015 Murano kit names VQ35DE.
• Pathfinder (2002 to 2024 confirmed): VQ35DE in the 2004 kit, a 4.0-liter VQ-series V6 in the 2008 kit, and VQ35DD in the 2017 and 2024 kits.
• Quest (2004 and 2008 confirmed): a 3.5-liter V6 “based on Nissan’s VQ35 engine series” in the 2008 kit.
• 350Z (2003 to 2009 confirmed): VQ35DE in the 2006 kit, then VQ35HR in the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Roadster kits.
• 370Z (2009 to 2020 confirmed): VQ37VHR in the 2009 and 2020 kits.
• Frontier and Xterra (2008): a 4.0-liter V6 that Nissan describes as based on, or an increased-displacement version of, the VQ series.

Infiniti Cars with VQ Engines

• G35 (2003 to 2008): Nissan’s 2002 to 2004 releases list the G35 sedan and coupe with the 3.5-liter VQ, and the 2007 G35 sedan got the VQ35HR.
• G37 and Q60 coupe (2008 to 2014 confirmed): the 2008 G37 coupe was the first VQ37VHR application, and the 2013 G coupe and 2014 Q60 coupe kits list VQ37VHR.
• EX35 (2008): VQ35HR, rated at 290-plus horsepower (estimated) in that kit.
• FX35 and FX37: VQ35DE in the 2007 FX kit and VQ37VHR (FX37) in the 2013 kit. The FX50 in that same 2013 kit uses a V8 labeled VK50VE, not a VQ.
• QX60 (2014): VQ35DE at 265 horsepower. Infiniti’s 2014 kit says it was previously known as the JX35; the JX35’s engine is not confirmed here.
• QX50 and Q50 (2014): VQ37VHR in both kits. The 2014 Q50 Hybrid’s gasoline engine is labeled VQ35.

Other Vehicles with VQ Engines

The old version of this page listed the Renault Vel Satis and Samsung SM7. No Nissan or Infiniti page read for this update confirms either, so both are removed until a source is found. Searchers also ask about other brands using the VQ: that is not confirmed on any page read here.

If you own an Infiniti and want the brand context first, our page on what car brand makes Infiniti covers it.

Table 1: VQ Cars by Model, Engine Code and Source Year

Model	Engine as printed	Model year of source	Output stated	Source
Nissan Maxima	VQ35DE	2023	300 hp, 261 lb-ft	2023 Maxima press kit
Nissan Maxima	3.5-liter V6, code not printed	2008	255 hp, 252 lb-ft	2008 Maxima press kit
Nissan Altima 3.5	VQ35DE	2012	270 hp, 258 lb-ft	2012 Altima press kit
Nissan Altima 3.5	VQ35DE	2015	270 hp, 251 lb-ft	2015 Altima press kit
Nissan Murano	VQ35DE	2015	not read	2015 Murano press kit
Nissan Pathfinder	VQ35DE	2004	240 hp, 265 lb-ft	2004 Pathfinder press kit
Nissan Pathfinder	4.0-liter VQ-series V6	2008	266 hp, 288 lb-ft	2008 Pathfinder press kit
Nissan Pathfinder	VQ35DD	2017	284 hp, 259 lb-ft	2017 Pathfinder release and kit
Nissan Quest	3.5-liter, based on VQ35	2008	235 hp, 240 lb-ft (premium fuel)	2008 Quest press kit
Nissan Frontier / Xterra	4.0-liter V6 based on VQ	2008	261 hp, 281 lb-ft	2008 Frontier and Xterra kits
Nissan 350Z	VQ35HR	2008	306 hp, 268 lb-ft	2008 350Z press kit
Nissan 370Z	VQ37VHR	2009	332 hp, 270 lb-ft	2009 370Z press kit
Infiniti G37 coupe	VQ37VHR	2008	330 hp, 270 lb-ft	Nissan 2008 Ward’s release
Infiniti EX35	VQ35HR	2008	290-plus hp (est.)	2008 EX35 press kit
Infiniti FX37	VQ37VHR	2013	325 hp, 267 lb-ft	2013 FX press kit
Infiniti M37	3.7-liter V6, code not printed	2013	330 hp, 270 lb-ft	2013 M press kit
Infiniti QX60	VQ35DE	2014	265 hp	2014 QX60 press kit
Infiniti QX50	VQ37VHR	2014	325 hp, 267 lb-ft	2014 QX50 press kit
Infiniti Q50	VQ37VHR	2014	328 hp (est.), 269 lb-ft (est.)	2014 Q50 kit and release

VQ Engine Variants by Displacement

Same family, different engines. The codes below are the ones the read pages print, with what each page says about the change from the engine before it.

Engine code	Displacement	What the pages say	Where read
VQ35DE	3.5 L (3,498 cc)	Used in the Altima, Maxima, Murano, QX60, FX35 and Pathfinder pages listed above. Output varies from 240 hp (2004 Pathfinder) to 300 hp (2023 Maxima).	Model press kits
VQ35HR	3.5 L (3,498 cc)	Fourth-generation 3.5. The 2007 350Z was rated 306 hp at 6,800 rpm and 268 lb-ft at 4,800 rpm. Also in the 2008 EX35 and 2007 G35 sedan.	2007 Z release, 2008 owner’s manual
VQ37VHR	3.7 L (3,696 cc)	First used in the 2008 G37 coupe. Nissan says about 35 percent of its parts are new versus the VQ35HR, and it adds VVEL (Variable Valve Event and Lift).	Nissan 2008 release, 2017 370Z owner’s manual
VQ35DD	3.5 L	Direct injection. Nissan’s 2017 release says the Pathfinder went from 260 hp to 284 hp and from 240 to 259 lb-ft with it.	2017 Pathfinder release
4.0-liter VQ-series	4.0 L	Truck and SUV version. The 2008 Pathfinder page gives a 92.0 mm stroke versus 81.4 mm for the 3.5.	2008 Pathfinder kit

One correction this table makes: “a VQ35DE makes about 280 to 300 horsepower”, as the old version of this page said, is not what Nissan prints. The same code is listed at 240 hp in a 2004 Pathfinder, 265 hp in a 2014 QX60, 270 hp in a 2012 Altima 3.5 and 300 hp in a 2023 Maxima, so the number follows the model year and vehicle tune, not the code.

