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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  Good turned bad - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Disappointed - December 4 - 5:53 am

  I bought the 2.5 S in a 5 speed manual and loved it at first. Then I started having clutch problems. The clutch would suck itself to the floor. Yet no problem found when taken in. After warranty was up my engine blew. Turns out I had a faulty oil pump. other mechanic fixed my car AND my clutch. Have to put in 3 qts of oil a month because it is burning oil so bad. Yet no recalls. called nissan directly and they were no help. 2004 and 2006 has a recall for the same problem. Car has a problem starting which is also a recall on the 2004s. So disappointed. Will never buy Nissan again. Trading car for a Camry

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  2008 Pathfinder SE - transmission issue - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By krcarr - November 30 - 7:40 pm

  I have been experiencing the same issue of bucking/thumping at or around 40mph. When lightly pressing the gas pedal the vehicle shakes or shudders but only around that speed. A senior tech witnessed the problem and said NIssan is working on it , but it had to get cleared by EPA. Not happy with this 08. Very disappointed in Nissan.

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  Dont buy - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By Jackol - November 29 - 10:40 pm

  First, our car has 55K miles. I know how this car performs and I do my own maintenance. This review is based on 2 1600 mile trips, two weeks apart. Received a recall letter from Nissan relative to Trans belt noise. We had no problem but took it in and had the new software installed. Our gas mileage went from 27-32 down to 20-24 MPG. Nissan refused to fix it. I will paint large lemons on it drive to every Nissan dealer I can find. Paint quality is also pathetic.

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  Dont Nuy Transmission Problems - 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
  By frankin - November 27 - 11:51 am

  New CVT Transmission has shuttering problem that Nissan doesnt have a fix for. they have tried replacing Torque converter with limited success. this Transmission is flawed, we paid $38K for a vehicle that cannot be fixed. NO more Nissans ever!

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  2012 VERSA Constant High Pitched Noisy Whine - 2012 Nissan Versa
  By versadisaster - November 23 - 1:05 pm

  I bought my new Versa in late Sept. and it started making a constant, high pitched, very loud, whiney noise. I returned it to Benson Nissan in Easley, S.C. and the mechanics heard the sound right away. They said that there have been several complaints about this noise and it is coming from the CVT. When Nissan figures out the noise problem there will be a re-call. This is not the kind of sound that one can get used to. Also, the Versa has a highly toxic glue smell in the interior and I discovered that the Versa has many toxic chemicals in the interior materials and is rated the No.1 Most Toxic Car in America. I Do Not recommend this car.

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  A very very bad choice - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By mans - November 21 - 2:00 am

  It was fine for the first 8-10 months after that at around 10,000 miles I started seeing problems, my Bose stereo died, my turn signal stopped working, my suspension became rock hard and there is excessive body noise. When I bring this to the attention of the dealership they denied there were any problems. Finally after multiple visits they acknoledged the problems. The string of bad experiences after just one year I am totally shaken with both Stevens Creek Nissan as well as the quality of Nissan cars in general. Stay away from Nissan if you can.

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  New Nissan Titan 07 - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By Biju - November 20 - 8:23 pm

  I test drove Toyota Tundra 07, Ford F150 and Nissan Titan. I liked Toyota Tundra. The reason I went for Nissan Titan was the price. I got a price difference of almost $7000. Now I regret. I should have gone for Tundra. The ride is terrible in Nissan. It is like you ride on a horse cart. Jumping too much on every road. MPG is not what Nissan says. I get only 13 mpg. Body shape is good. I have a front bench seat. An adult can not sit for a long trip on that seat. Only a child less than 8 years can sit there. But traffic rules never allow a child less than 18 to be a front passenger.

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  Armada 2004 - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By j.trussell - November 18 - 6:20 am

  This SUV has the perfect amount of room on the inside BUT it is a PIECE of JUNK. The interior is cheaply made and easily scratched etc. I have had a tremnedous number of items replaced on the inside -the DVD player, DVD console in the ceiling, leather cover on a passenger seat, ac vent, volume control button on the steering wheel (this needs replacing again)drivers window had to be worked on 3 times, passenger window also, back of front passenger seat had to be replaced, brakes 3xs, lots of rattles when driving---it has NOT been a good experience. Love the size and the amenities in it but it is cheap!!!

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  LEMON - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Melly - November 15 - 1:40 pm

  Nissan should be ashamed of the quality of this car. My car has been at the Nissan Dealership over 50 times in the past two years. I had to have front rotors replaced, when car was under warranty. The car was only at 30,000 miles. Next,I keep hearing a front-end noise and Nissan couldnt figure out the problem at all. Then at 75,000, my transmission had to be replaced costing me around 4,500. Several months after that, my AC compressor is totally burned out. I have went broke over this car and addition to paying the monthly note. Nissan must recall this car very soon. There has been to many similar complaints on this car.

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  Car will not accelerate - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By franklin18 - November 12 - 9:47 pm

  I bought our car the end of Feb 2013. We loved it, after taking it out that weekend the car gave a BSW code and when pushing the gas the car would just stall and not go. I would have to let off the gas and then push the gas again it would go. After 8 days in the shop we were told it was a wire that was not grounded properly. 5 days later, I would push the gas and the car would stall, I called they had my car another 4 days to be told it was a faulty stop lamp switch. Had the car for 4 more days and now it is back in the shop for the exact same problem. Called Nissan North America and still waiting on a return call from 2 days ago! I love the car, wish it would run properly!