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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  Poor quality Nissan car - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By dlcruze - October 3 - 10:20 am

  Bought the car new in 2006 and had problems with throttle body system and fuel system repeatedly. Luckily, I purchased a warranty that handled it. Right under 75k miles (warranty expiration)it was in the shop again for throttle body issues. less than one month later and 2k miles over warranty, Im still having similar issues and Nissan Corporation will not repair. I lose power while on the freeway and it has put me in dangerous situations. I will never buy a Nissan again because Nissan Corporate does not back their vehicles or parts.

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  You get what you pay for - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By zehlig - October 1 - 2:00 am

  check engine light goes on. Nissan can not figure out the reason. Car bucks and has bad exhaust smell.

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  Never again - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By RHICKEY - September 30 - 11:16 am

  Worst new vehicle I have ever driven. Rattles, squeaks, interior and exterior electricals going on the fritz. Paid $1000 to get into a four year lease on this van, happily paid about $3000 to get out 14 months later. Never got the luggage rack we were promised by the dealer. Took the van in for warranty repairs several times, rattling doors & "flat tire" sensors were never fixed. Actual gas milage was about 14 mpg (we got 18 from our full size Chevy extended cab 350 V8 pickup driving under identical conditions). We were offered a 12K mile extension of the warranty due to the number of times we took it in for service. Said no thanks, sent it back & got a Honda (we love it!).

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  Do not buy this vehicle!!! - 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
  By slb10 - September 30 - 2:40 am

  I read some negative reviews on this car. But I figured most people who review cars have probably had a bad experience, and were not the majority. I guess I learned a hard lesson. We bought the car 23 days ago. It has been in the service department for 16 of those days. It has broke down 3 times and had to be towed back in. The last week it was in the shop they had no answers for us. Today they informed us the are ordering a new engine control unit. I am not typically a complainer, but this has been beyond frustrating. The dealership (Nissan Uftring in Peoria) have been terrible communicators. My wish is they would just buy the car back. Unfortunately I dont think that is going to happen.

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  Nissan should be ashamed of itself! - 2009 Nissan Cube
  By shogun17 - September 26 - 7:40 am

  I had a reservation for a mid-size car with National at Sarasota airport. When my flight arrived, I was told all they had for me was a Nissan Cube. Well, it certainly did not look like a mid-size car, but I had no choice. I used it for a week and put on over 600 miles. First impression was that it was the ugliest thing I had ever seen. It looked like an aquarium on wheels. The car had a cvt transmission which nissan does a good job with as car is grossly underpowered. Wind noise at 75mph is unbelievable, no power on tap for passing, no feedback from steering and a confusing and illogical dash. It is the worst nissan vehicle I have ever driven and I have always liked and owned their products.

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  2013 pathfinder problems - 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
  By pepo9500 - September 20 - 6:04 pm

  Purchase the 2013 pathfinder march 2013. At about 160 miles the shaking, shuttering with the cvt started and the car was losing power at 1200-1500 rpms during acceleration.. The dealer found no prob. I was almost t-boned twice with my family in vehicle and so after 2 more trips to dealer and no fix I got nissan corporate involved. Needless to say they were no help. They acknowledged that they had received numerous consumer complaints but no solution. I requested that they replace my vehicle for another new pathfinder and a week later they refused with no explanation. The dealer eventually replaced it for me but have same cvt prob with new one. Dont buy this SUV too many prob..shame niss!

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  Paint Problem with Pearl White - 2012 Nissan Rogue
  By rough61 - September 16 - 8:42 pm

  I bought 2012 Rogue in Dec.2011. Now I only drove 10,000km. I noticed there are so many yellow dots under the paint and all over the car body. When you touch it, the surfact is smooth and you are unable to wash it way. even with Wax. I call dealer and booked an appointment tomorrow.

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  Where did the oil go - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By jan - September 11 - 8:43 pm

  I too had the mysterious cluck in the front steering, air conditioning problem. After 5 times in the shop, The factory reps came in and looked at the car,gave me extended war. They said the noise was normal. When I picked up the car, the next day the engine blew at 30,000 miles. They said the car had no oil, but the oil light never came on. Took several weeks with Nissan to get the dealer to fix the car. We only have 5,000 miles left on warr. Dont want the car anymore. No one can tell me where the oil went and why the light never came on.

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  Dont buy this car!! - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By WCW - September 11 - 4:40 am

  Bought the Sentra SER Spec V; all options. Love the 2.5L 180 HP engine. Torque steer was an issue, but it goes with the territory w/ front-wheel drive. Also bought extended warranty from Nissan Motor Corp. Cars been faithfully maintained by the dealer. Theres been at least a half-dozen recalls, all dealer serviced. About one year in, popped a hole in the windshield washer tank. Not covered under extended warranty = $300. Next the horn stops working, electrical short - not covered = $200. Six-disk CD changer - broken - not covered. Next it needed a whole new engine - factory recall, so its covered. But whats next??? Bottom line ... Dont buy this car!!!

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  Japanese cars are NOT better - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By ZPS - September 9 - 1:40 am

  Ive had 3 expeditions in a row and had very few problems. Thought Id try something different so I leased the Armada. What a mistake!!!! This is the worst vehicle Ive ever had. This truck has been in the shop 6 times. Brakes have been replaced and disks reworked due to design problems. Overhead console is ready to fall off due to the horrible install job on the dealer installed DVD player which now doesnt evn work. The squeaks and rattles are so bad that I can hear them no matter how loud the radio is. Downers Grove Nissan is an absolutely horrible dealership. Im so disgusted with this truck and dealership that Im trying to dump it for another Expedition.