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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  Nothing but trouble! - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By jbh126 - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Bought: 3/8/04 - on 3/15/04 at 495 miles check engine light came on, lost all engine power. Dealer replaced enitre computer (ECM) on 3/18/04. Today, 3/21/04, at 715 miles - light came on AGAIN, and lost all engine power. Dealer could care less. Otherwise car is great, if it would actually run for more than 3 days. I suggest buying a Toyota or Honda - anything but this car!!

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  DO NOT BUY THIS CAR!!! Looks good but repairs are needed every couple of months - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By chelsey_payne - April 9 - 4:54 pm

  I bought this car my sophomore year of college with 109K on it. As soon as I brought it back to school I started seeing problems immediately. It made this rattling noise when the AC was on at idle and so I took it to the dealership and they said it was the belt. Got that fixed for close to $400 and it still to this day rattles when the AC is on at idle. Had to get the crankshaft pos sensor fixed a few months ago. Every time I get it fixed the check engine light is back on about 2 months later. Now it is losing tons of oil and coolant and I am just being told it needs a cat converter and I dont have the money for it. Only has 123K on it. I am def looking for new car. This car is JUNK!

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  Love hate relationship with my Sentra - 2016 Nissan Sentra
  By Patrick Cartwright - April 8 - 1:35 pm

  Fuel economy and CVT are my only issues. Ride quality and comfort are great.

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  NO MORE TITAN - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By LC - April 7 - 1:50 am

  Nissan had the vehicle more the last 6 months than I did. Had to replace engine at 26,000. Never did get it to run right. Just returned to dealer and traded for something else. Worst service I have ever seen form a dealer ship. Will never own another Titan.

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  Why not to buy Altimas from an Engineer - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By daveed - April 5 - 10:00 am

  I have had multiple problems with my 2005 3.5SE. I have been to the dealer 4 times in 3 months for different reasons. Nissan consumer help is lacking in technical knowledge, and always says, "That is normal operation." The alignment will not stay straight, radio reception is poor, A/C wont shut off until the car is turned off, rear view mirror is impossible to see out of at night (dangerous!), glare from front and rear dashboards obstructs view, and it doesnt get that good of gas mileage. So overall, the designers of this car did not think through their comfort factor of the car, only the power and the looks.

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  The 370Z car need an ENGINE OIL COOLER! - 2009 Nissan 370Z
  By Prefecto2 - March 29 - 9:03 am

  I purchased my Nissan 2009 370Z Car on February 26, 2009. I have been very disappointed with my 2009 370Z Car, because you cant drive it over 4000 RPMs, if the ambient temperature is over 90 degrees. As a result, I only have 630 miles on my 370Z! The 370Z Car, without an engine oil cooler, will over-heat! The engine oil temperature reaches 280 degrees, if the ambient temperature is over 90 degrees, and it will do it in a very short period of time. When this happens, the cars engine RPMs are reduced from 7500 RPMs to 6500 RPMs, and if the engine oil temperature reaches 290 degrees, the engines RPMs will be reduced to 4500 RPMs, which is approximately half of the 370Z Horsepower!

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  From 98 Corolla to 07 Versa - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Bill - March 17 - 2:03 pm

  Wanted to update my car into this decade before its too late...Didnt like the Corolla design this time and the Versa just felt right.

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  Unsatisfied - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By nicki weatherly - March 14 - 11:20 pm

  Loved this truck when I bought it always believed in Nissan until know. Buyer beware transmission cooler failed I may be looking at replacing a transmission Nissan new this was happening and have failed to recall the issue leaving us buyer the cost of the repairs 5000 to 6000. Will never buy a Nissan again.,

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  False advertising/Fuel Economy - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By dbucolo - March 14 - 2:14 am

  I purchased this vehicle strickly on Gas Mileage, I traded a 2007 GMC Yukon that had Flex fuel capabilites and fuel adjustment that got 22 miles on the HWY. The Juke gets 23 at best. I turn off the Air, set on Econo mode and stay at 70mph to acheive 23. I cross the desert and have a 3 hour drive every week. The city is 18 at best. I hate the fact that I got rid of a 5.4 engine and much more comfort for a 1.6 and only get a few miles to the gallon better, this is a huge dissapointment and Nissan should be sued for false advertisement!

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  Factory Paint Flaw - 2011 Nissan Pathfinder
  By brittadcock - March 13 - 2:26 pm

  I bought my Pathfinder less than 2 months ago. About 3 weeks(or less) into ownership, while hand-washing my vehicle, I noticed 3 different chips in my passenger side doors. No dents. I brushed it off and thought about getting touch-up paint. While bringing the issue to the attention of my dad, a well-known, retired, body man and paint expert, we did a walk-over of the vehicle and noticed there were several chips all over the vehicle, from top to bottom. Though they were microscopic at the time, in the sunlight (this being a silver paint vehicle, they WERE hard to spot if you werent looking for them), we noticed the spots were bigger than before, and there were bubbles in the paint. My dad labeled it as something called "surface tension", which is somewhat like a pimple. He said it is something that is on the metal before the factory paint was applied and it was simply working its way up through the surface of the paint, ending as a chip. Simply put, in about 3 years, my BRAND NEW Nissan Pathfinder is going to look like a gray vehicle with patches of silver shimmer. The paint will continue to chip. I took it to the dealership, Waco Nissan, which is the same dealership I purchased the vehicle from and showed them what I was concerned about. They told me they would get in touch with the local Nissan Rep. and he would make further decisions about my situation. Later that same week, I came in to meet with the rep and he told me that all they could offer was a repaint". I have done my research and I knew that repainting is almost the same as being in an accident when it comes to resale value. Repainting my vehicle would end up costing me money when it came to trading it in;. Needless to say, I refused;. The Nissan Dealership then offered to escalate my issue to the actual Nissan company:. I waited three weeks for an answer, playing phone tag with the associate who was responsible for my case?. She would call, leave a message, say I could return her call, never answer, call a few days later, and then finally called to say they had rejected my claim|. The same day they revealed that they had rejected my request for a replacement vehicle, but before the fact, when I had taken it in for the first oil change, I talked to the owner of Waco Nissan, same person who sold me the vehicle, and he said that Nissan had not contacted him for any pictures or sent anyone else to look at the vehicle;. Basically, Nissan made their decision based on hearsay, no evidence. No one gave a crap to look at it and see what was going on with the paint, besides the original rep who came out a month ago. Since then, the chips have become more noticeable and the spots which were once bubbles have become chips. I dont know what to do, at this point, I feel that all Nissan is doing is working to get that signature on the dotted line and doesnt care to take fault for anything that happens in their factory.. I dont feel that it is fair for them to expect me to be okay with paying a new price for a car that needs to be repainted right off the lot. Simply, they dont care. The consultant who delivered the news even went so far as to offer the number for the BBB.