How to Tell Which VQ You Have

Do not identify the engine from the car’s name alone. Nissan’s owner’s manuals give three places to check, and the two manuals read for this guide show the wording.

Where to look	What it tells you	Source
Engine specifications page in the owner’s manual	Lists the engine model, for example VQ35HR in the 2008 350Z manual and VQ37VHR in the 2017 370Z manual, plus displacement (3,498 cc and 3,696 cc).	Technical and consumer information chapter
Engine serial number	The manuals say the number is stamped on the engine at the location shown in a diagram. It identifies your engine, but the manual does not decode the code.	2008 and 2017 owner’s manuals
VIN plate	Identifies the vehicle for registration. A dealer can use the VIN to confirm the engine for your trim.	2008 owner’s manual

A common tip online is that the eighth VIN character encodes the engine. No Nissan or Infiniti page read for this update says that, so it is not confirmed here. A Nissan or Infiniti dealer can read your VIN and tell you which engine your trim has. For a car that is not a Z, check the same Technical and consumer information chapter in that car’s manual.

Owners of a 350Z can also see our guide to unclogging the car AC on a 350Z, and anyone comparing Infiniti models may want our look at whether Infiniti makes an electric car.

Cars That Look Like a VQ but Aren’t, or Left It Behind

The 2016 Infiniti Q50 is the clearest example. Infiniti’s 2016 releases say the new VR-series 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 replaces the 3.7-liter VQ-series V6 in the Q50, with around 85 percent of its parts different, and that the 3.5-liter hybrid was the only powertrain carried over. So a 2014 Q50 had the VQ37VHR, but a 2016 or later Q50 you see on the road does not.

Common assumption	What the pages show
Every Altima has a VQ	The 2012 and 2015 kits list two engines: the 2.5-liter QR25DE and the 3.5-liter VQ35DE. Only the 3.5 trims carry the VQ.
Every Q50 has a VQ	The 2014 kit lists a VQ37VHR, but the 2016 releases say a VR-series engine replaces it.
Every Pathfinder has a VQ35	The 2008 kit lists a 4.0-liter VQ-series V6 and a 5.6-liter V8 option. The 2017 kit lists VQ35DD.
All 3.5-liter VQs are interchangeable	VQ35DE, VQ35HR and VQ35DD are different codes. Nissan’s 2007 release calls the VQ35HR a next-generation 3.5, and the VQ35DD adds direct injection.
The FX50 is a VQ	The 2013 FX kit labels it VK50VE, a V8.
A 350Z always has the same engine	The 2006 kit lists VQ35DE and the 2007 to 2009 kits list VQ35HR.

This page does not rank VQ reliability or give a lifespan, because none of the Nissan pages read make that kind of claim. Before buying a used VQ car, run its VIN through the NHTSA recall lookup and ask the seller for service records.

Keep reading

• Does Infiniti Have an Electric Car? 2026 Update
• How to Know What Engine Your Car Has: Quick Identification Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

What does VQ stand for in VQ engines?

Nissan’s pages read for this guide do not spell out the letters. What they do confirm is that VQ is a family of V6 engines, with 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5-liter members named in a 2001 Nissan release.

Which Nissan models have VQ35DE engines?

Nissan press kits list VQ35DE for the Maxima, Altima 3.5, Murano, Pathfinder (2004), 350Z (2006), and Infiniti FX35 and QX60. The output depends on the model year and vehicle, from 240 hp in a 2004 Pathfinder to 300 hp in a 2023 Maxima.

What’s the difference between VQ35DE and VQ35HR?

Both are 3.5-liter V6s with 3,498 cc. The VQ35HR is the fourth-generation version. In the 350Z it was rated 306 hp and 268 lb-ft for 2007 and 2008, and Nissan’s 2009 370Z kit lists the previous 3.5-liter V6 at those same 306 hp and 268 lb-ft figures.

Does the Q50 have a VQ engine?

The 2014 Q50 does: its kit lists a VQ37VHR 3.7-liter V6 and a hybrid whose gasoline engine is labeled VQ35. Infiniti’s 2016 releases say a new VR-series 3.0-liter V6 replaces the 3.7-liter VQ in the Q50, so later Q50s do not have the V6 VQ37VHR.

Does a 2019 Nissan Maxima have a VQ engine?

The 2019 Maxima page was not read for this update, so that year is not confirmed. The 2023 Maxima kit lists VQ35DE, and the 2021 kit lists a 300-horsepower 3.5-liter V6, which fits the same family but does not print the code.

Are VQ engines reliable?

This guide makes no reliability or lifespan claim, because none of the Nissan pages read support one. Check your VIN for open recalls at NHTSA and follow the service schedule in your owner’s manual.

Conclusion

The short version: Nissan’s press kits tie the VQ to the Maxima, Altima 3.5, Murano, Pathfinder, Quest, 350Z and 370Z, and to Infiniti’s G35, G37, EX35, FX, QX50, QX60 and 2014 Q50, with the code and output changing by model year. Confirm your own car by reading the engine model in the owner’s manual rather than trusting the model name.