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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  Be afraid, be very afraid - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By Super T - September 1 - 10:00 am

  I loved the design of the 02 Ultima and thought it would be a good switch from my 95 ford thunderbird. The car was O.K. until it died in traffic at 46,000 miles. After being towed to the dealer and a new crank sensor later, my check engine light came on. Problem with the catalytic converter. I then read the recall report on NHTSA website - the Ultima has a major flaw with the converter that can destroy the engine. I should have bought a Ford! I think you will be hearing much more about the problems with this car. Im thinking of selling mine before I had planned.

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  Nissan the next GM - 2009 Nissan Frontier
  By cop74 - September 1 - 9:19 am

  Buyer beware, Nissan is using poor quality parts, expect expensive repairs at 40,000 miles, sound familiar, putting cheap parts in cars how did that work out for GM. Do not waste your hard earned money on poor quality.

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  Recall Please - 2010 Nissan Maxima
  By Blu one - September 1 - 6:36 am

  These cars have some real problems. Only have 1700 miles, and when the accelerator is pressed it sometimes does not go. This is a serious problem and if you have one you need to take it to the dealer.

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  Looks good, but dont buy one - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By Ren - August 26 - 11:40 am

  I guess I got a lemon...Many problems, battery died 2x(covered), back windows rolled down by themselves (2x,luckily nothing stolen), gas door wouldnt open (in costco line), now door locks are "worn"-all three gave out when I took it in for a "free" oil change- coincidence? Nissan will not cover this, because warranty is over. I highly discourage others from purchasing a Nissan.

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  Maybe it wont happen to you? - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By raj - August 25 - 11:56 am

  My truck had been into the dealership 6 times and out of service almost 60 days before Nissan purchased it back-- it was all for little things (stereo, tire pressure monitoring system, auto up/down window controlls). Overall I think the vehicle is well designed but build quality falls off when you get into the more fancy setups (mine had navigation, dvd, sunroof, everything). You can beat the price in the base models but Nissan just doesnt know how to build a truck yet. Id take another look in a few years but for now Toyota or Ford dominate.

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  should be avoid nissan rogue2017 - 2017 Nissan Rogue
  By Tran - August 19 - 5:04 am

  Rogue was bad car , very noise on road , speed up very very slow ,when car speed up engine so loud , car very weak , all mode function does not help , MPG so bad not look like they said , please avoid this car .

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  Gas mileage a farce - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By madecyn - August 19 - 2:00 am

  Gas mileage has been only 18 mpg even though it was advertised as 20/24. Driver seat moves back/forth when accelerating and decelerating. Alignment continues to be off; when fixed from pulling right, it starts pulling left, and the saga continues. Maintenance oil change mileage settings can not be turned back unless you have the dealer reset the computer. Has anyone gotten 20/24 mpg?

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  Pretty Car but.... - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By woodstudio - August 17 - 5:00 am

  Ive had various problems with this car that I didnt expect on a new car. Such as: crankshaft sensor (dead in driveway), rear rotors replaced at less than 40K (fronts I could understand), defective latch on console door (cant close it), no heat, and improper rear suspension (bottoms out with people in rear seat). I do not recommend.

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  Lack of quality - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Danny - August 16 - 5:16 am

  If this is Nissans flagship vehicle, I hate to see the quality of the rest of the line! Rattles in front, rattles in rear, deck lid had to be repainted,radio doesnt pick stations very good, chrome coming off of all 4 wheels. I took car back to fix the problems, I was told no problem found with the rattles??, radio problem is SOP. I was told the wheels would have to ordered, finally got them two and a half months later. After the wheels were replaced, car now has a shimmy they cant fix!! I would not reccomend this car to anyone!!!

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  Bad Gas Mileage, Quality, + Depreciation - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Eddo - August 9 - 4:16 am

  I cant stress it enough, horrible gas mileage. Much lower than what is displayed on the sticker. Brakes lock up too easily causing unsafe conditions. Poor handling in wet and snowy weather. Gas door latch doesnt work very well and fails to open. Notice the amount of these doors bent open or taken off of Altimas on the road. I only noticed it after mine started not opening. Funny, no recall. Nissan must not be taking responsibility for design flaws. People are prying them open to get gas into the tank. Seating is uncomfortable during long trips. Premature Rusting. Trim popping off for no reason. Again, no recall. Poor Warranty. 36 mo. Bumper to bumper, think again. Overall quality is poor.