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 BUTT HURTS - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By OICU812 - April 24 - 2:00 am

  I drove it 900 miles this week and my butt hurts. Extra foam and a Sheep skin seat cover helps some. 100% city driving gave 15mpg and interstate gives 18 on windy days and 19.5 on calm days. At 4500 miles the only problem was an oil leak at a plug near the oil filter. The odometer is off by 3.4% so to be fair you can add another .5mpg to the above MPG. The dealer says the odometer can not be adjusted. I have a 02 Tahoe with 105 more HP and 1000lbs heavier and it gets better MPG, 16 city and the last highway trip was 21MPG(honest injun). AND ABOVE ALL IT DOES NOT MAKE MY BUTT HURT. My first NISSAN and Im not happy. Time will tell.

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  BRAKE PROBLEMS - 2000 Nissan Quest
  By NISSANCT - April 19 - 10:00 am

  We have had our van for almost 4 years and we constantly have to replace the front brakes. None of my other cars have had this problem, but it seems every 6000 miles the brakes are completly shot again. It is in the garage again today and the brakes are 90% gone. They are covered by a warranty for work, but it is a pain to keep bringing it in. We have also had a problem with the gas pedal sticking when you go to hit the gas. My daughter is just learning to drive and she noticed it also.

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  Not pleased at all with this truck - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By Sarah Smith - April 17 - 9:06 am

  I made a huge mistake when I bought this truck. At first it seemed great until I started having a lot of issues. First the transmission, then the brakes, then dash lights. The list goes on and on. The gas mileage is a joke. My buddy bought a 5.7L tundra which has more power and he gets better mileage not to mention when we pull our 4-wheelers, he leaves me in the dust.

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  Expensive at 45000 miles - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Ian - April 16 - 10:43 am

  In the last 6 months we have spent nearly$1700 on repairs to this Murano. It would have been more if we had paid the $900 for new motor mounts when the car had done 45,000 miles. The dealer got Nissan to pay for it after a lot of complaining from me. The car has done 51080 miles and 2 months ago we paid $900 for front struts and now $457 dollars for an electric window motor, 50$ for a rear stop light change and $43 for an inspection and oil change. The dealer claims the muffler needs replacing for another $914 and the car need brakes and rotors for another $600. If this is typical, at this mileage, of Nissan products, then they are producing lemons.

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  Big Disappointment - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Buy another Van - April 13 - 10:00 am

  Bought loaded SE with nav, dvd, etc...Looked at 04 Sienna and Town and Country and decided on the Quest based on features, room and price. Since taking delivery we have had multiple problems...rattles, steering column lockup(could not put the car in park), Shifter nob fell off, skyroof leak (we are now on our 4th panel), front seatbacks came out of seat. Has been in the shop for 8 days so far. I have become good friends with rental car agency. I would highly recommend paying the extra money for the Toyota until Nissan has worked out the numerous bugs in this car. I am going to Nissan Consumer Affairs with this car given all the problems in just three month

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  Total junk - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By rfw - April 11 - 1:00 am

  Traded this thing off after less than 2 years. Ill summarize: Airbag recall (took 2 trips and still didnt operate correctly); burned-out tailight; interior map lights and overhead A/C vents constantly fall out; high-speed shimmy that cant be fixed; rear & side doors squeak and rattle; window motor burned out; oxygen sensor went out; A/C wont shut off sometimes; DVD player went out, and the final straw: the transmission hung in 2nd gear until I restarted it. Run away, if you even get close to one.

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  I am done with NISSAN - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By 2002sentragxe - April 9 - 8:23 am

  I purchased a 02 Nissan Sentra GXE in Dec of 2001 from our local dealer in Petaluma California. At the time, we also considered Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla but ended up with the Nissan because the interior of the Sentra looked much better than the rest. Big mistake! Our Nissan was ok for the first several years but it started falling apart as soon as it hit 100k. Everything from faded paint to the on board computer (ECM) went out at a cost of $700. Next the transmission went out as well as the seatbelts and etc... Now I understand why people buy Toyotas. Meanwhile, a friend of ours has a 02 Corolla with 200k and its still running strong.

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  Decent...but no Odyssey or Sienna. - 2000 Nissan Quest
  By F23A4 - April 8 - 10:00 am

  We bought our Quest new in 2000 and chose it specifically due to the features:price ratio. At the time it was very unusual to see minivan with sport tuned suspension, HR rated tires, power moonroof and a standard TV/VCP unit. Given the demand for the Odyssey and Sienna, we were able to acquire our Quest for several thousand below MSRP. That said, its been in the shop more times than any vehicle weve ever owned. Summary:the brakes are in need of constant servicing, replacement headlight bulbs have burned out the wiring several times, radio display ceased, the passenger side pwr window needed to be repaired twice, its now in the shop for a trans rebuild & were on our second TV/VCP unit.

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  THE HAZARDS OF THIS VAN! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By TENNESSEENONNA - April 8 - 10:00 am

  RE: NEW VAN! AFTER PURCHING THE FIRST VAN, IT BROKE DOWN- DEALERSHIP COULDNT FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX IT SO-GOT A DIFFERENT ONE- HAS BEEN BREAKING DOWN WITHOUT ANYONE BEING ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHY! THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE SAFE WAY TO TRAVEL WITH MY GRANDCHILDREN!!! NOW I HATE TO SEE MY GRANDCHILDREN IN THIS VAN! AM TERRIBLY WORRIED! THIS IS SO UNSAFE! LOOKS GREAT, AND IS GREAT TO DRIVE- UNLESS IT IS ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTA-W/O POWER OR AT THE DEALERSHIP & THEY DONT KNOW HOW TO FIX IT! AFTER HAVING 2 OF THESE VANS WITH MAJOR PROBLEMS - DANGEROUS PROBLEMS I AM SORRY THAT BOTH OF MY CHILDREN BOUGHT THEM! AND WISH THEY HAD STAYED WITH THE TRIED AND TRUE AMERICAN VERSIONS! WHAT NOW??

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  Good for the first 7 years - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By consumer30 - March 31 - 12:40 pm

  I purchased my Nissan GXE with only 17,000 miles on it.....drove it for YEARS with NO problems, took excellent care of it & then last year the bottom fell out! After reaching 100,000 miles, I started having major repair issues...one after the other...The sensors started going crazy...crank shaft & cram sensors,...the head gasket had to be replaced, the steering rack 6mos later....& these are $1000+ repairs!!! Major disappointment. Dont get me wrong, I did get a lot of usage, but I know people with nearly 200,000+ miles on their cars(different makes/models) & I thought I would be one of them... guess Not! Now I have to consider purchasing another vehicle & Im Not happy about it one bit.