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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  Pass on this one - 1999 Nissan Frontier
  By Vinny3030 - March 9 - 10:00 am

  Not a well built truck. Gas miliage poor for a 4cyl. Many repairs needed to this truck under normal use. Very slow pickup. Does not handel well.

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  WORST CAR EVER HAD - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By too_swift - March 2 - 3:31 pm

  WHERE DO I START....THIS CAR HAS GIVEN ME PROBLEMS SINCE A WEEK FROM ME DRIVING IT OFF THE LOT. I BOUGHT THE CAR WITH 6 MILES ON IT AND IVE HAD THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS..GAS COVER STUCK, 3RD TRANSMISSION, DEFECTIVE AIRBAGS, LIGHTS NOT WORKING INSIDE OF THE CAR, SHIFTER IN THE CAR CAME APART... MY SISTER HAS THE SAME CAR AND HAS HAD MOST OF THOSE PROBLEMS PLUS REPLACING HER STEERING COLUMN...NISSAN GAVE ME A HARD TIME TO FIX THESE ITEMS(THAT WERE UNDER WARRANTY) THE CAR IS NOT WORTH THE PRICE. IT HAS HAD MORE WEAR-N-TEAR DAMAGE COSTS THEN THE ACTUAL WORTH OF THE CAR. HAVE IT FULLY MAINTAINCED BEFORE BUYING THAT YEAR OF SENTRA. I TRADED IT IN WITH 46,000 MILES ON IT BECAUSE IT WAS TOO MUCH $!

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  Too big and bulky - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By Tiny - February 25 - 12:03 pm

  I traded my Mazda CX7 because it drove rough. The Murano drove worse. It drives hard and heavy. It is hard to park. You cannot see in the back well. There is not enough room for more than two suitcases. When on smooth surface you can still feel little bumps.

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  fuel pump went out at 50k - 2012 Nissan Versa
  By A. Ellison - February 21 - 11:53 am

  I have a love/hate thing with this car. Its roomy for a compact car, great mpg, attractive, easy and comfortable to drive. The problem is, numerous recalls, fuel pump went out at 50k miles, just outside of warranty, and pretty expensive repair. Have had R headlamp go out every 90 days or so, turns out to be a fuse, and now the same with reverse lamp. I would not recommend this car, and it pains me to say because I have always loved/been loyal to Nissans. Update: about 6 months/approx 6 to 8 thousand miles later, the transmission went bad. My dealer quoted an almost $6,000 repair bill. Our payoff was less than that, so after pleading and arguing with Nissan North America, who basically told us we were on our own, we took our business elsewhere and traded in the awful car for a different brand. Not only are Nissans no longer quality vehicles, but Nissan North America doesnt give one thought if you are a loyal customer and have bought multiple vehicles from them. They will NOT stand behind their vehicles. Never again will I purchase another Nissan.

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  Worst car in this size - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By ROBER - February 13 - 10:00 am

  In two years 5 problems, the roof leaking, solenoid, valve, airbags, battery, window and two problem with solutions. Mechanical service, Maroone of Miami is the worst thing in this matter. The final point is new car with to many problems, whats next

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  Dont wast your dough. Keep looking - 2012 Nissan Versa
  By rigner - January 22 - 5:53 pm

  Ive had my Versa since September and its been in the shop twice and its going back next week. ECU issues followed by a window that is not working at this time. Granted, this is one of the few cars where my 5 foot 9 inch son can comfortably sit in the back seat. However the build quality is suspect. The CVT is jerky and noisy. Road noise is a pain and lower and mid level models dont even have folding rear seats or variable speed wipers for mist etc. Also there is no arm rest. I would suggest getting nice used car rather than buying this thing new. Id sell it if I could. Keep looking. The Versa is OK for the most basic transportation, nothing else

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  01 Nissan Frontier v6 - NOT Recommended - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By BaLLSnatch - January 3 - 3:03 am

  I would never recommend this truck to anyone. I am not saying it is horrible, it is just not a "truck". To begin with, these 3.3s are VERY underpowered. I would expect a small underpowered motor to have great milage, Yet they are HORRIBLE gas hogs !!! You might as well have a 350 v8 !!! Because, No matter city or highway driving and no matter what type gas, you can EXPECT 15 miles per gallon. The exhaust manifolds crack after about 75k miles, but, LUCKILY they are relatively easy to change. Handling is no good. After a lot of modifications and upgrades I still do not like it. (I take care of my vehicles and expect the most from them) I have 98 S10 which I would RECOMMEND any day over it!

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  Not Up to Par - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Pat - December 31 - 10:00 am

  This car is not up to par for the cost. New was well over $30,000. I have had brake problems, the CD player skips, the a/c has stopped all together, and now it is making a knocking noise. I will be getting rid of it because I do not want to sink more money in it. It is a shame that Nissan did not pay as much attention to the Maxima as the Altima. If I had it to do over again I would have saved and bought the Altima. Now I will never buy another Nissan, i dont care what they are selling.

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  Used Dissapoinment - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Natedawg - December 25 - 9:30 pm

  All the hype about Nissans maintaining their value must be a joke. I bought an 04 Titan used with 9000 miles and within the first month have had it in the shop for four different problems. Windshield wiper fluid reservoir leaked, power windows stopped working, cupholders broke, passenger side rear door wouldnt open, a total mess within the first month of ownership. And it also doesnt help when the dealer doesnt care and will get to it when they can. Other than that, I like the truck, it looks good and rides great. Just a few things going wrong ruins the experience, especially stuff that shouldnt break on a truck with 9,000 miles

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  Great car, if it only ran - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By Susan Marshall - December 13 - 11:12 am

  From jerking violently while shifting/CVT to shuddering until it shuts off while idling at stop lights, turning, behind school busses, etc., shutting off each time the car is placed in reverse or drive to completely disengaging while driving down the road/highway leading to coasting while the gas pedal and engine stop "talking" to each other, my car has progressively become a death trap. This 2014 Altima appears to completely flummox the dealerships service folks. They cant seem to fix it. Corporate refuses to pay for or replace whatever is broken. Oh, to top it off, the same Nissan dealership said it is only worth $9k for trade in. Despite being very happy with the car for the first 18-months, this 4-time Nissan buyer is desperately searching for faith that this cars current issues are a fluke, can be fixed, and the car I worked so hard to buy will return to being the reliable, comfortable, and economic car I loved.