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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  06 Pathfinder owners beware. - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By nissanlemon - July 8 - 1:46 pm

  I recently purchased a used 2006 Nissan Pathfinder, I usually would not have purchased a foreign vehicle but a lot of people I know were saying what a great product Nissan had. But to my dismay I have found it to be a very expensive piece of junk. I have had the vehicle for 3 months, I paid $16,877.00 for it, it had 91,545 miles on it when I purchased it and I travel 130 miles a day to and from work. I had mentioned to the dealer that I thought that that may be too many miles, he said oh no! Nissans are known to go 250,000 miles or better. I have taken very good care of my vehicles as they are my main mode of transportation. Last week end I was on my way home from CT to MA when all of a sudden I experienced an awful vibration while driving down the interstate, I pulled over and shut the vehicle off and then started it back up again, it seem to be running fine until I tried to move it, it then started to vibrate and shake again. I called my brother who is a mechanic and he came and picked me up and towed the vehicle back to his place on a car trailer. He jacked the vehicle up and saw that the transmission appears to be wet. He then opened the dip stick tube to check the fluid and found the transmission to be full of anti-freeze. I called the dealer and they said they could not do anything because a used car warranty is 1200 miles or 1 month. I was really getting aggravated so I started to search the symptoms on the web, only to find that I am not the only one with this issue, it appears to be a design flaw with the 2006 Nissan Pathfinders and Nissan has not done a recall on them, although they did extend the warranty for the radiator assembly and transmission from 36 months/36,000 miles to 96 months/80,000 miles, including damage, repairs, replacement, and related towing resulting from this issue if you purchase the vehicle new. So this reinforces that they are aware of the issue and that they should recall or make good for the problem. I contacted Nissan Assist and they informed me that there was an issue and that they were aware, I explained that I purchased the vehicle from a dealer and that it was over the warranty mileage and they stated that Nissan may assist me anyways where I had just purchased the vehicle, and that I needed to get the problem diagnosed by a Nissan dealer and the call consumer affairs with the estimate, and they gave me a case number of 7180191. So I did as I was told hoping that Nissan would stand behind their product and assist me. I towed the vehicle to Bertera Nissan in Auburn, Ma. Where they gave me an estimate of $6360.58 to do the repairs, the service person said that this was a common problem and that they would be replacing the transmission and the radiator. I called consumer affairs and gave them the estimate and they said that a regional specialist would contact me within a day; she called me today and said that they would not do anything and that I would have to figure out how to get it repaired on my own. I think that this is very bad PR on NissanÂ’s part, I know that I would not by your product ever again after only owning one of your vehicles for only 3 months.

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  I Made it to 140k Miles - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By silentrick - July 7 - 6:47 am

  I have been pretty pleased overall with my 2005 Xterra. I have over 140,000 miles on it and Im just now experiencing major issues with it. Ive had recurring issues with the O2 sensors going out more than once and now I need a new catalytic converter. I wasnt aware of the transmission and radiator issues on the 2005 models until I read this post. As it turns out, I too have an issue with a cracked radiator leaking into my tranny and now I need to replace both. I thought it could have been due to a minor fender bender a few months back but now Im not so sure, especially because I was hit in the rear. Seems like I got lucky to have made it as far as I did on mine.

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  GOOD CAR HAS BEEN BUILT VERY CHEAPLY - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Dave12114 - July 4 - 10:00 am

  Nice, solid car killed by cheap tricks in attemps to keep costs down. Next time will get Acura 3.2TL or like For this sticker price VDC ( taking on account horrible steer tork) MUST BE standard - hey, NISSAN - if you screwed something up - be honest - PAY FOR IT! Cheapest insterior materials Ive ever seen for this price! Suggested Improvements "SKYVIEW" made only to force pay more for "regular" sunroof - cheap trick Options - they put together to make you pay for the stuff you dont want! Warranty period - comeon guys - you (NISSAn) dont trust your car?

