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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  Drastically poor milage - 2007 Nissan Maxima
  By rj3016 - May 6 - 1:47 am

  I purchased my 2007 Maxima brand new. Since day one I have no gotten better than 17-18 mpg combined. At first the dealership told me it was winter gas. Winter gas? You have to be kidding me. I agreed to drive it till spring. Well, spring gas, summer gas made no difference. Still I amm only able to squeeze out 17.8 mpg. Took it to the dealer to find out why. The service manager said and I quote "we can check it but I dont think we will find anything wrong. Thats just what those cars get" They checked the car and of course said they didnt find anything wrong. I drive 150 miles a day all highway. The best I can get is 18.8 mpg. This car SUCKS! Never again. My Hummer get 18 mpg!

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  Biggest Mistake - EVER!!!!! - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Belle - May 3 - 9:40 am

  I purchased this brand new vehicle in October 2001 to ensure my 3 week old had a safe, reliable vehicle. The style of the vehicle, roominess, and overall design drew me to this purchase. I have since had 5 recalls, two of which are being re-done, the vehicle would not start on three separate occassions as well as the vehicle stalled while driving the vehicle on three separate occassions. Both the dealership and Nissan Corporation have had no empathy for my $23K purchase nor for the safety of my family. Additionally, the OEM tires were the worst ever. Had to replace at 30K and paying more than $500 for new tires. Never another Nissan - EVER!!!!

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  Lemon - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Oktex - May 2 - 7:13 pm

  Bought Truck New in 2004. Have had water leaking in problems for over 2 years and run around from Nissan. Engine Power is Great. Build Quality is bad. Water leaks in. Rear Diff clunks. Plastic interior coming apart. Radio/Cruse steering wheel controls crooked.

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  Nissan doesnt care about gas mileage! - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By jim d04 - May 1 - 3:40 am

  This is a good little truck for people who dont need a full size. The ride is very good, better than an 07 Tacoma IMO. Very close to my 00 Pathfinder. Decent power. Terrible gas mileage, city or highway. In the 16-13 MPG range. For a small truck it should be better. 4 doors are convenient but leg room in rear is very tight. Ok for short rides, but anyone near 6 will be uncomfortable. The tires have held up very well. I have almost 90,000 miles and they are just getting to the point that I should replace them.

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  Hesitant Transmissiion Problems - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By Ken Mader - April 28 - 1:30 pm

  Have problems with acceleration. The drive is not smooth and there is hesitation when first giving gas of about 3-4 seconds before it gives me power. Nissan says that this is normal and that there is nothing wrong with the car. Nissan is aware of the problem because others have complained of the same problem, but Nissan is not willing to fix the problem or make the consumer happy. Shame on Nissan!

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  Never buy a Nissan. Acceleration stopped in Highway. - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By ryandbm - April 20 - 7:57 pm

  Nissan has acceleration problems. The sensor in the gas pedal can develop faults, leading to a sluggish acceleration or an outright stall regardless of how much throttle the driver dials in. If you google "nissan acceleration problem", there are 2,360,000 results show in 0.13 seconds. The year spans from 1994 to 2013 in Rouge, Altima, Sentra, Cube, Maxima, etc. although Nissan only recalled the 2004-2013 cars. I have a 2006 Nissan Altima, which showed the sudden stop in high way 4 times from 2010 to 2013. But my car is not in the recall list. Nissan and its dealers are finding all excuses to push off the responsibility. My lesson is never buy a Nissan.

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  Not happy - 2009 Nissan Sentra
  By Stacey - April 20 - 12:20 pm

  I am not at all happy with this car. I have had it for 11 months and already the front brake pads had to be replaced and the rotors machined. Today the a/c went out. Im only averaging 20 mpg. The ironic thing is the FE stands for Fuel Economy. I wont be buying another.

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  Change - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By KATHIE BOSH - April 20 - 10:30 am

  Rear seats that go up and down do lock very good , not enough places to store things, when driving in the wind feels like going to tip over bose radio not very good has very bad sound

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  Great looking but not mechanically sound - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Andy - April 14 - 9:56 pm

  only 32k miles: Having been a short term owner thus far I have had to replace many parts: from brake rotors to master clutch and rear shocks all not built well from factory having speaking with many owners whome also replaced many parts either under warrenty or not. Otherwise I am thrilled with the look and functionality of this car and its relatively low weight makes the mid powered 2.5L feel more powerful than other cars with similar engines. It also handles excellant in corners and bumpy roads.

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  Transmission Warranty - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Earl - April 8 - 12:36 pm

  I was looking at this site and seen there are alot of the same problems out there that I have seen in my 5 years of ownership. Just last year I had a new transmission put into my 58,000 mile Pathfinder and it was covered under the 5/60,000 warranty which should be a coverage that every dealer should be able to act on. Alot of these transmission problems are a result of the Radiator cooling lines are collapsing not allowing the tranny to be cooled therefore this is a manufacture issue and should be corrected especially if the vehicle is within the warranty period.