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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  Major Issues After 60k - Lemon - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By AtlGirl3929 - October 19 - 5:30 pm

  I bought a Nissan thinking the brand was on par with Honda and Toyota...boy, was I wrong. I have never had as many problems with an automobile as I have with this car. When it was still under warranty, I had minor issues. Past 65k...Ive had the A/C break twice, normal issues, but the best are the well documented problems with the catalytic converter, pre-cat, and recall Nissan claims they performed on the 02 2.5L engines of this model. Bottom line: Nissan lies, the pre-cat never gets fixed, will fall apart, get sucked into your engine in small bits, mingle with your oil, and slowly eat your engine from the inside out. STAY AWAY!!

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  NEw Pathfinder - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By ETHOMAS - October 19 - 3:53 pm

  I just purchased a new 05 SE. It rides better than my 01 se that I traded. I got the Comfort & Premium packages. It is much better than my 01.

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  Its an "OK" SUV - 2002 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Piggy - October 19 - 10:00 am

  Purchased this vehicle used. The cd player stopped working after 6 mos. The dealer wants to charge $500 for a new player. The drive is smooth, only on a smooth road; otherwise, when we hit a bump it feels like im about to be thrown out of the vehicle. Passenger leg-room is limited. Very convient to have the radio controls on the steering wheel, bcuz the radio is hard to reach while driving. Good cargo space when the seats are folded down. The SUV is very durable, and stylish.

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  We love ours! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By KB and GB - October 19 - 10:00 am

  Am on vacation with it and everybody that rides in it . . . says theyre thinking about it for their next buy. So far, its a keeper. Weve had nothing but compliments! I traded my Eldorado for it.... it rides and drives like a comfortable car, only now I have more room for passengers. Its great!

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  Watch Doors - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Darcy - October 19 - 10:00 am

  Automatic doors were stuck open during cold winter months; happened on two occassions, problem is still unidentified. Electric short on interior dashboard; severe water leak from interior coat hanging feature, still unresolved; loud banging noise when fully turning steering wheel, still unresolved.

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  JUST LOVE IT - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By BECKY MANEERUT - October 19 - 10:00 am

  I JUST THINK IT IS A VERY COMFORTABLE SITTING AND DRIVING CAR. LOTS OF ROOM. LOVE THE POWERED DOORS INCLUDING REAR DOOR. DRIVES VERY SMOOTHE. OK ON GAS. HAVENT HAD A FRIEND THAT HASNT LIKED IT YET. IN FACT I HAVE 3 FRIENDS THAT IS THINKING OF GETTING ONE AFTER RIDING IN MINE.

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  I hate Quest but not Nissan - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By UnluckyOwner - October 19 - 10:00 am

  From day one it rattles. Delearship tried to fix it several times. They were not successful. Lot of Wind noise. I can not hear my radio when driving the vehicle. Very low millage. The seating is not comfortable. Most of all sliding doors will not stop while closing even if there is an object in the way that could be dangerous to the kids,because they are the ones that use the doors to get in/out.we demonstrated the risk to sale person at Nissan Delearship. I did not file case under lemon law. Before some thing happens to my children, I got rid of this vehecle. I traded my vehicle back to dealership for a loss of $3000 and brought 2004 Maxima

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  nissan murano, 2003 - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By dsmith9066 - October 19 - 10:00 am

  Love the vehicle. There is a small problem when stopping. When vehicle is put into park, there is a brief lunge. I hve never experienced this before in another vehicle. It is fun to drive. In three measurements of mpg, I get 19.1 mpg for in town driving.

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  Murano...some cabin noise - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Kelly787 - October 19 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love this vehicle. It is the fourth Nissan Ive owned. The car drives well in snow (lots of it) and handles well on the road. My only complaint is that I have had to take in to the dealership on numerous occasions for interior rattles (rear windows, hatch, front and back doors and center console). Some of these have had bulletins issued and others have not. I understand that Nissan has worked to fix this issue and that it has been a problem on all the new model designs. The dealership is amazing and always willing to resolve any problems I have.

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  My review - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Mi T Mo - October 19 - 10:00 am

  I enjoy the styling and performance. Even though the transmission is a little sluggish, its adequate for island driving.