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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  nice car - 2001 Nissan Altima
  By cockychest - August 3 - 10:00 am

  Bought the GXE Limited Editon in October 2000 brand new. Has been a very reliable car and have always trusted Nissan products. I presently have over 21000 miles with no problem to report. Easy to keep up and is a beautiful car after it is cleaned.

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  Loved it for 5 days! - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Jim Warrick - August 2 - 9:56 pm

  I had been researching different vehicles to buy for some time with particular interest in hybrid technology. I enjoy driving but wanted to save gas, I didnt necessarily care if it cost me more to save gas. I would rather spend the money on the car than give it to OPEC and contribute to the myriad of problems we have in the world today. Test driving the car was great, first few days of ownership, great! Now the service engine light is on, not great. Im told I have to take a day off and possibly leave it overnight. Really not great. So much for Nissan reliability!

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  Everything is as expected. - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By Scott Doney - August 1 - 8:35 am

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  PROBLEM WITH 2004 NISSAN MAXIMA - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By PAL/CDL - July 31 - 10:00 am

  Depending on road surface and speed, car makes an annoying noise and has done so from the day it was purchased. Dealer states 3% of Maximas have this problem. Engineers cannot figure out what is causing noise and have stopped responding. Four trips to dealer in first 3 months of ownership in attempt to cure problem have failed. After that they stopped contacting me.

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  Nice vehicle overall with the technology package. - 2012 Nissan Maxima
  By jmn5467 - July 29 - 12:32 am

  Bought mine new in early 2012 - its an SV Premium with Tech Package (basically the most expensive sedan the Nissan dealer had on the lot). Overall Id say Im happy with no major problems, although this thing was expensive for a Nissan (paid somewhere around $35k). I am so happy I sprung for the tech package as I would have regretted not getting it.

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  Service Problems - 2002 Nissan Quest
  By hipaulino - July 28 - 10:00 am

  We brought our 2002 Nissan Quest GLE from Performance Nissan in Everett, WA. It has been in for service there three times without the problem being fixed. We live about 45 miles away and have to drive up there every time to try to get it fixed. We brought the car there thatÂ’s why we drive up there to get it serviced; this was a huge mistake! The problem on the Mini-van is the passenger sliding door window. We have wind noise at speeds over 30 M.P.H. and problems with the window popping open when we hit a bump or slide the door close. How can such a small problem be such a major pain? . LOVE THE CAR, HATE THE SERVICE!

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  Best bang for the buck - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By Cayman - July 28 - 10:00 am

  Compared to the Corolla, Civic, and Focus the Sentra is the best car value around. The 3 recalls surprised me considering Nissan usually builts good cars, but then maybe not as reliable as a Honda. I also had chirping sounds from the belt. Its fixed now unless the weather is damp and the belt gets wet. This car scares me when driving in snow. Not sure if its the tires or the weight distribution but the traction sucks.

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  Rain drops keep falling on my head - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By chuckles - July 27 - 12:13 pm

  I purchased my 2009 Nissan Murano LE AWD in April 2008. This vehicle has almost every bell and whistle, including the dual moon roof. And there begins my nightmare. One day, shortly after heavy rain storm. I noticed on the inside drivers side pillar at the bottom. the fabric was discolored. Well it was wet. I called the dealer, they had a subcontractor come out to fix it. They said it was the moonroof drain. 2 weeks later another rain storm, more water. This time the dealer kept my car for 4 days. They assured me that it was water tight!! They even soaked it with a hose for 30 min. 2 weeks later it rained again, interior was soaked. 10/04/08 my Murano is back with the dealer still leaking

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  New so new I shouldnt be writing this review yet. - 2014 Nissan Versa
  By paulden_guy - July 26 - 11:14 pm

  I bought a sedan over the Note even though I could have gotten a Note for a lot less. I like the sedans looks better. I bought the car for the gas mileage, interior space and trunk size. I am a large guy and fit with no problems. I did not buy it because it is a sport sedan, but it is practical for my daily commuting needs. Many reviews I read on here this site and others make me wonder how many are disgruntled owners that wanted a more expensive car (ALTIMA) and could only afford the Versa!?! I could have bought most any Nissan on the lot, but I chose the versa-tility of the Versa sedan

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  Horrible Never again - 2002 Nissan Maxima
  By Gregnice23 - July 26 - 5:36 pm

  I will never ever get another Nissan again. From the headlights to the cd player breakin within the first 3 months to the speakers not working correctly. Nissan makes a good engine but I do not like the lil trinkets that are faulty. I will go with toyota or honda or mazda or hyundai next time.