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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  My Frontier Experience - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By arcadio figueroa - January 11 - 2:00 am

  For the most, this vehicle is a good handling truck but very high on gas consuming. THe air conditioner and heat exchanger are very poor and the interior space is very limited, specially in the back seat.

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  DO NOT BUY!!! - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By DO NOT BUY!!! - December 31 - 10:03 am

  We traded our 04 quest for an 07 quest. Huge mistake. The 04 is nothing like the 07 at all. Storage is very limited. Seats are uncomfortable. Air barely blows any air. Heat takes forever to heat up and blow. Cloth seats get very dirty due to pattern chose on material. Lots of things that are plastic have broken, air vents, cup holders, etc. It gets horrible gas mileage. I drive to school and back and I use a tank in three to four days. That is going nowhere else approx. 14-17 mpg... not good at all! Not very roomy. Our sliding door kept popping dealership said couldnt fix when window shattered in a million pieces!! DO NOT BUY THIS VEHICLE!!

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  Good but not great SUV - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Rick in ATL - December 30 - 3:53 am

  Lots of rattles and air leaks keep this good SUV from being great. Great powertrain and sound system, smooth ride and comfort. Poor dealer service.

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  Look at as many reviews as possible - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Justin - December 25 - 5:13 am

  As another so perfectly wrote, there is good reason why this car sells so cheap. Mine came off the lot, complete with warped front disks and lightbulbs falling from underneath the dash. How does a car come from the factory with warped rotors? More recently, Ive waited a month and a half for a broken shock to be replaced, which has been just enough time for the rear defroster to stop working and the serpentine belt to start squealing (I hope thats all it is) Be wise, dont fall for all the extras and low price. Its truly not worth the poor components, build quality, and service from Nissan. Pay the extra several thousand for a toyota or honda, you wont regret it!

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  I really wanted to love it. - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By George - December 23 - 9:13 am

  Bought this car new since family had good luck with older Maximas in the late 90s but this one has been a disappointment. CD changer replaced 3 times for freezing up, lumbar support dead twice, center console arm support snapped, grille replaced for paint chipping, paint in general isnt great and now fighting with Nissan cause clutch and flywheel failed. Mechanics say its a defect but Nissan says its regular wear and tear. Funny how that works. BBB to the rescue!!! I do like driving this car but its put a sour taste in my mouth especially with how Nissan corporate treats its customers and just worrying about when Ill be sitting in service again. I think I just got a dud.

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  PIECE OF JUNK - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By SUBIENUT - December 23 - 2:00 am

  having had a 97 altima and a 2000 Altima I tried a 2003 for a test drive. It is still a piece of junk that has been slapped together with very poor straight line stability when it hit bumps and dip. My 2001 LL Bean outback is decidedly better and my new 2003 H-^ outback sedan absolutely trounces an equivalently priced Altima. The new altima is pathetic and your reviewer must have received a free vacation or something. Tyoical Nissan more sizzle and less beef. By the way does Nissan believ in rear bumpers?

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  please help me stop! - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By ashby - December 19 - 5:30 pm

  The vehicle has been great except for the brake problems. i have had the brakes replaced 3 times and the rotors turned twice and replaced once in only 4000 miles. the rotors warp every 1000 miles it seems and even this new updated brake kit i just had installed is starting to fail. i wouldnt reccommend a titan to anyone until puts a entirely new barking system on the truck. it is a liability and a safety issue. nissan consumer service is real lousy too. i made my decision today to lemon law the truck through a lawyer.

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  2002 Frontier just so-so - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By Larry Cline - December 18 - 2:20 am

  A bit underpowered. Poor fuel economy (15-17 mpg in combined city/highway use. Fairly comfortable, with good room front & back, although back less so for adults. The long bed is handy, although it makes thre truck very difficult to park; a short bed with the removable bed extender might be good enough if you dont haul large items regularly. One extremely annoying design flaw: the vents cannot be closed completely off, and the ductwork runs close to the engine, so hot air is blown in all the time. On days over about 65 degrees, you have to keep the a/c turned on or windows down or it gets very warm inside.

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  My Murano is a Lemon - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By muranoNO - December 14 - 3:10 am

  Our 1 yr new Murano has broken down 4 times starting at 10K miles. The service engine light comes on & the car loses power while driving. We had the recall repaired on the car & still had more issues. Each time it stopped running our 1 yr old was in the car in a near accident situation. Our dealership was rude & unhelpful. The service dpt at Nissan said something different was wrong with it each time & ensure that it will never happen again. Not true, its happened 4 times. Totally unacceptable! I fear for the safety of my family in this car. Up until this happened we loved the car. So disappointed. Now we have claims filed with Nissan & the state.

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  14,000 cluth burned out - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By jerrygarner - December 9 - 7:40 pm

  I see another review, his clutch burned out at 12,000. Very unhappy, very difficult to see when backing up, had to remove headrest. Very sorry about this purchase, very unhappy with many factors. go back a second time before you buy, I should have listened.