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:

• 

  BAD BAD BAD - 1998 Nissan Frontier
  By me_shell - February 23 - 2:00 am

  I bought my frontier used in 1999. I am currently at 104000 miles. It has been one problem after the next with this truck. From all the wires behind the radio "mysteriously" melting, to the brakes, to replacing the clutch twice, to tail gate latch breaking, to the muffler, to the radiator, and the list goes on and on and on. Im finally trading it in tommorrow. YIPPIE! I should have done it earlier, but I just kept thinking that this problem will be the last, until all of a sudden more money than Id like to mention has been poured into it. However, it should be noted that I likely got a lemon.

• 

  Good Riddance - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By isuztroop7 - February 22 - 6:53 pm

  Maybe Im just used to boxy SUVs. I replaced my 92 Pathfinder SEV6 with the Crew Cab Frontier SEV6. Bad mistake. The handling was less than I expected. The ABS would abruptly kick in wet conditions. Short-bed was neat until I needed to put something big back there. Cramped and plain interior. Stock CD player would malfunction when it got too warm from long operation. Poor traction and ugly cloth seat fabric. I liked the unique exterior look though for its time. Traded it in after the second accident involving the terrible 4WD traction. Owned it for a year. Nissan was once my favorite automaker, however they take a second or even fifth seat after owning such a bad vehicle. I still see their current models could use a tad more luster in their designs.

• 

  Save yourself the aggravation - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Dont Buy It - February 18 - 10:00 am

  A new car shouldnt have this many issues. 1)When it snows, this car slips and slides everywhere. (Its also bad in the rain.) 2) The tires make this horrible *loud* noise, especially around 60-70 mph. 3) Ive been stranded at least 5 times because the car doesnt always start in the cold. 4)The window doesnt always close if the temp is over 90 degrees. 5)The rearview mirror dimmer failed and had to be replaced. 6)My airbag light is flashing - and even though I brought it to the dealer, I only found out by reading other reviews here that it was a recall! 7)When you fill the gas tank, the gas sloshes back and forth whenever you stop or turn.

• 

  The good & the bad (transmission) - 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
  By djf4 - February 7 - 7:46 pm

  Purchased on 2-18-13 the suv drives and handles well. The vehicle is roomy inside and not too large on the outside. Averages about 25 mpg at 70 mph and over 26 at 55-60 mph. Expect 20-21 mpg in local driving. Well pleased with the Pathfinder except for transmission problems. On slow acceleration, 20 to 25 mph,the transmission will shutter/shake. The problem repeats at about 40 mph. On 4-17-13, the Nissan dealer, who was very helpful, advised Nissan is aware of the problem but has no fix at this time. A Nissan Service Bulletin, dated Jan 13, did NOT fix the transmission! Hope the repair comes soon as I fear the transmission will fail while traveling.

• 

  UNRELIABLE AT 48,100 MILES - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By amrp - February 3 - 2:45 pm

  I got my 2011 Juke last February 2011 and I was so proud of it until July 11, 2013 at 48,100 miles, it just broke down. I had it towed to a Nissan Service Center and they changed the "TUBE - ASMY INLET" plus a gasket valve in and a seal-o ring. I am not a mechanic so I dont know how this all work. Anyway, if you are a potential buyer, just be ready to start paying for maintenance at 48,100 miles. I am not sure what and when the next problem will come up now.

• 

  I dont know - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Heynissan - January 29 - 10:00 am

  I am not going to comment on interior or exterior look cuz thats personal taste. But the torque steer you just simply cant igore. I am very surprised they didnt learn anything from the Altima 3.5 experience(torque steer too). Do they think general public just wont notice that or what? I think Nissan is pushing out a lot of flashy cars fast with poor built/cheap qualities. They should pay more attention to basic engineering and quality. Toss gas guzzling 3.5 VQ engine with a lot of horse power in every car is just not the solution. Have to design good platforms to go with it. I am a little disappointed. not worth 30k!!!

• 

  Impossible to drive smoothly - 2010 Nissan 370Z
  By Ralph - January 25 - 2:03 pm

  Love the design; dont understand why the manual transmission cant be shifted more smoothly; and why missing a couple hundred revs causes a cacophony of drive line clamors. Traded a Z 4 for this; didnt want to pay the $20M premium for the new Z4; but the BMW manual was quiet and forgiving if rev match wasnt perfect. Driving manuals for 55 years; never had one so difficult to master.

• 

  Just average - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By steve - January 18 - 6:10 am

  I have had this car for eight years. It has been okay except for the noisy hubcaps, which have been replaced twice while under warranty. They still drive me crazy when driving under 10 mph. You hear constant squeaks and rattles. Mileage is not great, 23 mpg combined. Ride is comfortable and decent power for a 4 cylinder. Radiator and CV boots needed changing after 80,000 miles. A/C clutch has been making noise for 2 years, but still works.

• 

  Unhappy Owner - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Danny - January 15 - 7:30 am

  Car has shimmy in front wheels, dealer says they cant fix it. A/C works intermittently, chrome is coming off all 4 wheels, rattles in front and rear of car. Every time I take it in for repair, dealer says no problem found. Car had a rattle underneath it, I found a nut missing off of the tailpipe hangar. Not the dealers problem, but had to replace the tires at 15k because of cracking in sidewalls. This is the first and last Nissan I will own, because of poor build quality and lousy customer service from dealer.

• 

  Dont do the recall - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By Junior - January 14 - 1:50 am

  We were satisfied with our vehicle until we had a transmission recall performed. The week of thanksgiving, drove from SE Ok to Atl., Ga. averaged 27-32 mpg. After returning home, took to local Nissan dealer for the recall, returned to Atl. the very next day, average mileage was 20-24 mpg. They call me a liar said it is impossible They lie