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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  Bad Company, Bad Car - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By nissannever - May 19 - 2:17 pm

  For Nissan Altima Hybrid owners the carbon buildup is about to hit the fan, or not, which is the problem. Be ready to spend at least $4,500 to replace the cylinder head in your car. My 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid needs a cylinder head replacement at a minimal cost of $4,500. Carbon buildup due to improper discharge is the cause. Its a design/manufacture defect known to Nissan for years and theyÂ’ve acknowledged in an internal bulletin that it is occurring in at least 1 in 4 Nissan Altima Hybrids. My Altima is within the five-year warranty period, but has 64,000 miles on it so falls just outside warranty. They wont honor the warranty and wont recall. Bad company - Bad car. Boycott Nissan.

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  beware... - 2015 Nissan Sentra
  By Bill Voelkel - May 17 - 9:04 am

  Navigation does not come in 3d..even though it says it does..only 2d..I have to keep on reconnecting my bluetooth every time I start my car...Make sure your phone is on there list of phones that will pair before purchasing...My auto select for my lights doesnt work already and car is less then a month old..I got upgraded bose stereo system and have alot of static all the time..Gas mileage is no where near as advertised...The car does drive nice but all these little annoying things ruin your driving experience...

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  dud - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By golddust - May 16 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle appears to be sold for its looks; as a truck, it is next to worthless, especially given the that is equipped with a fake spare tire.

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  Gutless Gashog - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Katie4444 - April 21 - 10:00 am

  This car is a piece. It gets horrible gas milage. For example I drove from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles and filled up 6 Times fully. My fiance Drove his pontiac gran prix the same distance and filled up twice. This car is also a GUTLESS WONDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You pull out any where with good distance and within seconds the car you pulled out in front of is on your tail thinking your an old person when really your a 19 year old driving a big ol piece of junk. I will never buy another one of theese or recommend it to anyone. Sadly I would rather have any Jeep even though they were ranked the worst car ever built!!!!!!!!

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  Lemon mobile - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Robert Y. - April 14 - 10:46 am

  I was initially excited about purchasing a 2006 Titan; however, on my way home from the dealership the vehicle started to experience brake problems and a vibrating steering wheel. This vehicle has already been in the shop three times, all four rotors and pads have been replaced--to no avail. Nissan has been uncooperative and the dealership is incompetent. On paper, the specs look great, but Im seriously concerned about the safety and reliability of this truck. Ive also started experiencing engine hesitation and rattling from underneath the bed. This is my second and last Nissan. I performed some research on the internet and these problems appear somewhat common.

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  GARBAGE - 1998 Nissan Pathfinder
  By JOHNHMFIC - April 2 - 10:00 am

  PIECE OF JUNK DOESN,T BEGIN TO CAMPARE TO TOYOTA DO NOT BUY THE 39 MONTH LEASE BECAUSE AS THE WARRANTY RUNS OUT THE JUNK FALLS APART.

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  Seats only the japanese could love - 2010 Nissan 370Z
  By jeff - March 28 - 10:23 pm

  The sport seats on this car are impossible for my 63" 200lb frame. Why i didnt get that at test drive ? I dont know but this is THE most uncomfortable car ever. Then the clutch and stick require too much effort and are notchy. The top has a permanent indent that the dealer says is supposed to be there. There is no leg room either. I had a BMW z-4 before that was perfect. The new ones are 20k more than this car and so I was swayed. What a mistake!

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  Hastily assembled, hastily designed - 2018 Nissan Rogue
  By John Ho - March 21 - 4:35 am

  This vehicle was not thought out, designed, or assembled very diligently. My review is based on an all day test drive of the top of the line SV. The dash looks nice but peering around the rest of the interior, my eyes were drawn to poor fit and finish of several of the plastic interior panels. The interior feels closed in with huge C and D pillars that severely block rearward visibility. The more time I spent in it, the more design oversights I noticed. The sunroof is too far back and small, the exterior dimensions lead you to think the interior is roomy but it is small in ratio to the exterior. The backseat comfort seems like an afterthought. Spend 10 minutes sitting in the back and you realize it is not for long jaunts. The seating position puts your knees upwards and the visibility out the sides, front and rear is obstructed. It was loud back there too on the freeway. On the exterior, the paint had lots of orange peel, there were panel fitment issues, and uneven gaps. On the road it was a pleasure to corner, steer, brake, and accelerate with a good road feel. However, there was pronounced tire/ wind/ road noise most notably when riding in the back seat as a passenger where it was much louder and difficult being part of the front seat conversation. Under the hood was not well laid out. The engine was less than an inch from the passenger side frame rail and and the whole layout of lines and hoses looked like a thrown together mess. A better vehicle for the money this is not.

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  Dont Buy It - 2011 Nissan Titan
  By farmerboyd - March 16 - 10:25 am

  I bought this pickup new in December 2010. I needed a tough truck to work out of on my farm. What could be tougher than a Nissan PRO4X super duper four wheel drive? Now 8 months and 22,000 miles later the front end suspension cratered and the dealership refuses to fix it under warranty. Nissan will not stand behind their product. Also had issues with interior and radiator mounts. I know of three 2011 Titans bought in our small town. One has already traded for Chevy, another hates his pickup, and I will trade as soon as possible. No trade in value makes it hard though. It lost more than $12,000 in value in 8 months. Yikes

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  This car doesnt handle the cold temperature well - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By asianlee - March 13 - 11:30 am

  Own my car for almost 5 years, the same problems kept happening on the drivers side door. I couldnt open from the outside but inside. It was covered under the warranty when I got it fix in 2009. It happened again last January, and once again this January. I will pay around $350 to replace the door lock actuator. This problem did occur on the cold day like -10 centigrade. I am looking forward to buy another brand new card this summer and it wont be from Nissan for sure.