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:

• 

  Great car but strange problems - 2017 Nissan Maxima
  By Derrick - March 13 - 10:15 am

  Ive owned the car for 6 months and the it has been in the shop for 4 months (and needs to go back). Filed a lemon law case with Nissan. Dont get me wrong I love the car - beautiful inside and out. But from day one the glass panoramic roof would pop and crack over bumps and turns... eventually the whole roof was replaced because they couldnt solve the problem. Now entire car rattles, pops and cracks. my roof isnt mounted correctly and is protruding in the back where the rear window meets it. When on the freeway the the car is extremely loud (like the window or sunroom are open) I believe it is due to the roof issues - because I dont recall this issue before the replacement of the roof. The rattling and popping is driving me insane - cant wait to get this replaced or my money back. this is my 4th Nissan in 20 years... huge fan of the brand - never had any issues with Armada, Altima and older Maxima. I have a feeling that I am in for a fight with the lemon law buy back!

• 

  Great car but strange problems - 2017 Nissan Maxima
  By Derrick - March 13 - 10:15 am

  Ive owned the car for 6 months and the it has been in the shop for 4 months (and needs to go back). Filed a lemon law case with Nissan. Dont get me wrong I love the car - beautiful inside and out. But from day one the glass panoramic roof would pop and crack over bumps and turns... eventually the whole roof was replaced because they couldnt solve the problem. Now entire car rattles, pops and cracks. my roof isnt mounted correctly and is protruding in the back where the rear window meets it. When on the freeway the the car is extremely loud (like the window or sunroom are open) I believe it is due to the roof issues - because I dont recall this issue before the replacement of the roof. The rattling and popping is driving me insane - cant wait to get this replaced or my money back. this is my 4th Nissan in 20 years... huge fan of the brand - never had any issues with Armada, Altima and older Maxima. I have a feeling that I am in for a fight with the lemon law buy back!

• 

  Great car but strange problems - 2017 Nissan Maxima
  By Derrick - March 13 - 10:15 am

  Ive owned the car for 6 months and the it has been in the shop for 4 months (and needs to go back). Filed a lemon law case with Nissan. Dont get me wrong I love the car - beautiful inside and out. But from day one the glass panoramic roof would pop and crack over bumps and turns... eventually the whole roof was replaced because they couldnt solve the problem. Now entire car rattles, pops and cracks. my roof isnt mounted correctly and is protruding in the back where the rear window meets it. When on the freeway the the car is extremely loud (like the window or sunroom are open) I believe it is due to the roof issues - because I dont recall this issue before the replacement of the roof. The rattling and popping is driving me insane - cant wait to get this replaced or my money back. this is my 4th Nissan in 20 years... huge fan of the brand - never had any issues with Armada, Altima and older Maxima. I have a feeling that I am in for a fight with the lemon law buy back!

• 

  sluggish xterra - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By juanvaldeziii - March 10 - 10:00 am

  Very sluggish. Very poor gas milage. Glad I sold it.

• 

  Junk - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By madnissan - March 7 - 12:42 am

  I beg you please, please, please go look at all of the problems with Nissan Altima on the internet. On a 2005 2.5s there are over 400 Technical Service Bull (TSB). They do not back their products. They have people from the Phillipines trying to answer your questions, you cannot understand them. Never, Never, Never buy a Nissan Product

• 

  Youll get good at installing brake pads - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By msce2 - March 4 - 1:42 pm

  2005 Nissan Quest - Quality issues We purchased the car with 16k mi in 2008. Car now has 55k mi. We have replaced the struts in the tailgate door $700, motor in tailgate door $650, 4 sets of brake pads (front & rear), 3 sets of tires. Gas gauge does not work properly, sliding side door will sometimes decide not to close so you have to turn it on manual to shut, other side door freezes shut in winter time, rear windshield wiper has not worked since buying, a/c is intermittent, skirts that are supposed to hide under captains chairs will not stay attached and cause tripping hazards. Van avgs 16mpg overall, but a measly 13mpg city driving.

• 

  Good performance for the price - 2016 Nissan Altima
  By David Nishimura - February 25 - 5:13 pm

• 

  I would never buy another nissan - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By js - February 21 - 6:40 am

  Problem, after problem. Nissan isnt as cooperative as they should be, considering they know many of the problems associated with this truck. They pretend theyre hearing these problems for the first time. Ive had this truck at the dealership more than any vehicle Ive ever owned. I am never 100% satisified with their repair work. Ive had problems with the brakes & rotors, 4 -wheel drive, roof console,(it fell)and now still rattles after it was repaired. I had to replace the tires after only 25,000 miles(my last truck I got 65,000 Miles out of the tires) The sunroof also rattles. The dealership said rattles are only covered for the 1st 12,000 miles(read your owners manual)Poor quality.

• 

  Nissans Edsel - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Cycle guy - February 13 - 10:00 am

  Great looks and is fun to drive, But... TOTAL Gas pig 11-13mpg. Interior falls apart while you look at it. Door panels have fallen off twice, the carpet pills up into little fuzzy balls as you step on it. The micro thin seat padding condenses after short rides leaving your backside to bump metal. The sunroof tilts open about 2" in the back, but thats it - for all the extra bux why bother to pay for a veiw of a plastic basket! The AC system has to be on in 55 degree weather, cause the heating system pumps out hot moist air all the timne, even in the "cold" position. Its been in the shop 3 times already for stupid stuff. This thing is a mess.

• 

  Avoid NISSAN! - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By cghoffpauir - February 12 - 9:02 am

  In May of 2012 the radiator failed on this truck and we had it replaced at the cost of $1000.00. My son drove this truck for three months after the radiator repair and then the transmission failed. We had it towed to the dealership and were told that the repair cost was going to be $7,300.00. We did some research and called about six or seven transmission shops in town and found one that could do the repairs for $4,500.00. So we had the truck towed to a new shop. The shop owner is very familiar with the “defect” and knows exactly what to do to repair it.