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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  MAXIMA - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By MAX1MA97 - December 1 - 10:00 am

  THE NISSAN MAXIMA IS A RELIABLE CAR FOR ITS CLASS AND AFFORDABLE. MAJOR POSSIBILITIES FOR AFT.ERMARKET PRODUCTS

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  Disappointment for a High Dollar Vehicle - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By AJS - November 28 - 7:53 am

  Ive owned the Murano LE for approximately 26 months and have not had any major problems with it except maintenance. Replacement of the air filter was $75.00 and I could not believe this cost. Tires only lasted 14,500 miles and I could not find replacement 20 inch tires for it. Dealer price for these tires was $350.00 each. Lots of intermittent electrical problems with the tail gate being found open in the morning when I came out of the house, my radio and almost all of my other electronic devices would die on occasion and then come back. Dealer could not find anything. Goes fine in up to 4 inches of snow but after that nothing. Being traded in shortly on an american vehicle.

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  Not reliable - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By john_jt - November 15 - 1:39 am

  Owned this truck for 7 years and had many problems with it. There were also many recalls. Looks nice but not very tough. Nissan also did not help me out when needed. I was a Nissan owner for 20 years (Pathfinder & Exterra before the Titan) but because of Nissan not caring about my problems I have now switched to Toyota.

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  Poor Making Of The Car - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By karenharper23 - November 14 - 3:53 pm

  I have a 2006 Nissian Maxima and Ive been had this car for about 4 years now, I start experiencing problems with it last year after my warranty was up. First of all the AC went out and begun to blow hot air and costed me over $300 to get fixed then about January when I reached about 72,000 miles my car began to Jerk and take about 4-5 seconds to go into drive,reverse,etc. So I took it to the Nissan dealer and had them do a dianostic check about 3 times and they told me nothing was wrong so I got my transmission serviced around March and the jerking stopped and now it has started back and now my transmission has gone out and is costing me about $3,000 to get fixed. POOR QUALITY IM UPSET!!!!

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  Was expecting better quality from Nissan - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By twinfrog2 - November 12 - 6:54 am

  This is the third Nissan Ive owned and I must say Im disappointed. I bought this car new and had to replace the factory tires before 15,000 mi. Im on a third set of tires with only 36,000 mi on the car and they have all worn uneven even though Ive had an alignment done. The brakes and rotors have had to be replaced, the gas door is broken, the overhead mirror cover broke off, the exhaust has rusted through at the flange, its rusting in the space that the rear passenger door closes into and now there is something loose under the car that rattles very loudly while the car is idleing. Im a 31 yr old female who has taken care of this car in the hopes of keeping it along time... not anymore.

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  Comfortable Drive, but problems aplenty - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By edoug93 - November 11 - 8:41 am

  Bought my 2004 maxima with just above 100,000 miles 2 and a half years ago, have 125,000 miles on it now. Its a pretty fast car, rides comfortably at high speeds, and has really good stock speakers. But, it has had way too many problems. Power steering pump died on me, tensioners on the chain broke, both cam shaft sensors died and would cut all power to the car when moving, sunroof wont open, the climate controls wont work, including the defrosters, which isnt fun in the winter. CD player doesnt work. I feel the transmission shifting heavy now, which isnt good at all. This car has turned me off to nissan, I will probably end up getting a different vehicle in the immediate future.

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  car of 20th century - 2016 Nissan Rogue
  By geles - November 10 - 12:16 am

  I did porches this SUV two weeks ago and was at the service twice with same problem-vibration of the vehicle on speed 55 mph and up. Vibration of the engine and all vehicle under red light or any stops with gear on. The service department perform wheel balance and alignment -no change, they offer me to drive any other same stile of the vehicle and what is surprise- SAME problem. Manager told me that is the way how this vehicles perform and live with it. I did made a bid mistake to porches it-JUNK and this is MY.

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  Not what we exoected - 2012 Nissan Murano
  By jmartinco - November 8 - 2:14 pm

  Bottom line, heres what were disappointed with: Leather seats are nice, but stiff and not comparable to the comfort in Volvo, BMW, VW or Lexus. Very noisy cabin...as bad on the highway as the 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe we were replacing. The rear view is definitely compromised...and seems dangerous. Exterior design sacrifices size for a sleek look, making it more difficult to park and maneuver than it should be. Navigation not user friendly. Dealership didnt give accurate info about the pricing incentives, making us decide on this vehicle prematurely. MPG disappointing. Would we buy it again? No way.

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  Why so much double sided tape? - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Miguel Fabre - November 7 - 10:00 am

  I like the truck I Just think they should have used more screws than tape and snap together parts. My dash makes noises like it is about to fall out of the truck, and the mud flaps are held on with doudle sided tape. I mean come on $30,000 for a truck that after 1000 miles parts started falling off. Whats next? I wonder what holds the engine in chewing gum? I have a date with the service department monday hope they can fix it, or i will have to go ford.

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  Mile per gallon not like Nissan stated 26/33 MPG - 2015 Nissan Rogue Select
  By levin2015 - November 6 - 6:35 am

  Bought Nissan 2015, model S in March2015, mileage 5,500. My girlfriend drove it from Freno, CA to Santa Ana CA costed the whole fuel tank with 250miles (to red mark) and car stated 20 miles to run out the fuel completely. I tested it 24.8 MPG on freeway. As advertising on Nissan website stated 26/33 MPG. We had dealer technicians tested twice came out with 26.2 MPG on freeway ONLY. Would anyone may share the experiences with the reality for cars and SUVs when most the manufacturers stated those figures, how exactly come along? Nissans representative said that Nissan didnt put out those MPG figures. Those came from the department of environment bla blah blah...