Overview & Reviews

Nissan was born in Japan, and like other marques from its homeland, the brand is known for crafting vehicles that place an emphasis on quality and reliability. The company's roster of products is broad, and includes sporty coupes, family sedans, minivans, trucks and SUVs.

The automaker got its start in 1933 as the Jidosha Seico Co., Ltd. The following year, this outfit merged with another Japanese manufacturer, and the new company was christened Nissan Motor Company, Ltd. Nissan initially marketed its vehicles under the Datsun brand, with the first Datsuns being built in 1934. Postwar, the brand made its presence felt worldwide, building a partnership with the U.K.-based Austin Motor Co. and establishing a presence in the United States. The first Datsuns hit American shores in 1958. Vehicles like the Datsun 1000 were based on Austin platforms.

The '60s witnessed Nissan's merger with Prince Motor Company, a union that helped the Asian manufacturer create more luxury-focused vehicles. In the U.S. it began offering its first vehicle styled for the U.S. market, the Datsun 510 sedan. By the end of the decade, Datsun had exported more than 1 million vehicles. Datsun rose to prominence in the 1970s on the popularity of its 240Z sports car. Powered by an inline six-cylinder engine, the car was coveted for its blend of style, performance and affordability. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker's cumulative vehicle exports had surpassed the 10 million mark.

In 1981, Nissan shelved the Datsun name and began selling vehicles worldwide under the Nissan moniker. The '80s also saw Nissan's launch of a tuning division called Nismo for the development of performance-oriented vehicles and accessories. Nissan also brought its production to American shores, with the construction of a Georgia-based plant.

The early '90s saw Nissan's fortunes rise in the U.S. thanks to fun-to-drive cars like the 300ZX, Maxima and Sentra. But this trend didn't last long and by the late '90s Nissan's offerings consisted of anonymous vehicles. The company's future was uncertain.

After the turn of the new century Nissan bounced back, helped by a 1999 alliance with Renault that boosted the company's finances. Its redesigned Sentra and Altima boosted sales and consumer interest, as did new models like the 350Z sports car, Armada SUV and Titan pickup. Today the manufacturer is known for offering a wide range of well-regarded vehicles, including the popular Murano SUV, the incredible GT-R supercar and the all-electric Leaf.

User Reviews:

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  Major Rogue Transmission problem - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By DJ - May 26 - 9:26 pm

  I want to get the message out to all those considering buying a Rogue..DONT DO IT!! There are countless people out there myself included who after 3000 miles are having major transmission problems. Nissan is aware of the issue but cannot fix it. They know its in the transmission but they dont know what it is. Theyve replaced transmissions just to have the car come back. If you have one, what you will hear is a rattling noise when slowing down < 10 MPH. After a while it will start doing it at all speeds as mine is.

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  Great truck if you dont need a warranty - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By 142Nism07 - May 25 - 6:26 am

  Very fun truck to drive. Practicle, especially since it has bigger capabilities than its size. One downfall is the service provided by Nissan. Every problem that has occured with this truck, was turned into a big headache for myself. Currently my dealer refuses to acknowledge that my 6spd clutch has a defect and wants to charge me over $1200 for a new one. I officially documented the complaint at 15k miles though I had the issue from new. There are several cases of this specific defect, which should be warrantied. My dealer refuses. Love the truck, hate the service, and I reccomend buying an automatic, due to relaiability. This is not the only problem with the truck, just the most prevelant

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  lemon - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By susan persina - May 25 - 2:00 am

  I have had to have this car towed away twice for not starting. I have never been imformed of the recalls either with one being problem starting engine.I am now driving my car around with washable paint on it saying this car is a lemon and it has many recalls on it. Since they would not trade this car back for me I will continue driving it the way it is. It gets parked 5 days a week in Trump Taj Mahal parking garage where everyone can see it also plus the 45 minute drive to work everyone notices me. Until I get some satisfaction I will be driving around like this. Who would think having a brand new car and it not starting.

