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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  This is the worst car I ever owned. - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By Mike - December 6 - 9:00 am

  This is hands down the worst car I ever owned. At around 30 thousand kilometers, it started to leak water every time it rained a little bit harder, both passenger and drivers side door rubber/seals. At around 85 thousand kilometers a blown head gasket, astronomical cost to repair, close to $2000. 89 thousand kilometers, check engine light constantly on. I owned several economy class cars before this one and Sentra is hands down the most unreliable car I ever had. I will NEVER own a Nissan again.

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  Engine Failed at 95k miles - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Bob - December 3 - 7:20 am

  Pre-catalyst came apart at 95k miles after a recall supposedly fixed the problem. The pre-cat came apart and is close enough to the cylinders that it ruined the engine (the 2005+ models have the pre-cat moved farther away to permanently solve this problem). Nissan has rejected all warranty claims on any cars outside of 60k miles. $4600 to fix it. The only permanent fix is an aftermarket header that puts car out of emissions compliance.

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  junk - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By karenkaren3693 - December 1 - 3:48 pm

  My daughter bought a 2007 Xterra brand new in 2007 which I now drive.As far as I am concerned Nissan made a piece of junk.The fcu went out at 29,000 then the battery had to be replaced at 32,000 now the fuel line pops off the fuel pump. This has happened twice.Nissan wants 450.00 to replace a 1.97 plastic piece. You couldnt give me the keys to 20 of them.

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  If I Could Turn Back Time - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By mommaT - November 26 - 10:00 am

  I really enjoyed driving this car, right up until the transmission blew. Our gas gauge hadnt worked in a long, long time. No big deal, I just reset the mile ticker each time I filled up. But what I will NEVER understand is how a 5 year old vehicle we bought NEW at the local dealer could be worthless. We did all the scheduled maintenance, used synthetic oil, treated her well. A 5 yr old car should not need 6,000+ dollars worth of work done. This is a design flaw in the coolant system and we should NOT be on the hook for it. Nissan should be ashamed! This was the only car we had that could haul our 2 small kids and now its junk! I dont have money to fix it, and a new car is not the budget!

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  Which problem would you like to hear first? - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By jesteruno - November 25 - 10:45 pm

  2013 Altima Lemon. When the right blinker returns to the neutral position the left blinker turns on for about 5 flashes, confusing the car behind you. Leaves got into the AC evaporator box causing a foul odor and Nissan says this is a maintenance issue, and I should avoid parking under trees. Now let’s talk about the passenger air bag light. Apparently it’s on a sensor and depending on what the sensor reads determines whether you get to have an airbag or not. According to the Nissan Specialist, “it’s a supplemental system”. so IT determines whether you smash you face against the glass. All of these issues are "normal operation" according to them. I should have bought a Honda.

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  Another Radiator/Transmission blown! No Nissan! - 2007 Nissan Pathfinder
  By rberglund - November 24 - 6:19 am

  I discovered a small pool of purple liquid under front right tire of my 2007 Nissan Pathfinder in the garage yesterday. I discovered it was most likely a radiator leak and could have leaked into the transmission as well. I took the vehicle in today for inspection, and my concerns were confirmed. Due to the coolant mixing with the transmission fluid, Im told its only a matter of time before catastrophic transmission failure +$4000. The issue I have with this whole situation is Nissan is very aware of this defect, yet did not issue a recall. I found out the fix is a very simple bypass as well. There goes $5000+ out the door. All Nissan had to do was recall. Do not buy Nissan!

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  Unreliable and Costly - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Bob Smith - November 19 - 4:16 am

  9 years old, 88,000 miles. In the last 2 years, Ive spent $3500 in repairs such as: muffler system, struts, brakes, tires, ignition key cylinder. Now, it has a radiator fluid leak due to a blown head gasket, Im told. Costly repair. Ive never had that happen, especially at this mileage. I would avoid the Pathfinder

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  CVT Transmission SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By HateNissan - November 14 - 3:03 pm

  NEVER EVER BUy nissan cvt car. After you hit 30 -60 k then real problem starts . My new car 2015 transmission broked . Wrost car .Only good thing about this car is milage rest is worse. Buy toyota or honda for reliability.

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  Update on 2008 Rogue - BAD!!!!! - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By tamoshanter55 - October 31 - 4:00 am

  OK...so heres my update on my 2008 Rogue, SL AWD, since 2010. a year and a half ago the CVT transmission went out. although Nissan extended the warranty on it to 120,000, it happened at 124k and they wouldnt replace it. ok, so i paid almost $5000 to replace it. then last month, at 185,000, the timing chain broke. mechanic said that he could go into it and replace it about $2000-$3000, but if he went in and found the teeth broken on the gears, or any other damage that could have happened, then the engine would have to be replaced at about $5000. needless to say, i decided to throw in the the towel and not put any more into it.

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  Bad alignment, already has other issues - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Joe - October 24 - 3:33 pm

  We bought a Sentra with positive expectations but we were let down. 1. The gas mileage is nowhere near what Nissan claimed. For 08 the gov has revised the criteria, but its still optimistic. We have averaged from 20 in the city to 27 highway. I drive to maximize mileage too. 2. The wheel alignment is all over the place. Fresh from the factory, the car was defective. After much trouble Nissan aligned the front, but added way too much caster in an effort to conceal the alignment problem. The rear is still not aligned. I suspect that bad alignment is part of the cause for the bad gas mileage. If you have a Nissan, take it to the dealer and have them check the alignment. I have a lemon!!!