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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  Hit or Miss - 2010 Nissan Versa
  By baire92 - July 15 - 7:53 pm

  All I can go by is the three weeks I had my car but I had a bad experience. Acceleration in a word SUCKS! Its not as bad on the freeway but when you press on the petal it feels like your going no where. Its the worst on complete stops when your trying to pick up speed in traffic. More than once people honked and gave me dirty looks. If the gas mileage was good I would overlook this but thats not even the case, and I use midgrade. Interior rattles all the time and reeks of cheapness. The overall design is nice and the headroom is amazing, however he leg room could be a bit better. Had to take it back to the dealer four times due to a defect in the suspesion before they upgraded me to a sentra

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  Disappointed Owner of new Versa Note - 2014 Nissan Versa Note
  By zile - July 11 - 2:05 am

  I purchased this car in July 2014. I have spent dozens of hours @ dealerships & talking to Nissan Consumer Affairs. Wasted efforts. Still... I have a navigation system that is defective & has yet to be replaced - seems that since it is such a new car, the parts are hard to come by. The inside ceiling has come out of the rubber tubing that hold it in place - interior cheap & is uncomfortable in long rides. Cupholders to close to dash to use. Car has a difficult time in elevations or hills - I turn off the A/C & sometimes use lower gears to make it. The car is noisy when idling, esp. for such a small engine. Very crowded. Storage usage above rear cargo area, blocks rear view. Dont do it

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  I AM THOROUGHLY DISGUTED WITH NISSAN - 2017 Nissan Rogue
  By Henry Bartos - July 8 - 1:52 pm

  My particular model has side view mirrors that rotate down automatically when car is in reverse. This is dangerous as I use my r outside mirror to navigate out of garage. Nobody can tell me how to disable this feature

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  Very little dealership - 2015 Nissan NV Cargo
  By Unsatisfied Customer - July 7 - 4:43 pm

  Poor gas mileage compared to Ford or GM V8S. Gadget magnets that hold rear doors open fall off in a couple months. Dealer Service is very limited. We are in Palm Beach Florida and have a grand total of 2 dealerships that can service the vans (20 miles away each). NOT ACCEPTABLE. We frequently travel for work and I cant use the vans for fear of a breakdown with no dealer support. Better off with American made

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  DONT BUY IT! - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By iadss77 - July 3 - 9:40 am

  I bought this car with fuel mileage in mind. I sacrificed ride and comfort for what I thought was going to be great mileage. Bottom line, big mistake! I live in Iowa and during winter my average mileage was 16 city and 24 hwy, now that its summer I am getting 18 city, 26 hwy which is a full 10 mpg under what it was suppose to be. I am also experiencing problems with the check engine light coming on and losing power at higher speeds. I can not trust this car on the interstates. It rides rough too. Bottom line very bad mistake!

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  WORST CAR EVER! - 2008 Nissan Rogue
  By steversteves - July 1 - 1:24 am

  I hate this car so much, I would give anything for someone to crash into me and total it. I have invested so much money in fixing this car its disgusting and after you fix one thing, the other thing breaks. I bought it used with new tires and breaks and it was a very handsome car. Since owning it I have had numerous issues with the tires, I have had the drive shaft blow out on me, leaving me stranded in the middle of a city where I was alone and far away from home, breaking system problems, sensor problems, drive quality issues, heat shield issues and the windshield cracks like its no ones business. I am counting the days till its gone! I drive it in constant fear of it breaking down.

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  82000 Miles of frustration - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By lemondepresion - June 26 - 5:02 pm

  This car has been nothing but problems after 41000 miles. Brake rotors keep warping replace and or surface every 10000 miles, and no I dont ride the brakes. Transmission replaced 62000 miles and at 80000 whining again!. Frustrating rattle under front end after a front seal was replaced. Dealer couldnt locate. A.C just went out coming home from Las Vegas. Back seat rattles from latch. Nissan Consumer relationship doesnt care. CVT transmission is junk.

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  Overall - poor designed car - 2014 Nissan Pathfinder
  By amirse - June 23 - 4:39 pm

  1. The Noise coming from the CVT engine is awful. Something that was never heard in any other car. Nissan Canada claim this is normal for this car. 2. connection between the fuel consumption that Nissan advertised and reality is absolutely non-exist. Expect around 30% more. 3. Quality of interior materials super low. Just move your hand in the inner part of the steering wheel.. Hope you will not cut yourself from that poorly manufactured plastic parts.

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  Another Altima lemon! <12,000 miles - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By altima13sv - June 20 - 12:41 pm

  Long story short, have taken to dealership 5 times for a rattle in the sunroof. Wasnt surprised when it started rattling this weekend again. Looks like ill be going in a 6th time. Also had brake light come on, rattle in passenger side wheel, and navigation area rattles over small/medium bumps. Dealership also damaged center console, wrinkled headliner, and a pillar. To their credit, they replaced it all. Would be a nice car if it wasnt built so cheaply. Im afraid its going to rattle apart after the 12k mile warranty period. What a $24k mistake and an assault on my time!

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  Do not buy - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By yoly22 - June 15 - 3:26 am

  This car has been the biggest headache. It has been in the dealer since the date I purchased it. I have maintained the vehicle and for some reason Nissan has not recalled the crank shift sensor. The car has turned off on me while driving the car.It has happened to me on the expressway which was very scary. A month ago my car was at the dealer for this same exact reason I was informed it should not happen anymore now my car is back in the dealer. Such a big safety issue being overlooked.