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  problems already - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By evgrenmayer - May 25 - 2:00 am

  the first time i had to call roadside assistance, when the car was one month old, it happende to be bad gas, with water in it. this time, one month later, the car died near my home, withthe brake and bat tery lights on. eveidently someof the 2003 muranos have defective alternators, i would love to get my money back and get a volvo. i got a new car so i wouldnt be stuck on the side of the road, i travel all the time and am just lucky this happend near my home.

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  Noises - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Jeff Todd - May 22 - 2:00 am

  Car has poor acceleration but after take off has plenty of power and fun to drive. Front brakes make metal sound sometimes when turning sharp. Have had multiple noise problems with the interior. Sounds like a constant vibrating noise even when on smooth road and different speeds. Took three times to dealership to fix noise in back because did not make it all the time. Now is making same noise in front upper passenger side. Did not make noise with tech. Will have to try again next time in Tyler. Pretty embarrassing when someone rides with us. Listened to it all the way to Austin the other day. Sunroof hangs up sometimes and has been worked on once. Very frustrating to listen to these noises.

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  WARNING - DO NOT BUY!!! - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By dwlund - May 21 - 1:51 pm

  Purchased 2013 Altima August 2012 - my first (and last!) Nissan. Nothing but problems. Vibration/rumbling at 1500 rpms a nightmare. In for service on 4 different occasions - dealership would never admit to problem - stated it was characteristic of CVT. Went to Nissan HQ - they finally admitted there was a problem. Referred me back to dealership to replace belt and tensioner. Worked ok for several hundred miles, then vibration returned. Could not take any more. Traded it in for a 2013 Toyota Avalon - took a loss, but hated the car. Also had problem with heated seats, wind noise protruding from side-view mirror, noise from power steering. In other words - a real lemon!!! Nissan the worst!!!

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  High price-Not high quality - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By richards - May 18 - 2:00 am

  This cardoes not stand up to use. The ussual creaks and odd misfits that appear at later mileage have turned up at 25k. I worry about this car longterm. The passenger seat has come loose. The front end suspension system is noisy. The engine doesnt appear to stand up to normal wear; its using oil and the mileage is dropping.

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  Forgot To Build In Quality - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Ken - May 17 - 6:40 am

  I was under the impression that Japanese cars were all well made, until owning this vehicle. We have made trip after trip after trip to the dealer getting things fixed. No fewer than 14 different things had broken in the first two years -- all of which were fixed by the dealer, because all were due to poor design and/or manufacturing. Beyond bad quality, my biggest issue is the front seats. They literally cause pain if you have to sit on them for more than a half hour. Compared to all the vehicles I have owned, these are by far the most uncomfortable seats.

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  Super Charger Problems - 2014 Nissan Pathfinder
  By abruzz - May 16 - 7:30 am

  Purchased suv in July of 2014. Two months later, I was driving I heard a pop and thought I had run over a metal band. As I continued to drive I noticed the suv was overheating. Called dealership and they had suv towed in. They also arranged a rental for me. Approximately 10 days later, I picked up suv. Was told super charger seized and they had to pull out engine to replace it. Then in January of 2015 same thing happened. SUV towed in and was given a rental. Approx 8 days later, I p/u SUV and told same exact problem. Now I am afraid to take long trips. I fear that super charger will seize again. Also noticed that Nissan no longer making the hybrid. I assume mine is a lemon.

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  Why did I buy this Junk? - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By sailor - May 14 - 1:13 pm

  Where do I start? From the beginning, front wheel vibration, part fell out of Dash, took 4 months for dealer to replace, A/C wont blow cold when exterior temp is over 90 (I hear there is some sort of common sensor/relay problem). Rattle in back turned out to be 3rd row seat bolt was broken (i hear a common problem). Exterior L/S failed in first weeks. Took dealer 4 months to replace. Brakes shimmy when braking. I hear this too is a common problem. Dealer is either incompetent or under directions from Nissan to Deny, Deny, and obfuscate. Car 3 months old, and has been in shop over 7 times for same or related problems. None have been truly fixed. Plan, dump this junk, take a loss.