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 control, good over all package - 2015 Nissan NV200
  By Avacado - April 10 - 10:13 pm

  I purchased this vehicle because I wanted an efficient(for what it is) vehicle to haul stuff around with every once in a while, while still being able to drive it on a day-to-day basis. I chose the NV200 over its competition because of its over all, first impression of value. The adrian steel accessory package is very nice. My van had everything I needed and nothing I didnt. Cruise control, power windows, aux, rear window. Its the perfect NV200 for me. But here is the sad part(and the reason I gave it a 2-star rating). The transmission shifts rough, not sure if this is normal or not but its not smooth especially at crawling speeds. Once up to speed it handles just fine. Its not making any noises so Im not complaining, but its something to consider as my car only has 1,600 miles at the moment. Ever since Ive had this van Ive brought it in 3 times(4th time in a few days) for warranty work. First, all of the window/door gaskets were warped. Since I dont usually stare at the back doors, I just got the front window gasket replaced(with ones that werent warped and wavy). I also noticed there is factory paint over-spray on the dash board. A lot of the panel gaps arent even. Rust Sealant under the vehicle is poorly slapped on(makes me wonder what else is wrong with it). Sliding Door latches already broke at 1,500 miles. They will open but wont close. There is an annoying rattle that the dealer says is normal, even though for the first 1000 miles I heard nothing. Also the badges around the car are either not aligned right, or are loose and wiggle around. Over all a decent tool for every day use but dont expect something that is well put together. The design, or intended design is great. Only problem is quality control(I assume because its a 3-vin not a 1 or J like the other Nissans Ive had). UPDATE: I am currently at 10,000 miles. The transmission has fixed itself, shifts smoother now. No mechanical issues so far. Rear drum brakes sqeak alittle which is an easy fix(brake lube). Ive gotten used to the quality of the van so no complaints for now. Ive put this van to work, its held up well. UPDATE 2: have 20,000 miles now. No issues. Been reliable and trouble free. No complaints. Sliding doors are still out of alignment(wont latch completely) but Ive figured out a way to close them. Itd be nice if it had a bigger gas tank. Find myself filling up nearly weekly with the range being 400-410 max.

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  3 Major Failures within 50k miles - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By jmayor88 - April 10 - 5:21 am

  I bought this car used at 40k miles, history was good. I have driven it for 50k miles (so at 90k now). Since I have purchased it, there have been 3 major failures, and also a recall that turned out to be nothing. The first major failure was the exhaust manifold cracking and needing to be replaced. An exhaust manifold should never crack that early, and the exhaust shop told me he has seen a lot of Altimas with this problem. Second major problem was the Electronic Steering Column Lock. This failure caused me to be stranded, as the car would not start. As of two days ago the final major failure occurred. Dealer is saying it is a rod bearing! STAY AWAY - much better options out there.

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  Impressed - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Rich - April 9 - 10:23 pm

  I have been extremely impressed with the ride and performance of the vehicle. It is rare to find a 4X4 that has the ride of a sedan. Interior noise is almost non- existant. Fuel efficiency is running around 19 MPG and by adding a soft cover to the bed I have increased this number to 21 MPG.

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  I Love This Car - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By noregrets - April 9 - 10:10 pm

  I really love my Versa. I went from an unreliable 1994 Mazda 626 to a 2007 Versa and it was a wise choice and a great buy. My only issue is I have not mastered parking it like I did with my Mazda. Hopefully, I will get better with time. I love my Nissan Versa!!!!

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  CVT transmissions are terrible / stay away - 2013 Nissan Juke
  By Bernie - April 9 - 8:16 pm

  The CVT transmissions are the worst things that Nissan has ever done. I have had changed at dealership at under 100,00o miles due to what I was told overheating and lack of horse power was due to CVT wearing out. It fixed the problem but after 30,000 miles is doing same thing and it costs almost $300.00 to flush CVT again. Contacted Nissan only response was a list of information they wanted with nothing to do about my vehicle and to return AGAIN to dealership .

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  Excellent Midsize car of its class - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Nissan Altima - April 9 - 12:06 pm

  I think this car is not only attractive on the outside as well as the inside, but this car handles great on the road. I also think that you dont need the V6 edition to get more punch when you drive. I drive the 2.5S model and that car definitely has some punch in it! When going 60 miles an hour, you dont even feel like your going that fast, even at speeds of 80 or more. I love this car so much that I hope to keep it on the road for 10years!:)

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  reliability - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By ginubrian - April 9 - 10:00 am

  Realibilty on this car is extremely questionable. I am not alone either...try checking the spec v forums.

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  Great Work Truck! - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By baldbastard420 - April 9 - 10:00 am

  Great little work truck, the 5-speed gets good gas mileage and is fun to drive...incidently the squeek that is heard when turning is the rubber stops, you will notice that this only happens when the wheels are turned all the way in either direction, like when making a U-turn.

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  Envy of my friends - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By kukucachoo - April 9 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned my Murano for a month now, and it has not disappointed me yet. I am the envy of all my friends. To think, I was actually going to get the Highlander....HA! This is 200% better.

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  First time Nissan owner - 2010 Nissan Altima
  By percboy - April 8 - 9:43 pm

  After 38 years driving conventional automatics and standard transmissions, the CVT took a little adjustment-your brain is so used to that sensation of shift points, that the smoothness of the CVT is strange. But after almost 1200 miles, Ive come to really like it and enjoy its performance- responsive and fun to drive. The manual mode is is a nice feature, when need to pass or just feel nostalgic. The styling is top notch, inside and out, with sl package you get a bunch of great features that add a lot of luxury for the price. Love the leather seating and automatic dual climate control! Gas mileage is great- averaging 28 mpg. I am impressed with how quiet and smooth the car is on all road conditions.