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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  2001 Nissan Maxima SE - 2001 Nissan Maxima
  By J. Mattern - November 23 - 4:53 pm

  Bought SE model, loaded, new in 01. Check engine light and o2 sensors a continuous problem for last 8 years. Dealers stick it to you each time attempted to fix these issues. Finally gave up years ago and just live with. Car now has 200K miles and continue to drive as winter vehicle, but must say the engine has been very solid. Bought a 15" Blizzak tire/wheel package (all four wheels) to replace the 17" Potenzas for winter driving and this car rolls through the bad winters of Upstate New York like 4 wheel drive! Would likely not buy another Nissan vehicle as the frequent warning lights on the dash are just a pain.

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  Looks great -too stylish to be practical - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By croon3 - November 20 - 5:46 pm

  Best looking minivan out there, but rattles like a 6 yr old Chevy van. Engine is racy, but interior is not family friendly. Whoever chose light dove grey for an interior color doesnt have kids! Front end shakes and will need realignment often - factory defect, but dealer wont fix. Plastic and hard to clean interior, rattles all over place-think twice before buying! Looks better than all others, but not practical!

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  Nissan Front Brake Issue - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By mike - November 15 - 12:16 pm

  Nissan needs to fix this front brake problem that they say is only in So. Ca. and NY. This will be the second time for shutter in steering due to warped rotors from brakes overheating. I guess if it isnt fixed a third time I will review the lemon law in Ca. I know others who have been there 3 times for brakes.Front window problems.

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  My Third and Final!! - 2011 Nissan Pathfinder
  By markrec1 - November 15 - 11:40 am

  This is my third Pathfinder, I previously had a 1996 and 1999, both unbelievably reliable and fun to drive SUVs. This truck is a disaster, rides horribly on all road conditions and after 1 year, I am still trying to figure out why the transmission shifts at the inappropriate times. There are much better choices out there, especially if you want to achieve any type of respectable MPG.

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  Burning oil in a foreign car??? - 2006 Nissan Altima
  By klr4isu - November 6 - 4:16 am

  Ive had this car for just over a year and enjoyed it until I started burning oil for no reason. No leaks, Im actually BURNING it! I went through a quart of oil in about a month. I thought the hype of buying a foreign car was how reliable they are mechanically... go figure. Oh, and theres some weird rattling noise under the hood that my mechanic described as a "loose shield" that I have to get fixed. Sounds like a can with marbles shaking in it when Im at about 2-2.5 RPMs. And I guess I figured the whole point of getting a 4-cylinder was the awesome gas mileage. I average 26 and I guess I figured it would be more since 80% of my driving is highway. Go figure. No more Nissans for me.

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  2003 Nissan Xterra is a winner - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Ramin - November 4 - 12:50 am

  This was the first time I bought an SUV.My first choice was a Hummer but the price was too high for me. My second choice was an Xterra. I bought this vehicle because I believe it delivers what it claims to. I enjoy driving it a lot but the front seats are too small and not comfortable as comfortable as they should be. The fron seats leg rooms are not sufficient. The engine could have used much more HP. 189 HP is too weak for the weight of this SUV. Fuel consumption is very high for a vehicle of this size. So far I have had one recall and two minor service works done. I am told that 2005 model is a much improved vehicle. Will I buy another one? Yes,I will.

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  Be Careful!!!!!! - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By UpsetBuyer2 - October 31 - 10:00 am

  I actually own a 2WD 4 door LB Supercharged Frontier. Like the other buyer, my truck has been in the shop about 10 times. The supercharger was making a bad noise (bearings) and they say it is normal. Truck also pulls to the right, and the tires were balanced two times already. The Supercharger only takes premium fuel, so get ready to spend some major money!!!! Also, the sticker says 15 - 18 mpg, thats a bunch of crap. I only get 208 miles to the tank in the city - this is with a 19 gallon tank. Do the math - 19 gallons at 1.70/gallon every week. Get ready to open up a credit card account.

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  Unreliable - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By chuckles65 - October 30 - 7:25 pm

  I bought my 2006 used in 2011 with 75K miles. Since then it needed new e-brake lines, front coils (broken), front disks, new exhaust (not surprising), hesitated when cold, and repairs for rear hub gaskets, ball joints, etc. to the tune of 7K in repairs. Rarely got better than 10 MPG around town. I put less that 20K on this in 3 years. Good looking, well laid-out truck, but not reliable.

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  Japanese Quality??? - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By maherjp - October 27 - 10:00 am

  I had the thing in 3 times under warranty fixing o2 sensors. What do you know when it came out of warranty I was back in. Now I have to fix the throttle body. the mechanic says he has never seen it in 15 years...I guess I will be the only one complaining about that, but it stinks to be me. I know its old, but I have sunk well over $1,000 already and have an estimate for another $1,500. I wont ever buy an Nissan again and I think the maximas are awesome.

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  Poor Quality - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By bibe - October 21 - 10:00 am

  First six months has required two major repairs: Oil leaking from engine gasket, and bad alternator. I have 5,000 miles on this car and it has a bad alternator...The Dealer will offer a loaner that is usually a 4 door Sentra...really not a comparable car, note even close! If this POS car is going to be a lemon at least I can get a decent loaner!