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 - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By rafboy - March 16 - 8:30 pm

  I bought a brand new one on 01/31/08. Has been in 4 times for repairs (including replacing the water- pump and also replacing the whole front passenger seat due to airbag sensors malfunctioning). The car has less than 3,000 miles on it. Simply unacceptable. Im looking into pursuing legal action. Be forewarned!

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  READY FOR ANOTHER RECALL - 2013 Nissan Sentra
  By wadhwa - March 15 - 8:32 pm

  Have only 16600 Miles.The Car already has a recall for stalling problems. Looks the Dealer just raised the accelerator level since the engine makes high level transmission noise while coming down slopes. Now the ABS and traction lights has come up. Upon Dealer inspection they found the ABS connector wire is cut off. Its a skinny ABS cable which is not properly covered from end to end with some thick plastic/tape and can get cut/damage easily from any object on the road while Driving and hanging like a Cradle. Nissan should understand that ABS is a major part of the braking system and Nissan Customer Service is not helpful. They should recall the Cars for replacement of ABS connector.

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  Horrible Navigation - 2010 Nissan Versa
  By cmeyers - February 17 - 8:16 am

  I bought this car just for the navigation and it was a horrible idea. The navigation system gets me lost all the time. I spoke to Nissan corporate about the issue they said that they cut back on the navigation on this car. They use a completely different company for all their cars except on the Versa. Please do not buy this car with the navigation save your money and buy an external GPS navigation.

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  Never Again - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By PPerk - February 14 - 10:56 am

  I way overpaid for a 2004 in 2005, my fault for being in a hurry. Car only had 10500 on it. Have replaced the serpentine belt and both drive belts, the front brakes. The interior looked good when I bought it but the old stains the dealer tried to hide came back - like did they spill a gallon of coffee in the back seat or what? I hold my breath every time I drive it and cannot wait to get a new car.

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  WARNING!!! Do NOT Buy - 2007 Nissan Versa
  By Me and my 2 Dollies - February 6 - 7:50 pm

  Purchased this car and drove it off the lot w/ under 50 miles on it. Was told would get 41 MPG even going 80 MPH. Most Ive gotten is 32 and that was 1 time. Hub caps broke off w/in 6 months. TOO expensive to replace. Most miles are freeway miles. Tires had to be replaced after 20000 miles. Serviced engine as required and engine went out on me at around 40000. Wasnt covered under warranty because I couldnt find 2 receipts. Paid $4800+ for new engine. 20000 miles later replacing it again. This time warranty is covering it. Car is not reliable. Very noisy inside even w/ the windows up. Would not recommend purchasing if wanting something reliable. Engine not reliable.

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  Worst car ever owned - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By hrl227 - February 2 - 9:45 pm

  Bought 2009 Altima brand new in Nov 2009. Engine extemly loud, the rear brakes are so loud. I only have 11,000 miles on it. The engine sounds like it is going to drop to the ground at any moment. The passenger chair makes a virbrating sound. Just an awful new car. I regret buying this piece of crap. I cant wait to go back to Honda.

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  Never again! - 2000 Nissan Sentra
  By Buy a Civic Instead - January 16 - 1:30 pm

  I bought this car brand new from the dealership. So far I have had 5 recalls and numerous other problems. I, like many of you, have heard that "chirping noise" that the belts make. I was told that it is normal. Ok, so I have an annoyingly noisey car. I can deal with that. What I could not "deal" with was that the catalyic converter and the PCM (the cars computer) both went out. Just to let you all know, they ARE covered by the Federal Emmisions Warranty of 8yr/80,000 mile. However, the dealership (not the one I bought it at) had me spend over $800 in unnecessary repairs.Long story made short, I traded in my unreliable deathtrap of a Sentra for a reliable safe Civic.

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  Shake your boody - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By hogwildlane - January 14 - 12:43 pm

  No turning radius at all, caused me some very sticky moments in u-turn type scenarios. Rear end eats tires for lunch >25000. Nissan said I was drifting based on tread wear. It does drift everytime you hit a bump. At 43 years old it has been quite some time since I spun out in the corners, memories of my 74 Nova in high school! Will not stay in alignment. Runs like a raped ape. Out run must on road but starts to shake at higher speeds. 6 speed manual/automatic is a blast but gas mileage suffers, < 20MPG in town. Interior quality very disappointing. 12 volt power port cover on console a joke compared to Altima set up. Very Noisy vehicle. Any one that rides on back has to yell to say anything

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  SL Murano - 2006 Nissan Murano
  By Nate - January 2 - 4:33 am

  Fun to drive, Slick Design, Always Complimented, Poorly Built, Plasticky Exterior, Poor Fuel Economy 14 MPG for me.

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  You Get What You Pay For - 2011 Nissan Rogue
  By Selena - January 1 - 12:18 pm

  I bought this car in 2013 used with 50,000 miles on it from one owner for 12k. I change the oil on it every 3,000 miles and do a yearly general maintenance (not including repairs... of which I do plenty). Pros: (1) Accelerates quickly, (2) brakes quickly and well, (3) handles tight curves well when driving, (4) good size for a crossover, (5) big trunk. Cons: (1) I’ve had a transmission problem for about 2 years now (at 60,000 miles)- I blame the Continuous Variable Transmission… the car basically stops accelerating whenever I go steadily over 65 MPH- which is really dangerous on busy highways, and has become a huge problem for me especially after I hit 90,000 miles, (2) for a 2011 car, the insides are the bare minimum- it doesn’t have USB ports or electric seat adjustments, (3) seats arent that comfortable and backseat passengers tend to feel squished, (4) it’s a gas guzzler- it has a low MPG and a 15.9 gallon tank so I’m constantly filling it up, (5) poor driver peripheral visibility- I literally have to crane my neck to check the road because of the interesting angle of the A pillar, (6) as strange as this sounds, it has a ‘soft’ metal frame- by that I mean that any little ding on the body leaves it scratched at best, dented at worst. All in all, it’s a decent when driven as a local, low mileage car, but I drive a lot and I wouldn’t suggest it to anyone who does a lot of driving. I’ve spent almost as much on repairs on it as I did buying it.