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:

• 

  Frontier Desert Runner - 2002 Nissan Frontier
  By crazymagman - November 29 - 7:23 am

  Have had the truck just over a year and have not been overly thrilled. As a Desert Runner it is fun to drive off road and you can go anywhere you want, but it feels unconnected from the road and like it is working very hard on the interstate to keep up to speed. Its okay, but not quite as good as I would have liked.

• 

  INTERIOR NOISE - 2016 Nissan Sentra
  By Carlos meza - November 27 - 10:28 am

  great car for the price , but upon driving this vehicle on the highway at approxamently 70 mph there is a wind noise ,,that is very load and annoying ,, had the dealer take a look at it ,,they said it was the seal around window and fixed ,, so they said !! two days later same thing happened , noise so load I could not hear my wife talk .. again dealer said they fixed it ..WELL GUESS WHAT ??? TAKING IT BACK FOR THE THIRD TIME ...if the dealer cant fix it this time I guess Ill be looking for a lawyer.

• 

  Nissan Early Armada Review - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Lairdland - November 25 - 4:13 pm

  I have owned a 2004 Armada SE 4wd since May, 2004. For a $40k vehicle, I would think the build quality would have been better. Also, the Armada burns up tires pretty fast, about every 35k miles. Too many times Ive had to take it to the dealer for recalls and/or warranty repairs, and recently I have had to battle Nissan to warranty a replacement of my moonroof glass and seal, as it has started leaking like a sieve. Status of this > $1k claim: pending. I really like the styling and interior layout, and the engine is powerful and smooth. However, the amount of time it has to spend in the shop is appalling.

• 

  Be carefull - 2010 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Mario - November 25 - 11:33 am

  Watch out when buying Nissan. They are known for the "check engine soon" light coming on - this will cost you at least $550.

• 

  Transmission - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By dnierode - November 21 - 2:00 pm

  Just leased my 2013 Nissan Sentra Monday with about 10 miles on it...took it to work got home went for another drive...Tranny took a puke...about 62 miles, shot...WTF... they are being pretty good at the dealership, but I do not want that car back...

• 

  Blown head gasket at 20,000 - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By chummo - November 15 - 3:53 am

  The head gasket went with just under 20,000 miles. That is something that should last 200,000 miles. Nissan village fixed it under warranty and 2 days later it had to be towed in because almost all the oil leaked out all over my new garage floor because one of the gaskets was improperly installed. Then it had to go back in again because of check engine light. It was the oxygen sensor. This is my fourth Nissan and I will never buy another.

• 

  Nissa does not care about CUSTOMER SAFETY! - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By Bill Fitzgerald - November 11 - 9:11 pm

  2 years ago my passenger side front wheel fell off the wheel support structure. I was traveling 25mph and the car abruptly stopped dead in its tracks, no rolling to a stop or skidding. 10 minutes later I would have been traveling 65mph heading to work & can imagine the potential for damage, injury, loss of life. The repair bill was $388. I contacted Nissan and requested that they reimburse me, after all this is a defect, wheels do not fall off. Nissan declined. In Jan 2016 I received a recall notice from Nissan indicating the the front wheel springs needed to be replaced because they were susceptible to corrosion due to the winter weather in the north east. The corrosion could cause the springs to fail and the wheel would fall off. I had Nissan replace the springs and sent them a letter with the $388 repair bill from 2014. After all, Nissan just admitted that the front wheels could fall off at any time! Nissan declined to pick up the tab for their wheel defect. During my conversation with the Nissan representative, I told them that Nissan does not care about customer safety. Nissans refusal to reimburse me for the wheel structure defect repair enforces the point that Nissan does not care about customer safety. Any company which cared about customer safety would recognize their wheel structure defect and immediately take care of it. How many other unsuspecting Nissan owners are driving around in a vehicle in which the wheel could fall off at any time! Nissan does not care about customer safety!

• 

  Good, but not great - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Ron R - November 11 - 10:56 am

  I bought this for my daughter to drive in the future, and it has a lot of good things, but as we use it, find a few disappointments. After only three years (just out of warranty) I learn that replacing a taillight costs over $100. Replace or add a key: $200. Scuff marks are hard to remove, there is a lot of plastic. We like the features, although selection was limited, I guess this is common now. It also advertised a little better mileage than I get which is @27 mpg.

• 

  Never Again Nissan! - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Connie Winstead - November 10 - 4:10 am

  Worst auto purchase I ever made. Hate the wide turn radius, the low profile tires dont last and provide a bumpy ride. Numerous expensive repairs, most recently the transmission went out, started slipping out of gear, jerking, reving up unexpectedly. Cost to repair $4,000 and Nissan wont do anything to help because it is 6,000 miles out of warranty, although there have been numerous problems with these Maxima transmissions. This car cost over $30,000 but now is only worth $8,000 at best.Poor gas mileage also. Body dents very easily. Bose stereo doesnt stay tuned.

• 

  Designed for short term fun, BEWARE of Maintenance cost - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By rayman3000 - November 8 - 6:02 am

  I will be brief. This vehicle is fun to drive no doubt. Once you get in for a test drive, you will buy this vehicle cos its so much fun to drive. The bad news is the cost of maintenance. You will spend a lot of time repairing this vehicle. Once it leaves the repair shop, do not ride this vehicle unless you are trying to know if the problems has been repaired or you are taking a new buyer on a test drive. Fail to heed my warning and you will fall in love with this vehicle again. Its like a woman you love, but you cant stand her naughty behavior. Buyers be warned. Stay away from her unless you have deep pockets. issues i have suffered: Wheel bearings (front right and back left), diffe