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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  Import reliability ? - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By Tayrob - July 15 - 1:13 am

  I bought my car off of the first owner (personal friend) who meticulously maintained it for the first 41k, it was a peach, after that it all went down hill, the cel is pretty much always on for one reason or another (it eats 02 sensors), fuel economy is terrible, the best I have managed is about 29 mpg hwy and thats shifting at 2k, the trans mission grinds 3rd gear, and the paint has started to Peel at 65k, Peel! And my car has always been garaged! Still, it does have some perks, great handling and torque and great in snow but not much else, this will be my last Nissan

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  Be warned - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By snicky - July 14 - 3:30 am

  I have had so many problems with this car. It doesnt start some mornings, they tell me this is normal. I also am not getting good gas mileage whatsoever. I cannot believe that people are having good luck with this car, I have had nothing but problems.

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  Bad transmission, bad brakes, noisy engine - 2009 Nissan Altima
  By nick131 - June 30 - 9:43 am

  Terrible transmission, brakes have to be changed every six months, worse car is snow... Do you want more reasons to stay away from this piece of junk called Altima? i got blue tooth and leather seats in my altima but who cares for these options when the car transmission failed on the first year of ownership... This car was the worse purchase i have ever made

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  Listen up its the alternator not trans - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By James - June 16 - 4:51 pm

  I bought this car a year after it came out luckily I bought through Carmax because once I started having the problem and called Nissan they basically gave me the runaround but Carmax is dealing with the problem superbly now for everyone having the shuttering problem like I am having it seems to be the transmission but the CVT transmissions are very sensitive to The electrical current that they receive and the alternators on these are faulty Nevada how many transmissions they throw in it if they dont change your alternator youre going to continue having the problem over and over again so anybody researching this get the alternator fixed before it destroys your transmission I had the alternator and belt tensioner replaced and problem was gone the shuttering that everybody has. I just dont get how so many Nissan dealerships would rather keep throwing in transmissions and not realize its the alternator Im hoping this review helps at least one person out there because I am almost willing to guarantee that a new alternator will help your problem because remember a lot of these peoples cars are shutting off luckily my never did that but a transm shouldnt cause your car to shut off so I hope someone out there reads this review and it helps them

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  2014 sl pathfinder - 2014 Nissan Pathfinder
  By mary1422 - June 13 - 10:58 am

  This is the worst car I have ever owned. It has the shudder problem at 28 mph. Third time taking it in tomorrow. They say they cannot duplicate the problem so there is nothing wrong with it!! So frustrated with this car. Do not recommend anyone to buy this car.

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  Nissan- What?!? - 2006 Nissan Pathfinder
  By samandolia - June 12 - 12:17 pm

  I purchased a Pathfinder almost 2 years ago, used. The seats were found to be so uncomfortable, my husband ALWAYS complained about how they felt like sitting on plywood. The center console, (where you rest your arm), always made a cracking sound when leaned on, and eventually broke.The backseat cupholder was sort of loose, and eventually broke off too. Then, when the car hit 95,000 miles, my "Service Engine Soon" light came on. Advance Auto put the computer on it, and said it was just the way I had put the gas cap back on and it would go off. It did, but when I filled up again, it came back on. I got lucky & got rid of it, I knew it was about to become expensive to repair- JUNK

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  dont buy if you havent - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By tquinquinn - June 11 - 7:50 pm

  I bought this car over the lexus and geniness because I liked the looks of it, well the car runs rough to say the least It started off making a flapping sound when I first started it at about 20 miles p/hr. then after a while it added the sound of something braking free to engage.I finally took it to the dealer and they didnt know what to make of it finally they told me they think its the alternator they will start by replacing that and work form there. For the money I paid and the problems Im having with it I would not recommend to anyone to buy it. my car only has 3000 miles on it. I wish I would have bought that Lexus. for peace.

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  Needs work - 2005 Nissan Armada
  By Kevin Edwards - May 26 - 11:16 pm

  I have had nothing but problems with this vehicle. And may I add, no help from Nissan. I was lied to by the salesman on the towing capacity prior to purchase. DO NOT believe the gas mileage that is listed on the sticker. You will be in for a rude awakening. Problems I have encountered; Transmission slips on occasion while towing. Nissan will not attempt to fix as they cannot duplicate. They never tested it while towing! Speaker had to be replaced. Horrible AM/FM reception, head replaced but did not help. Have replaced the front brakes at 7300 miles. (YES they went bad at 6800 miles) Back seat is a horrible ride. Just remember it is a very expensive vehicle to operate!

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  2014 Pathfinder SUCKS!!!! - 2014 Nissan Pathfinder
  By src2006 - May 21 - 9:34 pm

  Bought a 2014 Model from Micheal Jordan Nissan in Durham, NC in Oct. 2013! Was told by sales person that the transmission "sudder" issue was fixed on the 2014s. At 1500 miles the sudder issue started happening at around 20 MPH. Took it back they said needed a new transmission. Work with Nissan corp. for 2 weeks and they would not give me a new vehicle or my money back!! Would anyne in their right mind want a brand new SUV with 1500 miles on it with the transmission already replace? DONT THINK SO!! Im stuck with this piece of crap because cant trade it and will lose $6000.00 on it and differently cant sell it. Nissan stinks and NEVER AGAIN will I buy another one!!! Honda or Toyota!!

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  Not for the Average Joe. - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By op559 - May 15 - 7:28 am

  If you are one of those non car savvy folks with little to no mechanical skills, this is NOT the car for you. Well, unless you have loads of cash at your disposal for repairs. I have owned my SPEC V since 2004, and trust me, changing the oil and basic maintenance just does not cut it for these things. The 2 main issues on this particular model are the butterfly screws inside the intake manifold that NEED to be loctited and the stock exhaust manifold that NEEDS to be replaced with an aftermarket header ASAP after purchase, due to the poor factory design that can cause SERIOUS DAMAGE to your engine. If you enjoy modding, working on cars and learning about them, this car can be very rewarding.