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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  Frequent and Lousy Repairs - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By sailor - October 15 - 4:43 am

  Where to begin? AC never worked. Dealer couldnt/wouldnt repair. When finally dumping it, I had three other dealers advise, oh the AC on that doesnt work.... Under the dash maintenance lousy. parts actually fell off. Finally took it to a tire shop who fixed front vibration (in shop 6 times for), Tire shop balanced one tire and fixed the problem. Maybe the problem is Nissan of Clovis (CA). But then Factory Rep failed to respond after three weeks.

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  What a disappointment - 2005 Nissan Quest
  By sstlaurent - October 12 - 2:10 am

  We bought this van new, and over the last three years, weve put more around $5000 into. The digital dashboard display hasnt been clear for years. The heater in the back of the van doesnt blow. Now the transmission is failing, and were looking for another car. Weve had it serviced regularly and taken care of it, so I dont know what the problem is. If I want to take it to the dealership, they charge $98 just to diagnose it. The transmission guy told me that lots of people have had the same problem, and attorneys are preparing to file a class action suit.

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  Sloppy workmanship - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By Sadru Dharamsy - October 11 - 8:53 am

  Just picked up our new Maxima 3.5 SV. Looks gorgeous and rides pretty well. We arrived home and noticed the passenger side window malfunctioning (unusual rattling noise). We opted for the tech package also, and that should have included a compact flsh drive. The cover to the flash drive is jammed solid and wont come. We have to drive 150 miles again and take it to the dealership to have it fixed. Will not pay that kind of money for such sloppy workmanship and less than optimum dealership that does not check the car put prior to selling. Who knows what other surprises are awaiting.

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  Good basic transportation with suspension issues - 2008 Nissan Sentra
  By vtgeoboy - October 8 - 11:28 pm

  I bought a used 2008 Sentra with about 60k miles. Overall it is a good car, very spacious interior, and good gas mileage (35 mpg on highway). However, there have been suspension issues. As you can see on some Nissan owners forums, the rear wheels are permanently out of alignment. This is an easy fix - a tire shop can install a shim kit. If you dont do that, you will burn through tires. Soon after that, one of the front wheel bearings started making a loud rumbling. That was replaced, but the ABS sensor was rusted into the hub and had to be replaced - ABS sensor is $200. Fuel filler door stopped working - plastic cable end broke.

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  shame on nissan - 2012 Nissan Maxima
  By gemini23 - October 7 - 3:35 pm

  Am leasing 2012 maxima sport after turning in my 2009..Shame on Nissan! The 2009 Maxima was all class inside & out.Appealed to young & old alike. Handling was exceptional as well. I dont know what Nissan was thinking when they changed this once beautiful car.What made the car an eye-catcher,a pleasure to drive and to own is now gone. Smaller interior, no real room for a third person in the back,extremely uncomfortable for rear passengers.Exterior..smaller lights, smaller sloping hood, smaller rear light fin. Smaller everything. No longer catches the eye & no handling improvements (as claimed) that I see.Obviously gearing toward younger generation. What was once a class car in now just a car

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  SOOOO UPSET ABOUT THIS TRUCK! - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By SeverelyDisappointed - October 6 - 11:16 am

  I fully researched this truck before buying. Had given a glowing review before-now take it all back. Had it for 2.5 years, now the cam seal is leaking oil on exhaust manifold. Has totally shaken my faith in the truck. As soon as its fixed-selling totally. Bought this truck for the rugged off road looks and sport utility features. Now its just a sexy piece of crap. I really liked driving it-the 6 speed manual is great, and the horsepower was outstanding, until it started leaking like a sieve. My kids and I were really upset over having to give it up. After this experience, I will neever buy a Nissan again! Ive had used cars that lasted longer than this!

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  Be careful - 2007 Nissan Quest
  By Anil Tumbapura - September 28 - 10:26 am

  Very nice outlook. Looks classy, drives good but not at all reliable. Electronics inside the car trouble you frequently. We have been to dealership once every three months with problems. They cant call it a lemon but cant figure out the problems either. Nissan extended our warranty which did not help. High end vehicle such as Quest should be more reliable. If you are planning to get 100K out of this, be prepared to have 2nd or 3rd car handy. Tires wear out quickly (unusual category of Goodyear tire). Gearshaft gets locked (I could not move it from Park to Drive. It got stuck at passenger pick up area in the airport, fun!). None of my impressions are exaggerated.

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  Not as good as expected - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By wmhray - September 19 - 1:40 pm

  Driving is acceptable, but the brakes had a problem with the pedal going lower than the gas. Dealer had to go over it several times, but this was a safety hazard. The A/C developed a leak, and the Service Engine light cost $900 to get a leak fixed. The shield under the engine fell down due to a corroded fastener breaking.

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  Cruise control stinks - 2006 Nissan Maxima
  By googlemom - September 12 - 5:00 am

  Drove the car off the lot and hit the cruise control when I reached open highway - what a shock. When going down slight inclines, the car experienced extreme surges in power. Never had a car that did that and thought something was wrong. Took it back to the service department and was told that all Maximas do that. I spent $35k for the car and was sick. I never thought to test the cruise control; lesson learned. I havent owned the car a year yet and am looking to trade.

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  Mediocre Maxima - 2005 Nissan Maxima
  By mastj - September 10 - 7:40 pm

  Very disappointed with my first Maxima, expected much more. Quality is lacking. Overall, nice looks, but mediocre performance and rough drivetrain.