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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  Worthless! - 2004 Nissan Altima
  By Stranded - October 11 - 10:00 am

  Nobody can fix this car. Was told it was crank/cam sensors. No! Timing. No! New computer. No! The thing wont start. The dealer has no idea and neither do two reputable mechanics. Im a real estate agent with no (running) car in a market that makes it tough to buy a new car!

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  Nissan - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By Bao - October 11 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car with 170K on it. everything is still good, but the starter is hard to start. I have a friend who drives the same car and they have the same problem. Im not sure if this problem only exist in nissan sentras or other nissan as well. This is my first car so i dont really find it annoying. However, i will NEVER buy this car again and i do not recommend anyone to buy it.

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  nissan wont pay for failed clutch at 16k - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By clutch dead at 16K - October 11 - 2:23 am

  clutch fails at 16k, nissan refuses to cover it under warranty. i have driven manuals trans for over 40 years, including 2001 xterra, 2003 xterra, and 2007 xterra. i did not haul anything and drove mainly on freeway to work. i have researched this issue and I am not the only one reporting failed clutches on xterra. tellling, dealer rep let slip that perhaps drivetrain cannot accomodate increased power. In that case, the issue is a design defect.

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  Stay Away from - 2003 Nissan Frontier
  By BarkleyPup - October 7 - 2:00 am

  I really like the ride and the power, but the gas milage sucks. I would not recommend. Also the bed is not as big as it looks. Most full sized trucks get better fuel milage.

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  Disappointing Quest - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By Laura - October 5 - 5:10 am

  While our van is still fine, I dont see it holding up well over the test of time. I researched many makes and models before settling on the Quest. This was my first van purchase - going from a convertible sports car to a minivan, I found the Quest to be the most stylish looking on the market. Our tire sensors are always lit on the dashboard - very annoying. When we got 500 miles on the van, we had to have a fuel pressure tank (or something like that replaced.) It sat on the dealership lot for 30 days before it was fixed. Overall, I wish Id spent a little more money on a higher end van. Nothing has broken so far but I fear its just a matter of time. Very cheaply made inside.

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  Worst Nissan Car Ever ! - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By rtat - October 1 - 11:39 pm

  I bought my 2.5 SV 40 days ago, I had a noise on the drivers headline, the dealer tried to fix it but the couldnt, I request to change it, Nissan gave me another one, before accepted me and the Nissan dealer manager did the drive test, it had exactly the same noise at the same position as well as the power steering noise, now Nissan looking for alternative car for me!!! I think this Altima will be the worst Nissan car ever.

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  Sick of this piece of junk - 2009 Nissan Rogue
  By Sick Of Rough - October 1 - 1:46 am

  We bought the new Rouge in April 08. At about 5500 miles we started hearing the "NOISE". The service tech couldnt hear it at first. I did get it to make the sound and he heard it. He then drove it and he said he got it to do it worse. They contacted Niaasn tech line. They said that they were aware of the problem. The sound got worse and at 6800 miles they replaced the Trans. This would be the second transmission being the first came in the car. Then at about 12000 miles it reappeared. they didnt hesitate to replace the trans. The service manager could only say that it "must" be fixed but he could not guarantee it is a fix. Im sorry to say that the trans is already "grawling".

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  98 Pathfinder SE - 1998 Nissan Pathfinder
  By GCD70 - September 29 - 10:00 am

  Two problems: performance and leg room for passenger. Poor acceleration with a 5 speed, will only be worst with an automatic. Besides that, a pretty nice vehicle. Reliable.

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  Frustrated! - 2005 Nissan Sentra
  By bigisland808 - September 29 - 6:18 am

  Bought this car from the orignal owner with low mileage 30K, seemed like a realiable car. The car well kept, inside and out. Too top it off we did our homework, called the dealership... the lady bought in her car faithfully for service since she bought the car. Only thing was there was a nail in the tire which they fixed 2 months ago. Had the car for 3 weeks with no problem then all of a sudden one morning the car had a hard time starting up. Bought into the dealership the very next day and they said that I had a blown headgasket. Nissisan claims it was a defect and costs $1800 to be fixed! AGGHH!

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  This is a car that you can only "Make do" - 2008 Nissan Versa
  By Karin - September 28 - 8:48 pm

  Where do I start? The car definitely runs well, but slowly, has problems with even a mildly steep hill. Traveling in the rain and snow is a complete hassle. Aside from lack of power, I havent had problems with trans, engine or drive train. However the exhaust heat shield rattles after one month of ownership. The electronics are lackluster, being just windows and a radio, but the drive side is automatic so thats a bonus. The fuel economy is good but not great, considering the size, I dont have an exact estimate but I top it off every week and a half with a relatively short commute. Storage is okay, nothing spectacular, I moved with this car but I only had a bedrooms worth of furniture, on a side note the hatchbacks lift broke within a week of owning it. In summary, this car will do but there are tons of better car in the used market, definitely look elsewhere especially with Honda civic/accord, Toyota corolla/camry, ford focus, and other nissans like the sentra.