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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  Transmission Torque Converter Issue - 2008 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Steve LeVesque - June 23 - 6:30 am

  When you take your foot off the accelerator just above 40 mph, the car downshifts with a noticeable thump. Then when you press the accelerator again, it upshifts with the same noticeable thump. It is so aggravating that I would not have bought the vehicle if I had known. I took it back to the dealer, they tested another 2008 and said that it was "normal." I did not have this problem in my 2005 at all. They said it was because they put a dual torque converter in the 2008 model. Also, it seems to be harder on gas than the 2005. And when I filled up the first time, I noticed a sticker on the inside of the gas cap door that reads "For best results, use premium gas." The 2005 did not say this.

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  I love this car - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By Love It! - June 23 - 12:26 am

  This is the first car I purchased on my own. While in college I took it to Mexico on surf trips and offroading. I have never had a problem. Other than routine maintenance, Ive never had to do any additional service. I have one child and another in the way and while it is turning out to be a little too small, I refuse to give it up. It just has been that good of a car to me.

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  Best Altima yet and I should know, this is my 4th one! - 2011 Nissan Altima
  By nissanfan65 - June 22 - 10:09 pm

  This is my 4th Altima since 2005. I came to the Altima after my first Nissan, which I also loved, a 2002 Maxima GLE. I had no intention of getting an Altima until the dealer let me drive one while my Maxima was being serviced. When I returned the next day to pick up my car, I started getting that "itch" to trade and that started my love affair with the Altima. Ive only bought the top of the line V-6 models and have always found them to be as luxurious as the Maxima with better fuel economy. I am constantly getting comments about how nice the car looks and I love the performance. People in Mustangs and Camaros are surprised when all they can see is the back of my car!!!

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  Garbage - 2007 Nissan Murano
  By rick - June 22 - 5:40 pm

  Purchased the Murano in August of 07. Several things have gone bad on this vehicle: ate up the tires fairly quickly, ignition switch had to be replaced along with a different key, motor mount broke, battery when out and had to replace the cvt boot. I take good care of my vehicles. At first this vehicle was great but after a while things started to fall apart, so much for reliability! I had to pay $1700 + out of pocket to replace the motor mount. Called Nissan customer service and told them bad engineering. Motor mounts should not just break-part is made up of plastic rubber and metal-go figure. Should be a recall on this. Needless to say I wont get my money back for this major flaw.

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  Overall love it - 2014 Nissan Rogue
  By kdavis82712 - June 22 - 3:01 pm

  We got hustled into buying a 2014 Ford Escape SE. Traded it two weeks later for the 2014 Nissan Rogue SV w/ premium package. Best decision ever! The only issues weve had are 1. the nav screen will say loading & you have to cut the car on & off a few times to get it to work. 2. The air takes about 5 mins to get cool. We live in a pretty hot place but even when the temp drops, the air still takes awhile to get cool. Asked the dealership about it. They did nothing. For a brand new car 5 mins to have COOL (not cold) air is ridiculous. Anyone else have this air issue??

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  Great Buy - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By bigboi - June 22 - 10:00 am

  I have a 2001 Nissan Maxima GLE. I bought it brand new and havent had any problems except for the driving belts which onl cost $110. Horsepower is great and the car is very respnsinve to the pedal. Overall i give this car two thumbs up.

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  be careful - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By noa - June 22 - 10:00 am

  I love the car but the biggest problem with it is that it has the worst paint job. it gets scuffed from the littlet thing that touches it.

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  Very Reliable Truck - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By TBart69 - June 22 - 9:53 am

  One of my favorite things about my 1995 Nissan Pathfinder LE 4X4 is how rugged and reliable it is. Being 16 I have done a lot of stupid stuff to this truck and its still fine. It has a very good four wheel drive system but dont let it go to your head because I found out the hard way that it doesnt mean your invincible. When I first purchased my pathfinder I had a few things done. The Speedometer didnt work so I got that fixed, Changed the Transmission fluid, Changed the Oil and got new tires. I love my pathfinder and I made a great choice.

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  One tough truck. - 2009 Nissan Frontier
  By justin - June 22 - 7:10 am

  I bought mine after a 3 month search, the guy at the dealership was great at finding my truck, and he gave me a great deal. I love this truck. Its rugged, and can take a beating. After a few rough off-road sessions and about 20k miles, the suspension loosened up a little more than I would have liked, but I should have bought the Pro 4X, which I am going to do now that my truck has been totaled in an accident. Which is another reason I love this truck, it took a 60 mph head on collision with a utility trailer & truck when they came into my lane from the other direction. I walked away, but the truck was totaled, but the important thing is it saved me.

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  pain to drive - 2009 Nissan Frontier
  By tom - June 21 - 5:50 pm

  I owned the frontier for about 4 mo. Previously owned a gmc sierra ext. Cab 4 dr. I drive the frontier to work every day, siff suspension and jerking of the steering wheel when I hit a pot hole spoils the fun of driving. Ive never seen any car do that before. For some reason u cant turn wheels too fast when puling to park, even with two hands there seems to be strong resistance. Turning radius is awful, cant make a u-turn on a 2-way street, previous truck did it with ease. Engine is not as responsive as I would like it to be, everything is electronic even gas pedal. When need to quickly accelerate at 60 mph it takes 2 sec for transmission to downshift a gear and then it downshift one more gr