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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  Loved it until this year - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By dissappointed - March 1 - 10:00 am

  I bought it new, this year has been hell.I spent about 2k in one month. then the catalytic converters went out. Covered by warranty but Celebrity Nissan did a horrible job with the repair and charged me 200 for some testing that no one can explain. In the end Reed Nissan had to put a new engine in it about a month ago. Still having problems with transmission slipping but no one will take responsibility for it. Big surprise. Nissan of North America will do nothing for you if you have problems. I want to get rid of this car now. Until this year I loved it but Im so disappointed now with the dealership and Nissan in general. Does anyone stand behind their products anymore. NO!

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  The Worst Vehicle I Have Ever Owned - 2009 Nissan Versa
  By mandj123 - March 1 - 10:00 am

  I have had this vehicle for almost 2 years now and from the moment I bought it I have had problems. It has been to the dealer multiple times, and when I say multiple I mean way too many to count. I have had start up issues since I bought the vehicle, which leads me to believe that the fuel pump is bad, I have alignment problems, I have a car alarm that works sometimes but not at other times, the material on the interior doors has been falling off for some time now, the car makes noises when I turn, and worst of all and most recent the piece of junk is having transmission problems at just 25,000 miles and the dealer cannot fix it. I hate this car, dont think of buying one its a nightmare.

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  AWD Performance Poor - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By sarah - March 1 - 10:00 am

  My purchase was in the spring so in trusting my dealership to be honest with me as a loyal customer they badly misrepresented the performance of the AWD feature on the Rogue, I feel it is a high priced enhanced traction control and as far as AWD in the snow its awful! thanks Ken Ganley Nissan. the AWD engages maybe for a split second if that and you still slide all over the road, live and learn that sales people only care about the almighty $$ not you as a loyal customer. If you want good, safe performance in the snow get a AWD vehicle that engages and stays engaged in AWD/ 4x4.It was new to me so an expensive lesson!

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  Fuel Emissions Control Valve - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Ray - February 28 - 2:40 pm

  my wife drives this truck to her work on a farm, and the roads are somtimes muddy. there was a build up of dirt and mud on the emissions control box on the drivers side rear wheel on the inside of the frame which caused the service engine light to come on, this build up of dirt cause the engine emissions control valve to fail. Bad disign on Nissans part, there should be some sort of fender gaurd to prevent the build up of mud on the emissions box. Great truck just dont drive in the mud to much.

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  2005 CC SE 4WD - 2005 Nissan Frontier
  By Fred Leggett - February 27 - 11:43 pm

  Looked at 2005 Dakota, Tacoma, Colorado before deciding on 2005 Frontier SE crew cab 4 wheel drive with automatic trans. This truck is solid as a rock (sorry chevy) and built like a brick --- -house. Cant imagine anything in its class any better.

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  Im getting a little scared... - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By cori1 - February 27 - 11:30 pm

  I have a 2013 Sentra SL- At 2837 miles, The car went completely dead- electric system shut down. It was in my garage so no safety issue- Had the car towed. Local dealership said it was an internal failure in the IPDM. After 4 days and replacing this, car ran fine. Nissan paid for a 3 day rental. It happened again last night- approx. 11,000 miles- dead as a doornail. Spent the morning waiting on a tow, setting up a rental car, etc. Waiting to hear from the dealer. Nissan has promised a 3 day rental but COME ON GUYS! Im a single Mom- no one to help me get to work- no work, no pay! I thought I was getting a RELIABLE car- AM I GOING TO BE ON THE NIGHTLY NEWS like the GM DRIVERS? IM SCARED!!

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  Best car Ive owned - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Robert N Maximas - February 26 - 7:15 pm

  I paid a high price for this fully appointed 04 Maxima with 100k miles in 2010 ($10,000) and, after driving it for 7 years, I can honestly say it was money well spent because it has been the best car Ive ever owned. Comfortable, powerful, dependable, attractive and low maintenance. Couldnt ask for a nicer car! Approaching 200,000 miles now and the engine and tranny are still rock solid but the suspension needs work so Ive purchased a 2010 Maxima.... Nice as the 2010 is, the 2004 still gets better gas mileage and has more spunk. Amazing car!

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  Ok Car - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Tyler Vanderslice - February 26 - 10:44 am

  I bought my 04 maxima in 05 with around 40k on it and it now has 170k. I love the look and power of the engine. Its style still looks great on the road. I bought the car b/c of style and reliability. The tranny went out around 50k miles(fortunately I had and extended warranty). The CD player went out twice and I always had problems with the heat going out in winter and ac in summer. I was very optimistic about the car but around 150k it just started having continuous problems. The power steering line leaked, the radiator and thermostat went bad and every sensor in the world seems to go bad annually( and it is over 200+ to fix each, 5 different ones have went out). I love the car and have had it for over 10 years but unfortunately I will not buy another one and will stick to toyota or Honda. Nissan just has too many little problems and is not very reliable.

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  Great Car, Overall - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Mike Watt - February 25 - 8:23 pm

  I love the car. It looks great, feels great, and drives great. I am a little disappointed by the absense of standard ABS. I even upgraded and have SIDE airbags ... but still no ABS? I also dont like that when you click the lock button on the key fob one time the horn honks. You must press twice in most cars for this. Its bad when I park at 2:00 am in my apartment parking lot. I do think, however, that this car is terrific for the money. If youre looking at a Sentra, dive the Altima first... a lot more car for not a lot more money.

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  Good performance for the price - 2016 Nissan Altima
  By David Nishimura - February 25 - 5:13 pm