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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  I knew better than to buy the first year of a redesign - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By 2013neveragain - May 19 - 3:18 pm

  I know better than to buy the first model year of a complete redesign... Immediately after purchase I had the windshield trim replaced because it would not hold secure and was flapping at highway speeds. Then with about 2K miles on it the car left me stranded at Wal-Mart. Nissan roadside took two hours to get a tow truck to me. Turns out it was a known ignition system recall that the dealer failed to update before I purchased the car. The radio has been replaced already for having issues such as dropping the blue tooth link with any connected phone, flashing on and off and so on. It took 3 weeks to get a replacement radio in. Dash trim on the side of the radio has been replaced...........

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  Good but with its faults - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Ivan - May 17 - 3:50 am

  The interior is cheap and pretty ugly. The turning radius is worse than a Ford Explorer. The cabin pressure is set up so that with the front two windows down theres alot of wind and pressure (compared to my 96 Maxima) but ok with all four windows down. The steering wheel is off to the left a bit and my seat seems to be facing slightly to the left, either way its not straightforward and it makes driving a bit uncomfortable. That last part is my real pet peeve. The circular dashboard is annoying too. Basically the whole interior stinks but Ive had it since 52,000 miles (67 now) and no major repairs needed so far, its pretty fast, handles well (except for u-turns) and ok to look at.

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  Nissan good or bad ? - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Sentra owner - May 14 - 1:03 pm

  Ive had my Sentra for 16 mos. and I am not happy at all. The engine is NOT quiet. I was back at the dealer after one month. A noise came out from the engine like a valve opening and closing under pressure, very loud. They (dealer service) said that is not a problem until the check engine light from board is on!! Still I have that noise. And is a very lazy car for 2.0l engine. Inside is poor quality, immediately scratched up from just the belt. Im very disappointed with my Sentra. Also I own a Nissan Quest and this one is very smooth and quiet car.(even if I had some problem like water inside the trunk... and shaking doors, dead battery after 3 mos). Think twice before you buy!

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  This car is crap - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By melgoodman77 - May 12 - 4:15 pm

  I bought my car used with 34,000 miles on it. I didnt even have it 24 hours and the clutch stuck to the floor while I was doing 75 mph. The dealer said that the hydrolics on the clutch had gone and they also had to replace the master cylinder and the slay cylinder. I have only owned this car a little under 2 months. The gas milage of this car is horrible. I get 18 mpg even when it says I am getting more. The gas light comes on when the gas gauge is only have 1/4 of a tank. Now there is a large clunking sound in the front end of the car and the dearship said they adjusted my subframe. It is still making the clunking noise and needs to go back in. LEMON!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  My first bad auto purchase - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By jimjam56 - May 12 - 10:00 am

  Oil leak right out of the showroom! Nissan mechanics cant figure out where its coming from. Ive had this vehicle less than 24 hours. Nissan "official position"....we will not replace, but we will repair under warranty any defects......whether Ive owned the car for 3 hours or 3 years. They will not replace the vehicle. Can you imagine buying a brand new, top of the line car (a lemon) and Nissan wants to "fix it" as opposed to replacing it?

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  catalitic converter problems - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Dont buy one - May 7 - 7:06 pm

  Nice car when I first bought it. Larger than toyota. But, at 50,000 miles check engine light, had to spend 800 on a new catalytic converter, then at 90,000 crank position sensor, failed several times before the dealer figured it out. Now check engine light again. Who knows what now. Buy a honda, much more reliable.

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  Armada - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By MIKE - May 6 - 7:53 pm

  Worst Vehicle Ive ever owned. Rattles like a "tin can". Front window/door panel rattles all the time. Dealer supposedly fixed problem but still rattles, drives me crazy! Had the brakes fail on me when approaching a stop light. Something to do with the VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) module. Nissan has known about this problem and still no recall? A/C doesnt blow cold even though their is enough freon in the system. Takes up to 30-40 minutes before blowing cool, not cold. Have had two fuel injectors replaced before 40,000 miles, thankfully it was covered under my extended warranty. All in all this vehicle was poorly engineered. Would not recommend to anyone. Buy Chev. Tahoe instead!

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  no ride - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By walking boy - May 1 - 6:26 am

  After 2 months while driving, the gauges went dead along with turn signals, and the fan air etc. Took the car back to the dealer and they took 6 hrs to find the problem ( they think) the part been on order for 31 days. No car.the dealer wont returns calls and left me with a 800 # where you wait 30 min before they take your call. Then all they tell you is youre high priority and your case worker will call you back. Im still waiting for my call back

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  Biggest piece ive ever bought - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By kyle - April 29 - 8:06 pm

  I bought this car used from my uncle with 98,000 miles and ever since Ive owned it, it has been nothing but trouble. Replaced the manual transmission and drive shaft $1800. Struts and shocks are so bad the car wobbles as youre driving. The drive shaft has already messed up again just recently as an experienced owner I will never buy another Nissan any make or model.

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  2004 Maxima is the worst vehicle Ive ever owned! - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By davidh11 - April 28 - 9:38 am

  I bought my 04 Maxima used in 2008 with 69K miles on it. Ive had nothing but trouble with it since I bought it. Transmission went out at 87k miles. The dealerships mechanic told me he has seen many Maximas come in with a bad Valve Body causing the tranny to slip and also slam into gear from park to drive. Luckily my extended warranty covered it. Here is the long list of problems Ive had with the car since then: bad radiator fan assembly, ignition coil, valve cover gasket, 2 broken motor mounts, bad altenator, tie rod end, bad cat converter, rear wheel bearing, and power window motor. I traded it in last week and good riddence!!