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:

• 

  Dont buy this piece of junk; stranded - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By disappointed - December 25 - 12:56 am

  Dont buy this piece of junk unless you want to spend 2 trips a month for 2 years. I traded my Quest in for a 2005 Toyota Sieanna and couldnt be happier. Things that went wrong were: - cranks forever - loss of power annually - powered sliding door keeps reversing and still isnt fixed. - vibrations at hwy speeds - gas gauge shows empty after a fill- up twice - passenger air bag shows off even when adult sits there - replaced radio keypad twice - lights falling out of ceiling - door panels coming off - glove compartment warped - shifter replaced - radio antenna weak - headrests are too far from your head so you can get a serious whiplash if you are rear-ended.

• 

  To many repairs in a short time. - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By Robert - December 20 - 3:57 am

  The engine is great. The equipment attached to it is weak. I have had to replace the transmission, the computer box, the power steering pressure hose, the power steering box the radio, the power attachments for cellphone hookup do not work, The sunroof is faulty, works when it wants too. The time waiting for parts to repair is unbelieveable. The windows are not made to keep out the road noise. this car has been in the shop more times than my 1999 Durango which has 274000 miles. and is More reliable than my 2006 Max with 164000 miles. I have owned an 1989 Maxima, and the clutch kept going out. It is in the shop now for a new steering unit. I cannot make my money without it. I am going out to buy another car. It will not be a Nissan. I would not recommend it unless it is a truck.

• 

  Nissan could give more for your money - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By Julia - December 19 - 10:00 am

  My experience has been ok. At 60,000 I was having several mechanical problems. I had to bring it in several times before they would bring attention to the real problem.

• 

  30,000 MILE REVIEW - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By ClassAction - December 18 - 4:10 pm

  I paid $35,000 and i have 29,690 miles. I have owned it for 10 months. I dont have enough space to list all the problems so here is the most annoying. The transmition doesnt shift properly. Knocking noise from engine area at idle.While braking, the steering wheel shakes and brake pedal pulsates Replaced front brakes @ 19,000 miles and again at 26,000. 4 lo light remains on after vehicle is switched to 2 wheel drive.Low tire pressure sensor always on.The drivers window fails to come up intermittently when fully opened.Body squeaks and rattles.Rockford Fosgate radio volume goes up/down and radio doesnÂ’t receive FM well.Tailgate does not latch on right side.A/C making loud hissing noise.....

• 

  I wouldnt if I were you - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Laura - December 17 - 2:00 am

  Since we have owned this car, there has not been one day that there wasnt something wrong with it. I have 50 plus pages of invoices from warranty repairs. Brakes, rotors, windows, doors, seats, seatbelts, leaks from various places in the engine, exhaust system problems. Its loud and squeaky inside. Its big, spacious and fun but not worth the time in the shop. Not to mention the fact that the dealership and Nissan corporation have been pains to deal with. Seriously, get a suburban.

• 

  3700 - 2001 Nissan Frontier
  By NISSANOWNER - December 15 - 5:36 pm

  This truck is more like an suv with a truck bed however the four door back seat is very small no normal size adult can fit. The standard v6 is weak even up hill the look and the interior are the reson i bought this truck and the fact it has had no problems, but it just a little to slow and wussy in the long run it will still be a good running truck when i trade it in.

• 

  good vehicle less the A/C - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By sweetwood - December 15 - 5:40 am

  I bought it new w/ 7 miles and it was the 1st new car I ever bought. So far it has given me no problems with the exception of the driver side window going up very slowly. Pushing the window forward fixes it until you bring it down again. My A/C went out (high side pressure line) and this is VERY common on the xterras and actually pisses me off. When I went to the dealership the girl in front of me purchased the same part and when I was in line paying a guy walked by and said "oh, you must drive an Xterra" If its that common issue a recall. Mileage is okay and I can actually tow a little more than expected. 103k miles and Ill drive it till she dies. hopefully 300k!

• 

  Price vs. Quality - 1999 Nissan Altima
  By investorjoe - December 13 - 10:00 am

  in terms of performance, Altima SE could be among the best of its class. I am driving a 5-speed manuel model. It doesnt have a good pick up, but it has a fast mid-speed. Once, I drove it at 190 Km/Hr and it seems very stable. Beside, it has a good stereo with excellent speakers. However, the quality is my concern. The leather seats look cheap. I would sugesst Nissan should do more wind turnel before releasing theirf future models...... the car is very noicy on a windy and running on highways. Also, matellic noice comes from the timing chain.

• 

  Factory warranty wont save you leg work - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Texas Driver - December 7 - 3:20 am

  Bought brand new b/c previous vehicle was at the shop twice. Didnt realize this vehicle will have me living at the dlrshp waisting the time I dont have. Bought in April/07 and June/07 was the start of my problems. I took it to the shop for the tire pressure light, brakes were also making a funny noise. Dlr would reset the light sensor and the problem would appear weeks later The break problem was never fixed. After repeated attempts to have both problems fixed only ended up frustrated, with a feeling of hopelessness after hitting "wall, wall, wall" with their customer service department. The last time I took their shuttle back home and noticed shuttles tire pressure light was also on.

• 

  overpriced garbage - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By jrb1978 - December 7 - 2:00 am

  i bought my vehicle new. 18 months later, my paint has that "orange peel" look, rockford-fosgate radio doesnt work, and on one occasion the car suffered total electrical failure at 60 mph and left me stranded on the side of the road. the upholstery on driver and passenger seats have worn terribly. this car is a far cry from my 1985 300zx, quality-wise. according to nissan, nothing is wrong with my car. local dealership refuses to do any warranty work. worst car ive ever owned.