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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  STAY AWAY PLEASE be safe not stupid like me - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By RALF - July 23 - 12:29 am

  ill be short and to the subject : on the highway the 14 altima is all over it slides side to side (if windy do not go more than 50 you will lose control easy) -when the RPM stays right on 2 the whole car vibrates like a washing machine (i am not joking try yours , it dont matter what the speed is just keep it at 2 on the dot ) -radio is peace of garbage who just blows out the speakers -back up camera turned pink and some lines dance up and down all over the screen -the engine makes a funny noise when u start it and stays forever -tires are garbage who let it me down in the middle of the winter storm jan 2016 -transmission also let it me down on the same day winter storm jan 2016 -road assistance dont care and they do nothing for you at all i had to wait 3 days for the towing truck to bring my car at the dealer and i had to remove the car from a dangerous spot where died and i hade to pay tow truck out of my wallet ... POOR SHAME ON YOU ROAD ASSISTANCE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHAME ON YOU all - and now the miles start to go down from 23 mpg to like 19 mpg whats about that ??? it was 23 mpg for like 1 strait year

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  Versa has many problems! - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By birdgirl999 - July 19 - 4:22 am

  I purchased a new, 2007 Nissan Versa in July 2007. One month later, I experienced trouble starting the car. It took at least 5 cranks at a few seconds each to get the engine to turn over. They replaced the fuel pump assembly six times between Aug 2007 and May 2011. I sent Nissan a letter and only received a voicemail response. I noticed the problem would occur on cold starts, after the car sat for at least a couple hours. And was more common during cold weather months. Nonetheless, a new car should not have problems like this! Ive also had other problems - all the hubcaps have been replaced, as they fell off! Dont buy a Versa. Do some research and save your time and money.

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  Transmission sucks - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By Dawn - July 17 - 10:27 am

  Bought mine with 22k miles beautiful car drove for 8 days and the transmission went out. Dealer gave me a hard time. Also the air conditioner quit they said there was a leaf in it so it was not covered under warranty. Ive only had the car 8 days. Nissan dealer told me I have to take it back to the Nissan dealer I purchased it from to get it covered and refused to fix it unless I paid. So here I sit in a car rental while I have a car in the shop that I havent even made a car payment on yet unbelievable!

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  Transmission, tech pkg - 2014 Nissan Altima
  By Tiffany - July 11 - 11:06 am

  I purchased a 2014 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL 4 cy on 8/4/2014. In November I experienced power outage/ shortage in tech system the radio, navigation, LED screen all went out. Everything there is a change in climate or when it gets cold I have these issues, sometimes lasting for hours. I then noticed my car riding ruff as if it wasnt shifting gears properly. Took it to the dealer and the bearings I. The transmission went out had to get a new transmission in May 2015. The dealer replaced free of charge and provided a rental. Now in November I am again experiencing a ruff ride, car smells like gas and a strong smell of burning something has come a loose from the front and side underneath the car. My tech package, LED screen and Navigation has went out again! The side blind spot indicators flash even when theres not a car on the side and in the rain the do not work properly! The interior is not durable at all! Leather is starting to peel. The car does not ride smooth anymore.

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  buyer beware - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By william - July 5 - 7:30 am

  My car makes a loud noise & there is vibration in the front of the car when the car is accelerated. I brought the car in to the dealer lots of times for a period of over 3 months. They said I needed to replace the entire exhaust system. I paid to replace it but it didnt fix the problem. They then replaced the catalytic converters, fuel rails, engine mounts, adjusted the front cradle and finally the transmission. They couldnt fix the problem & Nissan corporation told me after replacing all those items on the quest, that the vibration & noise was normal for this vehicle & to just deal with the problem. Nissan acknowledge the car had a problem in the beginning, now they dont want to help.

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  Piece of junk! - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By dissapointed05 - June 30 - 1:36 pm

  Well from reading many of the reviews it seems apparent that they are common.Our Car has had constant Brake problem from the time we bought it new..We now have 85000K and have the following list of repairs that need to be done from Nissan and 2 other Mechanics,3 Motor mounts,upper control arms,shocks and struts, Catalytic converter, selonoid, TRANSMISSION, ENGINE about to go, Bad piston noise, Brakes are almost gone again/rotors. NICE LIST, Total estimate from Nissan was $10,190.00 I would never buy Nissan again,when they checked the car they said to sell it/Trade it in.I will be doing exactly that but will get anything but Nissan.There is no way a car with 85000k should be this bad.

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  Middle of the Road, Not Without Its Problems - 2011 Nissan Altima
  By Steven - June 28 - 11:15 am

  Acceleration, braking, handling, steering are all about average, not a fan of the 4 cylinder and the CVT is too noisy. Fuel economy is OK. Car feels plastic-like inside and out, though quality of materials and interior design is not bad. Front seats are comfortable, rear seats are OK. Car could be wider inside. For a modern car it has little features (no bluetooth!). Have had transmission and engine issues, as well as issues with the tire pressure sensors. CVTs are not cheap to replace! Would not buy again, but its a fine middle of the road car for most people, just doesnt fit my needs as much as other cars/trucks. I drive my other vehicles usually and leave this one as a third car.

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  Never Again - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By Jim B. - June 17 - 6:10 am

  This is the second Sentra I have owned and it is clear that the quality of Nissans cars are not what they once were. Blown Head gasket at 70,000 miles. Tried to work through Customer Service, but they offered no assistance (less than 36 months, but over on miles). This is a design flaw relating to the number 2 cylinder, but Nissan is turning the other way hoping this issue will disappear.

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  you will regret it I learned the hard way! - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Mr Texas 2015 - June 14 - 7:34 pm

  It will definitely gain attention on the road by the exterior design but that is about all this car can do for you. Very low mileage purchase in January of 2011. The first thing I noticed about a week later was the famous shimmy. Im doing 45-50 and the steering wheel starts shaking like a hula dancer. So of course I went back to the dealership they re balanced the tires. A week later it came back so I purchased 4 brand new Goodyear tires didnt solve it shimmy remained up until the end. March of 2011 had to have motor mounts replaced under warranty. September 2011 the timing chain was replaced under warranty thru Nissan. January 2012 the upper A/C hose was replaced for $600. July 2012 Power Steering leak was replaced. December 2012 both H.I.D headlights went out on the highway due to a bad ballast. March 2013 both CV Joints had to be replaced due to leakage. August 2013 The vehicle began to experience a hard start then that same day left me stranded at wal mart it was the Cam/crank sensors. January 2014 The Valve cover gaskets leaked oil. Fixed properly leaked again for a second time. June 2014 check engine light comes on P0420: Catalyst Efficiency Failure which means that catalytic converter was bad didnt replace. October 2014 Alternator fails. By December 2014 another check engine light this time the transmission needed to be replaced for a second time as had been by the previous owner. January 2015 traded for a 2009 Infiniti M. DO NOT BUY THIS CAR YOU ALONG WITH MY BROTHER,MYSELF,A MILLION OTHERS WILL REGRET IT.

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  Unreliable car and customer service - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By lilen - June 12 - 12:29 pm

  I purchased a brand new 2013 Nissan Altima 2.5 SV The "red" break light came on within 125 miles, I took to Nissan service station where they said a minor problem " one of the electrical plug was loosely fitted but no mechanical defects - safe to drive". Trusting him I took the vehicle and started driving where the break light came on intermittently, repeated in 500 miles, on top of that the phone error window totally blocked the GPS. Luckily, I was driving in a known street where GPS was not necessary but imagine if driving would be in a busy unknown place. I brought the car to the service station where the senior mechanic told me that it was a software problem, which needs to be upgraded.