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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  Great Car, but horrible steering - 2015 Nissan Altima
  By Glenn Barber - September 21 - 7:22 pm

  For the past 7 years, I have driven 2008 Nissan Altima and loved the car. So I decided to get the exact same car when I decided to purchase a new vehicle. I wish I had my old car because of the steering on the 2015 model that I purchased. The car drifts from one side of the road to the other and you have to continuously fight the steering wheel. After taking the car to the dealership, they told me that it drift within the normal limit set by Nissan. When did become appropriate to drift across the center line??? The dealership said that the new steering is sensitive and will drift dependent on the makeup of the road. After fighting the steering for only 2000 miles, Im ready to trade for another car. My advise - think very carefully before purchasing the Nissan Altima. It hard to pick-up on the drift during a 10 minute test drive. After buying the top of the line Altima, I would think Nissan would try to help resolve the problem. No luck!!!

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  Will not buy again - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By Madman96 - September 15 - 9:03 pm

  This has been a nightmare from the day I bought it. I had to call NIssan for assistance and they sent me a physc evaluation questionaire before they would assist. The car smells of antifreeze. The seat belts lock and will not unlock. They were replaced on one seat and the problem got worse. I am on my third set of brakes and 3rd rotor on the left front. After each brake job the car rides decent for about 5000 miles and then the vibrations start. The rotors overheat and warp. Definite design flaw. Dealer always says no problem found with all problems. I will never buy from the dealer or Nissan again. 92,000 miles of unpleasant experience. Average mileage mostly highway 23 mpg.

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  A Nissan disappointment - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Ron - September 15 - 2:53 pm

  Problems since day one. Windows, door handles, horn, plastic body parts and more are poorly designed and dont function properly to this date 1 1/2 years later. Major drive train problem that Nissan cant or refuses to fix. Nissan denies there even is a problem. Svc mgr confirmed vibration at mid speed range. A warrantee is only as good as the issuer. In this case, no good. My advice, buy another make of truck.

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  Will Never buy another Nissan - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By JAM - September 11 - 1:43 pm

  The van drives nice and is a comfortable ride. Have had a lot of problems. Engine power problems, door leaks, gas gauge not working, etc. Every time we take it to the dealership for repairs, they cannot find the problem. I am told that they will not fix the problem unless they can duplicate it. Bad service policy. They also never can find any error codes on the computer. On my American cars, the mechanics can always find error codes telling them the problems. I have no faith in the Nissan technology or service structure. I will never buy another Nissan.

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  wouldnt recommend - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By brooke6425 - September 11 - 10:00 am

  I would not recommend this vehicle for anyone with small children or anyone that plans to be using it on long road trips. The ride is so bumpy and on long trips it can get very uncomfortable. If I had to do over I would buy something more expenisve with a smoother ride and something that was quieter on the highway.

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  Bad trade in value/bad gas mileage - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By Julian Martinez - September 2 - 2:00 am

  Bought 2008 Titan new paid $ 28,000 for it 1 1/2 yrs later with only 14,000 miles I tried to trade it in for a new truck they offered me $ 13,200 trade in,what an insult. I wish they would have told me this when I purchased the truck. Wish they would have said when you come back to trade your truck in you will get a big screwing.Truck depreciated $14,800 in 1 1/2 yrs wow. Worst fuel mileage ever. Bad resale/trade in value. Wish I could talk to a Nisan representative.

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  Not What I Expected - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Tony - September 1 - 6:50 pm

  Just traded in my 04 Armada after two years of making payments on a Dodge Neon because my Aramda was always in for service. Too many problems to list - brakes were repaired two different times and still didnt work properly, radio crackles, sunroof leaks, brakes!!!, squeaks and rattles which drive me nuts. The interior always had something rattling. Residual value after two years was disappointing losing over $20000 of the purchase price. Nissan knows there are problems but doesnt take care of the poor souls that have 04s. Hopefully the 06 model will address some of the concerns. Very happy in my new Lexus!!!!!!!

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  Big regrets - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By olddad - August 31 - 4:23 pm

  I was drawn to this car by the body style, the overall appearance, and the smoothness of the CVT. I have owned it for about 17 months. I think the luster was gone fairly soon. The visibility is very poor in my opinion. Gas Mileage is just okay. I recently hit a deer on the freeway. I was going about 65 mph. Im fortunate that neither myself or my passenger was injured. But the damage to the car amazing and the repair bill to my insurance company was $9000. I wish it were totaled so I could have returned to driving a Honda Accord. Overall, I think the car is poorly designed.

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  The Last Nissan Ill ever buy!!! - 2006 Nissan Frontier
  By ineedatoyota12 - August 30 - 3:53 pm

  My engine light came on at 93K miles. I took it to the dealer they said they had to replace the catalytic convertor that cost me about 1K dollars. Within a week IÂ’m driving down the road and loose power. I canÂ’t go any faster than 20 or so mph and my engine light never even comes on. I should have marked my cat because it sounds like to me they never replaced it. How can a new cat fowl out that quick? Even if I was burning pure oil it would take longer than that to get blocked.

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  BAD EXPERIENCE - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By Susie - August 28 - 10:00 am

  mY EXPERIENCE IS VERY BAD. I BROUGHT A NEW CAR AND IT IS UNDERGOING ITS SECOND MAJOR REPAIRS. FROM THE ENGINE TO THE IGNITION LOCKS TO LOW AIR PRESSURE IN TYRES.