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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  Not Having Fun Anymore! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Dfunkymonkey - March 22 - 10:00 am

  The cars engine performance is superb and very responsive even with the A/C on. Lots of cheap plastic. Gear shift console broke in the first week (it was held together by DUCT TAPE inside) and the dealership still does not have the replacement part. Shifting gears is a bit harsh. Wind noise is very loud esp. from the sunroof. Some other items are also defective. I expect to be going back and forth to the delearship at least four more times before everything gets fixed.If my Honda Accord had this cars engine I would not have thought of trading it in for this one. The car is fun to drive, but thats just about it.

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  disappointing - 2008 Nissan Altima
  By aus26tex - March 18 - 11:13 am

  Had the car for 1yr 5 months and have had ongoing issues with my drivers side seat sliding from side to side. Nissan has been a pain to deal with and even after I recently filed for lemon law they have yet to be in touch and have exceeded the 30 day time frame. Aside from seat moving side to side I have moisture in my right rear tail-light, unreliable brake pressure(they can be VERY touchy depending on which way the wind blows), blown speaker, rattles, and a hesitation when accelerating. Not sure how it has won "Highest Ranked in Initial Quality" from J.D. Power. Also has very uncomfortable seats, and poor handling. On the bright side good MPG, peppy and quiet.

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  PROBLEMS - 2004 Nissan 350Z
  By MAV - March 13 - 10:00 am

  I have had nothing but problems with my 350z. Ive been through 2 transmissions now in only 10,000 miles. I have also had problems with my windows and my stereo. My z has been in the shop for 4weeks out of the 6 months Ive owned it.

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  STAY AWAY!!! - 2012 Nissan 370Z
  By mikegt87 - March 8 - 9:06 am

  All I can say is do not buy a Nissan! At 7k miles my car suffered complete engine failure. Blown head gasket, engine coolant in the combustion chamber. How did Nissan react? They replaced the head gasket and not the motor. Well now 5k miles later the engine is starting to act up again. This goes with all the other problems the car has had. The AC has failed, the tpms system malfunctions. The manual tranny sounds horrible. All this at under 10k miles. Stay away!

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  Very disappointed - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By jml20 - March 4 - 11:28 am

  My wife and I have owned and driven a 2009 Rogue, 2009 Altima, and a 2012 Rogue with no issues or problems with CVT or road noise until I traded my 2009 for the 2013 Altima. When accelerating slowly from a dead stop, a deep rumbling, vibration noise starts at about 20 mph, briefly stops as you reach 40 mph, then starts again. After 40, the rumbling continues and then the road/tire noise kicks in, which is much louder with this model. I have had the vehicle checked by my Nissan dealer several times, but the problem has not been resolved.

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  This suv is built poorly - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Dr. Barry - March 4 - 10:00 am

  Since I have purchased this vehicle it has been in for repairs 12 times for numerous electrical problems as well as problems with the transmission, air conditioning, and rattles/squeeks. I filed a lemon law claim which was dismissed by Nissan and I am now in the process of suing them. It also gets horrible gas mileage for an suv of this size.I am extremely disappointed with this vehicle especially since I have owned many Nissan vehicles in the past with good results. I will never buy another Nissan again after seeing how they treat loyal customers that do have problems. I would urge anyone to think twice before purchasing this vehicle!

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  SE-R Spec V < the sum of its parts - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By Brandon Apmann - March 2 - 1:06 am

  I purchased this car spanking new and enjoyed its strong engine with gobs of torque (for 2.5 liters), loved the limited slip differential, lots of grip from the tires and suspension. I was excited to finally own a new car I could pamper and keep minty fresh. Well, the honeymoon didnt last very long. From day one, literally, I kept fresh (every 3,000 miles) Mobil 1 oil in it, but despite my efforts, the car burnt more oil than any car Ive ever owned, 2quarts every oil change. Also at about 30k to 40K the car lost a lot of power, started blowing black smoke which made it impossible to keep the bumper clean. Also, the clear coat started to peel @ 50K, making the car quite ugly.

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  Buyer Beware - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By Robin - February 29 - 10:16 pm

  The sunroof leaks in the car wash. After 3 attempts to have the problem fixed, I received a copy of the Nissan work instruction stating If water leaks occur only when using an automatic car wash or high pressure water spray, no repair is necessary. All the positive aspects of the car are overshadowed by the leaking sunroof. Buyer Beware -- Nissan does not warranty the sunroof in a car wash and this information is not available to consumers prior to purchase. If you never use an automatic car wash, this is the car for you. Otherwise, buy a Toyota.

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  Nissan Leaf & Blink Charging Station - 2011 Nissan Leaf
  By rickrick - February 26 - 10:11 pm

  The Leaf is a fun car and its always great passing buy the gas stations and not having to pay the ridiculous prices.

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  Feel every bump in the road - 2008 Nissan Maxima
  By eileen - February 16 - 2:40 pm

  I went from a Jeep to a VW to a Nissan and will never buy Japanese or Nissan again. I like the car overall but you feel every single little bump in the road. It feels like your rims are going to crack when you go over a bump.