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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  Not worth the price or problems to come! - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By Sha29 - June 5 - 12:34 pm

  This car had everything I wanted and a great paint color when purchased. However, I should have done some more research before spending over $30000 for something Ive had nothing but problems with since. Shortly after we purchased this, I noticed my car would start to shudder when I would go around corners or have to slow down then regain speed. It has also happened while driving down the highway at 65-70 mph. I mentioned this multiple times to my dealership when I would take it in for my oil change but they have told me every time that it is nothing and they cant seem to find a problem. I spoke with someone that use to work there and was discussing the problem Im having and he suggested I call Nissan Consumer Affairs to see if they will do anything. He also warned me that Nissan is very bad about notifying customers when there are recalls. I contacted them and reported my issue, opened a case and awaited a response. I received a call last night from this lady that tells me she has done some research and that there is nothing wrong with my car, that is how the CVT transmission works. I asked her why it didnt do that in the beginning and she couldnt answer that. I also asked her about all the reports I have found on the same issue and her response was that it is based on the VIN and nothing showed for my car. The option she gave was to take it to another Nissan dealer to get a second opinion which means adding another 250 miles on my car and making me closer to my warranty expiring. I would not recommend another Nissan to anyone! I now have an overpriced car with a huge issue that is only worth about half of what I paid only a year ago. BUYERS BEWARE!!!!

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  Rattles and buzz - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By chazzi - May 30 - 2:00 am

  Car was great for the first month. now we get a grinding noise right after shifting into drive and the gas pedal and steering wheel buzz and shake. Been to the dealer twice with no results. Last Nissan this family buys.

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  consider yourself forewarned - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By lmth10 - May 20 - 9:28 pm

  I bought my 02 altima in 2005 with 26k miles. Loved it at first; did all the recommended maintenance; highway mpg 26 but it seemed like I was always spending money on things going wrong that never occurred with my familys hondas and toyotas. My catalytic converter was replaced and less than a year later the engine light came on signaling it needed to be redone. My car also wouldnt start and I got a new crank shaft sensor and that took care of the problem for a few months until it happened again. Got another crank shaft sensor and cam shaft sensor and it still wouldnt start regularly! Finally the mechanic said I needed a new gasket which could cost $2500. I traded it in for $2k with 114k mil

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  Should have bought the Honda... - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By Ross - May 16 - 11:00 am

  I used to have a 98 Sentra SE that was a great car. Replaced it with an 06 1.8S that is the worst car Ive ever driven. The interior is the worst color ever imagined, and I think they used slinkies for the springs. The suspension is absolutely terrible! It doesnt corner well, its unstable on the highway, and its rough over even mild bumps. The cupholders were definitely not tested on a manual transmission model, downshifting into 1st usually results in hitting whatever is in them and spilling your drink. After 2000 miles, the car had already developed more squeaks and rattles than my 8 year car had in its lifetime. Do yourself a favor an spend the extra $2000 to buy a Civic.

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  Add these things to the transmission - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By VERY disappointed - May 12 - 3:46 am

  Heater blows cold air anytime you let off the gas petal. The back hatch doesnt stay up. Add to this the new transmission (July of 08) is going out. Suppose to be a year warranty...hmm well see what happens

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  Panoramic moon roof and other defects - 2016 Nissan Maxima
  By disappointedcustomer - May 5 - 5:13 pm

  I was a happy owner of a 2016 Maxima believe made a huge mistake getting this car. This car was last purchased on 8/25/15 now Im having problems out of the panoramic moon roof and memory seat position not remembering. Also noticed that whenever slowing down 30 mph transmission jerks hard took into dealer I was told the transmission is shot as with taking back to dealer again for the panoramic moon roof. Dont get me wrong really like the car but not satisfied with all of issues having out of it now its at the dealer overnight for a transmission replacement as with fixing panoramic moon roof. Thought Nissan was one of the best vehicles ever this definitely going to be my last one period. Cant believe brought a new car with few defects now the dealer is letting me loan a Rogue until get a call from dealer saying what Nissan will tell them. Seems Nissan doesnt stand behind their products because when talked with them but no help but it will be ok guess this car might be a lemon want to give it back after starting off having few defects even a new transmission with fewer miles putting on motor not pleased with a defective vehicle.

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  2002 Sentra - Nothing but problems - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By Vicki - May 4 - 2:00 am

  I bought my New 2002 Sentra in December 2001 & I have had nothing but problems with it since then. I am dissappointed with the performance of the vehicle. At 200 miles the service engine light came on, and they had to replace my thermostat & gasket. Once the problem was fixed my service engine light came on again at 427 miles. Only this time the dealership had my car for 18 days. I have also had trunk release problems and the radio stations get bad reception. I dont know if I just got a bad seed or that Nissan isnt making quality products, but I am very unhappy with the car and would not recommed this car to anyone.

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  Run Far away and dont look back - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By garry - April 15 - 2:11 pm

  The car is good for first few years until the repairs start coming in. So many issues where do I begin, bought the 04 Murano in 06. It ran good until it hit 100K. The engine started burning oil about a quart/week. No thatt not normal. The suspension is the worst I have seen on any car. Every few months tie rods or control arm or something with suspension is going wrong. The stereo stopped working. The rear door latch has be greased every few months. The part/repairs are so costly its like owning a BMW. Hard to work on because its so hard to replace things in the engine. Bad Design on nissans part. Not buying a Nissan again, especially due to their V6 burning oil. Such disappointment. Wipe blade linkage became lose and had to replace the whole motor. The leather is cheap and ripped. The good about the car, AWD.

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  Beware - 2013 Nissan Pathfinder
  By krismac - April 8 - 9:27 am

  I have major issues with my transmission at 11,000. Also still have extra travel while braking on uneven surfaces (city roads) and that is after recall

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  No storage room, no pick up - 2016 Nissan Versa
  By DWS - April 2 - 9:11 am

  Ive been renting this car for three weeks. Horrible design. No storage, no pick up, engine sluggish. Nice controls, seats are comfortable. I would not buy this car. Cant wait to get my Camry back.