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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  Too many issues - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By gayrand - February 13 - 12:20 pm

  Ive liked driving this vehicle for the past 5 years, but the issues Ive had with it are enough that I wouldnt buy another. I had to replace all six ignition coils. When the first 1 went, I took it to a dealer who wanted a lot of money to replace all 6 - when only 1 was faulty. I took it to an independent repair facility, and got another year out of the vehicle before a 2nd coil needed replacement. Slightly less than a year after that and a 3rd went, at which point I replaced the remainder. Top that off with the failure of the CD player at about 60k & finding that was a "known issue". Next time around Ill be going Honda or Toyota - and that will be soon.

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  Nissan Maxima - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By kirsten_046 - February 11 - 11:41 pm

  I was so excited when I bought this car Ive always had a Nissan and they never let me down. I loved the double sun roof and the previous owner had "tricked" it out so it was all fancy. I bought it with 130,000 miles on it which was quite a bit but it was running well! But then after about 20,000 miles the key kept getting stuck in the ignition, the CD player skips everything and cuts out, takes a few times to actually start the car and now it has trouble switching gears AND I was driving a few days ago and it totally turned on in the middle of the road; steering wheel locked, gas didnt work, lights and everything went off (had to turn it off then back on again). Nissan has let me down.

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  2005 Nissan Cost $$$$ to maintain!!! - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By Denise - February 10 - 11:40 pm

  I bought a 2005 Nissan Quest with 6000 miles on it - nearly new. In five years I have changed the brakes 3 times, all belts, transmission, catalytic converter (warranty) and now the timing chain is going to need to be fixed. The Nissan Customer Service is of no help. I have owned many old school Nissans and believed them to reliable - not in this modern age! **DO NOT BUY THIS VAN** Get a Toyota instead!

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  A very bad choice. - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By terryboots - February 8 - 7:16 am

  We purchased a 2013 Altima the month they were released. The good: Great ride, great seats, excellent climate control, fuel economy, generally good controls. The bad: Transmission failed at 13k. For months we were told the jerking and shuddering was normal, then the trans failed completely. Wind noise. Paint easily scratched/marked. Engine is noisy esp under light acceleration. CVT transmission is annoying, acts like the old 2-speed "Powerglide" in Grandmas Impala. Its either revving like crazy or so low the engine lugs. Nissan was good about replacing the transmission (this time), next time who knows? Accord, Impala, Fusion, Camry are all better options.

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  Did not age well - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By Matt Russell - February 4 - 9:36 am

  My car has 70,000 miles on it. Between 50,000 and 70,000 I have had to replace the catalytic converter, the timing chain, the entire exhaust system, and a whole slew of sensors. The car has become a money pit. I enjoyed the car for the first 50,000 miles, but it has become an unreliable nightmare.

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  Ride Comfort - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By Gene - February 3 - 7:15 pm

  Ive looked into what can be done to improve the ride comfort of my 2014 Altima. So far, I have not found any recommended suspension improvements. Really noticeable sitting in the front right seat. I feel road bumps right through the seat and up my spine. The light weight of this car to improve gas mileage, results in too much road bounce on less then smooth road surfaces. Hit a pot hole, and the suspension feels like it bottomed out. On a smooth road surface, the car is quiet and comfortable. Engine compartment noise, on acceleration is too high. Ive been test riding other cars but the trade in value of my 2014 Altima is less then what I still owe on the car by several thousands of dollars. The appearance external and internal is super. But I would not buy another Nissan Altima.

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  Nothin but Trouble - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Miller - February 3 - 4:23 am

  Only have 29,000 miles and have taken it in 5 times to have the brakes REPLACED due to brake failure. Company didnt put strong enough breaks on such a large vehicle (doesnt sound too safe, huh?). I know 3 others whove had the same problem. I contacted the company for lemon-coverage, but they claimed they put on the final fix and therefore wouldnt replace or refund. Nice car to drive, but wish Id chosen something else -- new cars shouldnt be in the shop every other month!

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  Tried Nissan over Honda - Big Mistake - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Dean Hoffman - January 30 - 10:00 am

  The looks of the Maxima attracted me, and most of the reviews were postive, so I made a leap of faith and purchased a Nissan for the 1st time. What a mistake. Except for its good looks, this car rides like a truck, the wheels vibrate at unacceptable levels between 50 and 60 mph and dealer wont fix (this is "normal" for this car), and has tremendous torque steering issues when accelerating from a stop. Also the gas mileage is less than expected 22 on the highway, and I average 72 mph, and you cant park this thing in a tight spot, bacause you need more turning space than a HUMMER. Anyone want to trade for an Accord? Sorry Honda, but I will be back!

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  Cheap deal and MOSTLY reliable - 2001 Nissan Sentra
  By mtor92 - January 29 - 6:28 am

  I bought my 2001 Sentra in May of 2010 with 71,000 for $5,500. Now, Jan 2014 with over 105k on the odometer I can honestly say that it has been a pretty good little car over these past few years. The car feels peppy enough around town but can be a little lack luster when going to merge or pass quickly. I get about 22 MPG out of mine with a lot of driving in traffic. The road noise is quiet but the engine and wind noise on the highway is a bit high. The only major issue I had with it was the head gasket going at around 91k (which apparently is a common problem with the 1.8L engine.) That repair was around $1700, not cheap, but that was the only major issue I had with the car.

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  Engine mount problems - 2007 Nissan Frontier
  By Michael - January 27 - 6:10 pm

  I bought the truck with 75 miles on it last 11/26/06 and was pretty impressed initially. I have had the vehicle in the shop twice now for engine mount problems. I picked the truck up and it sounded good for 40 miles and the sound is back so it will be going in again for service. Overall the truck isnt too bad for what I paid for it. I wouldnt buy another nissan truck again but I will stick to Toyota in the future.