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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  Never Buying Nissan Again - 2008 Nissan Quest
  By cmadd78 - September 17 - 3:06 pm

  We bought a NEW Nissan Quest in 2008. When we first bought we enjoyed every aspect of it. About a month later the problems began. The windows would whistle as we picked up speed (dealership claimed it was normal), we had some problems with ac not working properly (dealership fixed), and then a few years later the cheap car starts having more and more issues. The passengers side mirror cover on the visor falls off, the body rattles, the passengers side window motor quit working, the brake disks warped and had to be replaced, you so much as sneeze on the thing and the paint will scratch or the body dents. Features are nice but van is built too cheap. Cant wait to get rid of it!!

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  This car drives terrible on the highway especially with any wind. - 2010 Nissan Cube
  By portcitycoin - September 14 - 8:54 pm

  This car is good for local driving and thats about it. I dont know where all the good reviews are coming from however my Nissan Cube is terrible driving on the highway if there is wind and I mean terrible. Also wind noise from highway driving is aweful sounds like window is partly open.

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  Avoid this Lemon - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By ikeburns - September 13 - 2:45 am

  This truck has been a lemon since the day I bought it. The knock sensor and the catalytic converters (yes, plural) go bad at 100k miles, and youre looking at 3k to fix all this, or else you cant pass emissions. Ive talked to mechanics and they say that they see this all the time with Nissan frontiers. Youll need to get the Nissan parts, because aftermarket parts arent compatible and youll waste your money, & still not pass emissions. The AC has gone out on me twice, and even the electrical components struggle. Ive only got 145k highway miles, and Ive struggled mightily with the catalytic converters, knock sensors, AC unit (broken twice), electrical, tailgate handle, door handle

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  HATE MY NISSAN SENTRA - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By kaylie morrison - September 9 - 7:49 pm

  This is my first car that I have bought on my own, I have owned a Honda Accord with 140,000 miles and a Toyota Avalon with 120,000 miles. My Nissan started falling apart at 50,000 miles and I have taken excellent care of it! I wanted a Kia but everyone told me to get a Honda or Nissan so I went ahead and got a Sentra because I thought that it would be reliable. The car overheats, Ive brought it to three different machanics and they cant find out why it is overheating. The transmission shakes and has just suddenly stopped when I am in drive but have the car stopped at a red light. The car has trouble shifting gears and has a horrible get up. I did go from a V6 in my 2 door Accord to this but it still has a slow start.. Im just really dissapointed with this car. I will be going back to a Honda or Toyota!

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  Glad I rented before buying one. - 2016 Nissan Altima
  By Deric - September 1 - 1:51 am

  This may be a ok car for short daily drives. For a start, it is lacking off the line. Huge hesitation. Not expecting to smoke tires but more than a kind of "Ok Im going." But we did get good fuel mileage at about 35mpg. Back to the major negative, This is not a car for long trips. Took it for a 12hr vacation trip and was miserable. The drive train and road noise is terrible. At average of 70mph there is way too much noise. The radio as to be turned up so loud to enjoy it that when slowing down to pay tolls you felt like your blasted out of the car. This is with the speed volume controls turned on. Not only that but the car jumps and jitters at every bump. So much so that you can hear every loose piece in the interior rattle. The the seats are not comfortable as my back was sore after one way. My passengers in the back were not anymore comfortable. Only thing good was at least there was good interior space. The headrest is absolutely useless. Its hardness and angle are not useful. I was half tempted to pull the thing off. I was worried if I was in an accident that I would suffer from a neck injury just from my head hitting the headrest. Now I all fairness, I know I wasnt driving the top of the line version of the car. So I cant expect all the luxury in the world. But a base model should create excitement to want to upgrade to get more from the car. What this base felt like is punishment for going base. I dont want to feel like I have to spend the extra to have a decent car. I want to start with a decent car and then want to upgrade to make it better. This is not a car I would buy just to see if it is worth the extra money.

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  Review: Nissan Altima 2.5S - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Tim Daly - August 19 - 2:00 am

  When test driving this car, my wife and I should have really paid attention to the interior layout and design. We bought the car because we thought it was the best looking car. Overall the car handles poorly and the rear suspension makes a lot of noise. Also, we have a lot of trouble backing. The general design gives you absolutely no visibilty out of the rear window. You cant see anything. The side mirrors are small and have blind spots. Also, the engine is a little loud and raspy. If we had the chance to start over we would have purchased something else. We shouldnt have limited ourselves to exterior looks only!

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  My 2013 Nissan Altima is not a year old yet and already have problems!!! Do not purchase this vehicle - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By nubiancici - August 10 - 6:21 pm

  I have tried my best to try to get Nissan to help me with a vibration problem that is occuring in my so called new car. I purchased this car June 1, 2013 and it was brand new. 6 Months later I am having issues. The had to change the left front strut which was causing my car to make a thumbing noise when I was driving slow. My car was perfectly fine till I got it back and then I noticed the vibration in my car that you can feel through the steering wheel. Nissan dealership in Lewisville Texas made me seem as if I was crazy. I strongly advice you to stay away from Nissan Altima until they figure out what is causing their vehicles to vibrate making the ride very uncomfortable.

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  Squeaky Brakes and Lag in Bluetooth - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By jusiment - August 9 - 9:00 am

  On July 5, 2012, I drove to the dealership to discuss issues with the 2011 Juke I had purchased the year before. I didnÂ’t know anything about the new 2013 Altima, but one of them was on the lot and I must say, it was LOVE at first sight. I traded in the Juke and I thought it would be a romance that lasted forever. Disappointment however set in quickly (as with the Juke). One month later, the BRAKE light came on. Shortly after that I started hearing the brakes squeak and most recently noticed that if I am on the cell phone and get in the car, there is a considerable lag time for the bluetooth to pick up the call. I have taken the car in 5 times and nothing has been fixed. Lemon.

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  Frustrated - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By a12324 - August 7 - 10:00 am

  I purchased in 2001, and its been in the shop a total of 9 times so far. It is frustrating to see that a Nissan product be so disappointing. Performance is good; but built quailty is very very poor. Rattles, noises, sensor problems, radio quit, interior unravelled, and suspension replaced. I am going to trade it in for something thats not always in the shop.

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  48000 Transmission fail update - 2011 Nissan Maxima
  By Bernard - August 6 - 10:36 pm

  This is a beautiful car but I question the reliability of the CVT transmission. My car has 48000 miles on it, service as recommended no warning whatsoever the transmission failed the factory warranty expired 12-19-2015 the day before the transmission failed . Nissan tried to make me pay for the repair which was $4,500. I had to contact Nissan corporation and go to arbitration to resolve this matter after a time-consuming ordeal they agreed to fix the vehicle. I am Not sure if Im planning on keeping this vehicle the CVT transmission is definitely a flawed design. I wish Nissan would stand behind their products I dont know if I would ever buy another Nissan product moving forward. So Im still driving the vehicle since the new transmission was installed. I have put 5496 miles on the vehicle since install and some days it concerns me. Ill keep you posted.