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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  2006 sentra - 2006 Nissan Sentra
  By suepoo1 - August 1 - 5:05 am

  we should all get togeather and swarm nissan and make them fix this fuel pump problem. to many having that problem

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  2004 Nissan Quest - 2004 Nissan Quest
  By Brian - July 31 - 2:10 am

  After purchasing this minivan for what we thought was superior design, quality and innovation we are very disappointed. The cd/radio was replaced, the rear heat is terrible (blows cool air) which the dealer told us is normal, the tires are garbage, the panel on the rear door over the license plate light pulled off and now the three dials associated with the temperature controls on the center consule are not lighting. That is the first and last of Japanese vehicles.

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  More cons then pros - 1999 Nissan Frontier
  By p2cpu - July 30 - 10:00 am

  This truck has been reliable in the sense that it has not broken down. But I have had many problems with the front end (loose torsion bar, sway bar end links breaking loose 3 times). Now my steering needs an alignment. I took it to Foothill Nissan to have my automatic transmission serviced and they overfilled it, causing it to leak all over the undercarriage. My driver side window has always rattled. The windows fog up easily (unlike other trucks I have had). Heat always comes out of the vent, even when you have it on cold. The front fenders dent easily. It is a really great looking truck, but I think they need to work on the quality.

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  This car is a lemon. - 2002 Nissan Altima
  By chrisbuck1 - July 30 - 10:00 am

  This car has been in the shop for 4 days out of the 21 that Ive had it. There is a thump/rattle that they cant find, a vibration when the AC is on and car stopped, and the other day the remote entry stopped working and the doors would randomly lock and unlock themselves as I drove around.

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  Reliable - 1997 Nissan Altima
  By Rob - July 28 - 4:06 pm

  Bought this vehicle used with 50,000. Have not had any problems with this car. Only noticeable problem is the clear coat is peeling. Very reliable car. Would purchase a Nissan again.

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  steering failure - 2006 Nissan Quest
  By eileen toscano - July 24 - 9:00 am

  Lovely looking, but at 30,ooo miles steering column failed.Is this a lemon/ Beware.

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  MPG is so far off - 2014 Nissan Rogue
  By cs4420 - July 2 - 8:56 pm

  I leased a Rogue when a lease on an Altima was expiring. The car is bad. The sticker MPG says 31 highway, 25 city. I have never gotten over 24 MPG since I got the car, and I drive mostly highway. Also, the battery in the car was defective and had to be replaced 10 days after I got the car. Fit of the drivers side door is poor. It makes a grinding sound every time I open the door. Lastly, the windshield wipers are brand new and whenever they return to the down position, there is a place on the windshield that is not cleared of water. Terrible vehicle.

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  Disappointed - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By Amanda7 - June 19 - 2:00 am

  We have had this SUV for two years. This is a truck based SUV and therefore, not always a comfortable ride. The gas mileage is horrible and the V6 engine isnt very responsive. At 45,000 miles, air conditioning started messing up. It only works half of the time and we are still trying to figure out what is wrong. Very disappointed with the overall performance and reliability of this Japanese vehicle.

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  Not Happy - 2010 Nissan Rogue
  By Matt - June 16 - 2:00 am

  After having this car about a month I could tell something wasnt right. It finally messed up for someone else to notice a month or so later. Took it to the dealership twice and they could not find anything with their computer test. Now I am over 500 miles from home and the check engine light comes on and they lovely computer test says I need a brand new transmission.

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  Few Major Problems - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By aj2001 - June 13 - 2:10 am

  I too have had issues with the windshield wipers which is seriously annoying. Other than that the only major problem ive had is that I had to replace the starter three times and the computer went out twice. I dont know if I bought a rebuilt one, but I was really angry that it wasnt as reliable as I had thought.