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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  buyer beware - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Chris Moore - July 25 - 12:05 pm

  Bought the car with 28,000 miles on it and my wife put 40,000 miles on it in about 7 years. I kept the oil changed and tires on it with no real problems, except for the door handles breaking, until recently. First the engine light came on sporadically and I could feel engine hesitate. Got the code checked out and its was somewhat generic (p0300) with up to five different system that could be the problem. I changed the plugs and ignition coils and the motor ran better but there was another problem. Took it to a garage and have the exhaust manifold and catalytic converter replaced. Cars running just fine again. One week later the oil light comes on and I add 3 quarts and Im going to run the car for around 1k miles before I take it to get an oil change. Within another week or two the car starts sounding like the exhaust manifold is bad again. Before I can get the car to the shop it dies on the side of the road. Look at the oil and its black with less than 500 miles since I put the 3 quarts in. The engine is now dead and Ive already put around $2k into the car in the last 2 months. This really sucks for a car that I thought would last well over a 100K miles. Ill never buy another Nissan again. If you want to see all the problems with this motor look up misfires, exhaust manifold, and precat.

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  Great buy - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By nikibleu - July 25 - 10:00 am

  Ive purchased this vehicle brand new, this is 5 spd, 4x4. It has been very reliable with very very few minor glitches that were fixed under warranty. Would definetly recommend again.

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  the urban suv performs on beach - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By j clement - July 25 - 10:00 am

  Drives excellent on smiths point beach on li ny . goes down the back trails too. i have the sl rides a little soft on the bump proboble th se would be firmer.

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  2005 Altima SE V6 270,000 Miles and counting - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By frank1981 - July 25 - 5:46 am

  What can I say, My Altima has given the best run! It has had only one problem, Alternator gave in during its first 30,000 miles and was under warranty. For the first 3 years I drove about 30,000 a year. Then I slowed down, drove about 20,000 after that lol Amazing vehicle ! No major problems. I have done tune ups as needed, purchase tires, oils changes & other basic needs.

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  Murano, Transmitions are ok dont worry, - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By chrssll - July 24 - 7:43 pm

  Hello my name is Chris from Ma, I just purchased my 2003 Murano SL AWD with 63k on it. I love the interior and exterior. I read the reviews about the CVT transmissions with customers having issues with them. I called Nissan today because I had thought i was having trouble with my tranny but they told me most people dont know and arent used to driving with the CVT thats why they think they are having trouble with them. Nissan recently extended their warranty to 10 years or 120,000 miles on any Nissan with the CVT. You dont have to do any thing to receive this warranty what so ever. ALSO if you have repaired your transmission withing the 120K they will send you in full your money back.

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  Problem Keyless Start - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By dtancredi - July 24 - 11:23 am

  Within the past two weeks, there have been 10-12 times that it was difficult to start. I am being told that the dealership cannot find a problem.

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  Fun Ride - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Qeen Bee - July 24 - 6:40 am

  This car for the price has all the bells and whistles, its a great buy.

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  First Pathfinder - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By TEAdams - July 22 - 10:36 pm

  This not only my first Pathfinder, but my first Nissan. After ten years of driving my old 97 Dodge Dakota it was time for something new. Im not big on gadgets, so the S trim was perfect for me. I was amazed by everything that came standard on the base model. I had to get the SLT package on my old Dakota for these features. The V6 actually produces 31 HP more than the 5.2L V8 in my Dakota and I only gave up 12 pound feet of torque. The Pathfinder is a pleasure to drive and handles great. It corners better than my old Dakota. The towing power is a major plus. 6000 Lbs is more than enought to pull my 5X8 trailer with a full load. I would buy another Pathfinder in a heartbeat.

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  All was perfect until it got a bath. - 2015 Nissan Rogue
  By littlescarlet - July 22 - 4:08 pm

  Well Ive only had the car a couple of days now and after my buyers remorse finally subsided I started enjoying my car. I gave it its first wash was going to aquapel my windshield and I came across a major problem. The wipers hit the hood. After reading blogs and such the solution is to put it into service mode. The problem the in that lies that it needs to be turned on to place them upright. Well in winter this is not a solution when theres 8" of frozen snow lodging the wipers in between the hood and windshield. I read that its to improve aerodynamics but I honestly think it was an oversight. That or whoever designed this didnt take into account winter areas such as wisconsin.

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  Frontiers on the Forefront - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Hammerman - July 22 - 3:53 pm

  I have owned the LE Crew Cab for 2 weeks. Chose it over Tacoma b/c of better high-end options (sunroof/leather). Acceleration is surprisingly responsive and fast. Interior on LE is very nice, logical, and comfortable. Paid $300 over invoice through federal government car-buying service from local dealer. Very happy with vehicle.