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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  Good car for Transmission Repair Shops - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By gregsandiego - March 8 - 6:37 am

  Add me to the list of people with a Nissan Maxima and a bad transmission. Mine had only 52,000 miles when the thing started slipping and lurching in the low gears. A trip to my local transmission specialist confirms the worst, at a cost of $3100 to $4000 to repair.

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  Poor Design/Quality - 2006 Nissan Armada
  By Tom - March 3 - 2:40 pm

  I have had nothing but problems with my Armada since I purchased it new back in July. The two front doors rattle and move around over even the slightest bump. The dealer/manufacturer states that this is a characteristic of their $40K plus flagship vehicle. I have had the vehicle in for service too many times for creaks and rattles only to have the problems return. Stay away from this vehicle, its poorly designed and of very poor quality.

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  Lemon - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By jsara - March 3 - 2:45 am

  First off this is my first AND last Nissan. Ive had my 2013 Altima in for three sets of brakes, the Aux has never worked, the speakers rattle at a volume of 12 and the CVT transmission is a piece of junk and now needs replacing as there was metal found in the fluid by the dealer, nice. I paid $24k for this thing and have not been happy with it at all. The 38 mpg is complete b.s. I drive literally all highway miles and this thing hasnt even come close. An utter failure for Nissan.

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  Nissan worst car Ive ever purchased - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Gipson - February 27 - 6:56 am

  I bought this 2009 Altima with 40,000 miles on it. Within a month the tps sensors went out. 600$ to repair. Less than 2years later those same sensors go out again another 600$ to repair. 4Years into the car the transmission is going bad and Nissan does not repair or even troubleshoot the transmission they only suggest replacing it when they feel it might b the issue. HONDA HERE I COME!!! I also have a 2003 honda that has 180,000 miles that Ive had over 8years no issues at all with it.

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  Steering is dangerously bad - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Joefly5 - February 27 - 12:50 am

  Drives great initially, but after about 4k miles, youll notice a very pronounced vibration in the steering at highway speeds. Sometimes its so severe you can barely control the car. Lots of others have this problem if you search Google, and theres no resolution at the dealership. Just plain bad engineering on this one. Wish I had known before buying.

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  2003 Pathfinder, worst SUV ever made - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Jamey - February 23 - 10:00 am

  Poor quality, lousy/noisy brakes, stereo broken from start - replaced 4 times! Poughkeepsie Nissan is the worst dealer around. The front bumber was damaged & poorly repainted prior to taking delivery, dealer denied responsibility and refused to fix damage. Seeking legal help to get a full refund. Nissan customer support offers no help. If you still want a Pathfinder stay away from this dealership.

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  Transmission failure - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By Walt - February 20 - 6:03 am

  After 2 years 46,000 miles my nissan altima 2014 transmission failed. Dealer will replace the transmission but still feel uncomfortable with the transmission.

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  Big Mistake - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By desertman - February 14 - 10:00 am

  Thought I wanted an SUV. Picked Xterra based on looks. Hate driving it. Gas mileage is awful and it rides like the tires are made of metal.

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  Not much better than nothing. - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Picky Driver - February 10 - 2:00 am

  Still drives and rides like a SUV. Needs a better dynamic stability control system. Cheap looking instrumentation panel. No day time running light. Need to lose that chrome grill. The vehicle has a cover underneth, which makes it more difficult to change oil yourself and more costly to get it done at a shop. Obviously Nissan wants us to pay premium for routine maintenance and thinks we are stupid because we dont know "total-ownership- cost". Self-serving companies such as Nissan dont deserve to be around. This will likely be my last Nissan. What a mistake for buying this piece of junk.

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  Pain [non-permissible content removed] - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By BreAnna - February 8 - 3:22 pm

  Bought this car for $7,000 126,000.. First 2 months about 120,000 miles, the timing chain went out and was about a $3000 fix. Now at 175,000 miles Ive replaced the alternator 2 times. The engine covers most of the hood and fixing it is a pain in the ass, every time I bring it in its over $300 in labor just to get the engine out of the way. My winshild wipers go off randomly. And my radio stopped working and mechanics cant find out why. Time to go American made.