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  Wish I was a lucky one!! - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By oneofeach4me - July 1 - 12:49 am

  I bought this van used, in 08, with 34K miles on it, and 4K down with an extended warranty. I loved my Quest, it was perfect for us and fit my stylish personality. However, I started having issues with the van making noises. I kept taking it to the dealership but they couldnt figure it out. Well, 2 months after my warranty was up, with 90K miles on it, they tell me the van needs $4K worth of work but Nissan wouldnt honor my warranty that never got used. Issues: 80K heat compressor failed, 98K alternator failed, interior lights falling out of ceiling, tailgate replaced twice 1st at 45K, 110K failed timing chain! Engine work at 100K miles on a Nissan?! Now making payments on undriveable van!

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  It keeps getting worse! - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Dissapointing!!! - June 27 - 2:56 pm

  When I first bought my truck I loved it! The outside design was very appealing and it was a comfortable ride for being a full size truck. I put a lot of miles on my trucks for work and I was sure that this Nissan would be reliable. But after only 2 months I started having problems...first the brakes and rotors had to be replaced..then the drivers side door wont close on cold days..tires balded after only 7 months..side view mirrors cracked under cold conditions...harness recalled...now the 4 Wheel Drive jerks the car when taking turns in inclimate weather...every month there is another problem. I have been to the dealer service center 10 times since I bought this car 10 months ago!!!

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  Wish I looked around more - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By spits - June 27 - 1:20 am

  Had van before and wanted a suv but at 50 I didnt want huge. Love the look of the Pathfinder as it goes down the road but now that Im the one driving it Im disappointed. Once I got my kids in it I realized it wasnt going to be a vacation car. Well need to rent somethng more comfortable for vacations. Had the panel on the back of passenger seat fall off already and its in for transmission problems (doesnt want to drive in "drive"- feels like its in 3rd gear). Dealer doesnt care much. Has only 280 miles on it!! Should have gone with something else. Sportier than a minivan though and after 19 years of driving a van its a fun vehicle to have- just not as main family vehicle.

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  Its Got Bugs - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By roamdogg - June 23 - 3:00 am

  I decided to go with the 07 model after totaling my 97 Sentra in early 2006. It seemed like a nice upgrade. Almost immediately I began having problems with drivers seat making squeaking noise and shifting forward/backward just to annoy me. Three dealerships, and they all say they cant duplicate it. CD player likes to fade in and out when I turn it up loud, and the drivers side door lock controls are making a "whooshing" sound when I use it. Since its not happening "all the time", Nissan wont address the problem. Ive learned its got to break in order for them to fix it while its under warranty, otherwise wait for your warranty to expire and revisit them. Theyll fix it then.

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  Looks great, good interior, but problems - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By RJL - June 22 - 10:00 am

  My fuel system was replaced after repeatedly overflowing (see other owner comments), my ABS light goes on and off but a problem cannot be determined b/c it never is "on" at the dealership (so much for computer memory), and my automatic window needed repair. I was one step away from successfully completing a Lemon Law case against Nissan (3 visits to the dealer without a resolution) - they finally brought in a fuel system expert from CA to fix the problem. The gas mileage still stinks!

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  Sorry, not a believer - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By RNMorton - June 22 - 10:00 am

  Kick-ass acceleration and solid handling with some wonky oversteer at the limits. But I think the bad news outweighs the good. A chintzy interior - in a $20,000 car I had to tape padding to the hard plastique armrests. Generally cheap feel. And just terrible gas mileage for a four in a light sedan. At 17 or 18 mpg around town I for one would trade some zip for more mileage. With the small gas tank and a nervous computer the car can be begging for gas in less than 200 miles, way too often for me.

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  Not refined - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By rjenk - June 16 - 12:40 am

  Went from a Chrysler T&C to the Quest. Overall, the T&C was a much better vehicle. The Quest is nice but there are too many rattles and interior noise. There have been several problems with noisy rear doors and several other minor problems. While the Quest is visually striking, once you get past the looks and put it on the road you find out there needs to be more there than just looks. It just needs to be refined. It should not rattle like a panel van when driving. Also have issues with the armrest...if you sit with the seat fairly straight up, the armrest is angled downward and is useless. There is also window glare from the angle of the dash. Will be trading it for another T&C.