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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  Horrible Truck - 2009 Nissan Frontier
  By Larry McEnnis - July 7 - 1:33 am

  Possibly the worse vehicle Ive every owned? All of the companies that write reviews for this truck want to praise it, then why didnt I get the same truck they rave about? The front suspension is horrible. It will not drive straight on the pavement, it wonders from side to side, and heaven forbid if you hit a pothole as it will throw the truck sideways. And talk about bump steer, Ive never experianced a truck whose steering wheel yanks to the side when you hit a bump. The steering will flat wear you out if you take it on a dirt road. It will want to pull the wheel side to side with every bump. I have owned trucks for 40 years and this is the worse. I cant wait to sell it.

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  This Car is Dangerous! - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By Thomas Kiminski - July 6 - 1:56 am

  Winter arrived 8000 miles on the car, thats when the true problem came to life, the car was a accident waiting to happen, the car was impossible to control on the road, any ice or snow on the roads and you had to fight for your life to keep the car under control . We took the car back to the dealer and he said that the back tires were half worn out and he knew what the problem was, he changed the rear sub frames and torsion bar and said that he already changed these items on numerous Nissan Sentras and they were a factory defect, but Nissan will not cover the cost of new tires even though its their fault that they are worn out, Until these items are fixed THIS CAR IS VERY DANGEROUS

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  Dissatisfied 2009 Murano customer - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By Poor reliability - June 24 - 8:03 am

  Push start flaw on the 2009 LE AWD Murano “Buyer be aware” although the 2009 LE AWD Murano is widely advertised all over in commercials, magazines and internet ads there is a major flaw with this vehicle. There are intermittent problems with the push start feature when the intelligent key is used or not used. During the first two weeks after purchasing my SUV I had problems with the push start where my car completely stalled. Neither the push start nor the key would work. The dealership has been unable to replicate the problem. I have decided to return my SUV for another model without the bells and whistles until Nissan perfects the technology behind the push start feature.

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  14 - 19 mpg NOT! - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By Mange - June 21 - 2:00 am

  We just bought our XTERRA and the amount of gas it goes through is a disappointment. Nissan declares 14-19 mpg and were lucky to get 14 mpg highway. Very disappointing. The engine also takes 10-15 minutes to warm up, which means that Im driving with the engine screaming at 4000 rpm (62 mph). When the engine is finally warm, Im still at 3000 rpm (62mph). This cant be good. We are looking to trade it in after 4 months.

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  First time car buyer SORRY I DID IT! - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By Mona Diallo - June 19 - 5:34 am

  Ive read the reviews here and my car is no different. I just bought my car three days ago with 80,000 on it I test drove the car it drove beautifully but before I could get I noticed the trans slipping. I took it back to dealer just to find out that indeed it has a transmission problem....now what do I do?

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  Attractive car but...... - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By victomofnissan - June 18 - 6:48 pm

  I purchased an Altima 2.5 SL in the begining of August mainly based on its 27/38 mpg adertisement. The car has very comfortable interior, love the seats and overall interior feel. After driving his car for two weeks, I was getting approx. 15-17 MPG. Took it to the dealer who suggested that I drive this car atleast 1000 miles and then car will deliver better mpg. After driving 1,600 miles (70% highway, 30% city) the most I got is 18. I went back to the dealer who told me to contact Nissan North America. I called them a month ago and registered my complaint. They have assigned my case to a regional specialist and I am still waiting to speak to this person.They have the worst customer service

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  Very Disappointed - 2009 Nissan Murano
  By SBlaine - June 16 - 9:06 pm

  I was smitten with the Muranos good looks and equally good reputation. It hasnt lived up to my expectations. There is a rattling at the back of the vehicle (I think its the liftgate) that the dealer hasnt been able to fix in two tries. There is also a buzzing sound that comes from the center control stack of instruments. This makes my new car a constant source of annoyance. There was an electrical problem with a window that was fixed on my first repair visit. Id do anything to get out from under this car but it would be too expensive to do. Im also not pleased with my mileage, just barely 18 mpg for hiway and city driving (about 50-50). Dont get suckered in by the sharp looks!

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  still holding up! - 2000 Nissan Frontier
  By nissan driver - June 16 - 10:00 am

  tough little truck!. i have over 150,000 miles for a 2000 4dr. i had it since 0 miles . a main problem has always been the a/c system. i use it day and night go out of town alot and use it for lots of other things. a very shocking thing is when i had a head on collision the air bags did not deploy. but more shocking was the truck had no frame damage and it was repairable. fuel economy is not very well and the horse power is very poor. but handles like a car i love that stable control.the custom off road wheels really make the truck stand out. factory alarm is very poor quality. after k&n and custom exhaust it consums more gas and has about the same power.

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  Differential Problems - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Tim - June 13 - 2:53 am

  The ability of the 2005 Nissan Titan to tow was what caused me to purchase the vehcile. The 5 speed transmission does an excellent job of towing a 4,800 lbs boat. However, at 75,000 the rear differential developed a noise, which required its total replacement. It wasnt a failure of one or two parts, but a complete failure where an entirely new differential was put in. The rear end appears to be undersized as I changed the fluid every 20,000 to 24,000 miles which exceeds the maintenance requirement. The dealer has replaced 2 or 3 others all around 60,000. I talked with the dealer and Nissan who said it was out of warranty so tough luck. This truck cant be counted on to hold up!!!

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  Hidden Problem - 2005 Nissan Altima
  By Jacquelyn Calhoun - June 6 - 1:30 pm

  We purchased this car in July of 2008. It drives great and it has the power that I love in a car. As I read some of the other review it is apparent that the fuel pump is an issue with this car. Driving down the expressway and having the car cut off in morning rush hour traffic is a very scary experience. This may change the way I feel about Nissan and it products. I should have just gotten another Honda they last longer and hold the value better. This was a very costly mistake that I will have to pay for when Nissan should be taking care of the bill.