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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  Good, but could do better - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Could do better - March 17 - 4:40 am

  Bought new in 04 and I have had several problems with it. First my windshield washer tank was cracked. Then it went to the infamous brake shudder, took it in 3 times before Nissan came out with a fix. Paint has chipped off the painted front bumper plastics. Dash rattles, seats rattle. Rear end leafs squeak. Most of this is minor and it didnt really bother me that much. I have had Chevy and dodge and ive had problems with them too.

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  2005 Titan Crew Cab 4WD - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Charles Peterson - March 15 - 2:26 pm

  Fair. I thought with a V8 this would be the answer, but the tow ratings are misleading. It can tow smaller loads, but upward of 5000 lbs can be difficult for this truck, particularly on hills and mountains.

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  Badly made, worse service - 2004 Nissan Sentra
  By NSANH8TER - March 14 - 10:00 am

  Be wary when you read these positive reviews that most of these people have not put many miles on their car. I have enough miles on my car to see it slowly unravel and to experience the lack of support and shadiness from Nissan service. The deterioration of the suspension and ride was astounding. Nissan service refused to fix it under warranty and then tried to swindle me into making other unnecessary repairs. So unless you plan on spending $$ on aftermarket adjustments steer clear of Nissan. FYI: The Sentra/SE-R is assembled in Mexico. Also Nissan is not the company it used to be since it was taken over by the french owned Renault.

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  lemon car - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By stephanie mathis - March 14 - 10:00 am

  pretty,good road handling.have had my car back as many months as had it.bad vibration in steering wheel.brakes grab.alignment problems.seat belts replaced,sunroof stuck open,not starting,tires cupping out,sunvisor problems,noise in front dash,air conditioner vent coming loose,3 sets of tires,realignment 3 times,continue to have vibrationing,shking steering wheel,grabbing brakes.my car is a very stressful car.bought car for safety and problem free car.would not recommend because nissan did not back car up like i feel they should.had to turn car into better business bureau.these are a few of the problems i have had with my car.

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  The problem is NISSAN, not the car! - 2012 Nissan Leaf
  By patsiefe - March 8 - 1:17 pm

  Things to know: You will NOT get the EPA rated distances, especially at freeway speeds, or with the heater on! I am sure this is also true for the Volt. Besides this, the car did well until I got a flat. Remember that the leaf has no spare, and Nissan has not figured out what to do about that. They include a little electric pump and sealant. DO NOT USE THEM!!! It will cost you a fortune! Worst, the car now fails to start, and the dealership has not been able to get an answer in OVER A WEEK AS TO WHY! No car for me! More disturbing is the fact that it is related to the BRAKING SYSTEM , and the computer does not understand that the brakes have been touched!

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  Buyers Remorse - 2013 Nissan Altima
  By cltking - March 8 - 6:22 am

  This car is pretty amazing! I fell in love with it when I first saw it. When it was time to buy, I narrowed my two choices down to the new Accord and this Altima. I ultimately chose the altima.I regret buying a this car. The CVT engine is the main problem. It shakes and shudders when you accelerate off the line. I did my research and from my understanding., CVTs are suppose to be smooth sailing. They are suppose to hold their RPM steady until you apply a diffrent amount of pressure on to the pedal. When I accelerate, the rpm goes up to about 2000 then it drops down to the 1000s and i feel a shock/shutter. Until nissan fixes this cars engine, DONT BUY THIS CAR! The value of the car willdrop

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  Very concerned - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By www@ggg.cop - March 3 - 10:00 am

  We test drove several new cars before settling for the maxima. It really sold us as soon as we drove it out of the lot for a test drive, very powerful engine and felt heavy on the road with its nice ride. Now for the ugly part, after 28,000 mile the check engine light came on and had to replace one of the oxygen sensors, about the same time the car started vibrating whenbraking, had to resurface the rotors, at 47000 had to replace the oxygen sensors again. this time it cost me over $300 to get it fixed. Ive been reading some of the reviews on here and it makes me feel like I should off loading this car before it really starts falling apart. I thought tha

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  Ill never buy another nissan - 2002 Nissan Sentra
  By jweller - March 3 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car instead of a civic and its the biggest mistake of my life. Its been towed back to the dealer 4 times because it simply refuses to start. the official response is that Ive flooded the engine and needs a $115 fuel system service. nissan corporate customer service is worthless. The paint is of very low quality, sprayed very thin, and has orange peeled. It looks worse than my 7 year old honda. Now it needs a $700 airbag module that is not covered by the warranty, at 47k miles! cheap interior is falling apart and showing signs of wear already. There have been 3 or 4 recalls, which I have not been notified of. Ill be selling this car very soon, despite being $2k upside down.

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  DONT DO IT!!!!! - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By Stan H. - March 3 - 10:00 am

  Purchased our 2004 Armada in 10/03. Problems started @ 3K Miles. When braking @ highway & city speeds steering wheel would vibrate. Took Armada back to the dealership & they told us the front rotor were warped. They replaced the rotors and pads. At 6K & 10K miles the same thing happened. They replaced the rotors and pads each time (A total of 3 sets of rotors & 3sets of pads). Because of all the shaking in the truck from the brakes we have had all kinds of other issues (Alignment problem, rattling in all areas, squealing brakes). Currently 14,000 & problems are starting up. Save your money & the headaches DONT BUY THE ARMADA. Nissan nor dealership no help.

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  Female Perspective:Rides like a truck... - 2001 Nissan Pathfinder
  By phzcskk - March 2 - 6:06 pm

  only worse. Didnt know its a truck chasis-wish Id paid closer attn @dealership. Feels like spine compresses when u go over the tiniest bump. Nowhere to put purse. Purse/any cargo-no matter where in car-rolls around, contents spill out. I put crates in back to contain groceries etc & they slide around too. Net is useless. Back hatch extremely heavy & takes all my strength to close. Passngr seat has a 1" gap between the seat & seatback. Whatever is put on seat ends up in back floor. Cupholders are too close together. Cell charger in the way when in park. CD player ate a CD while under warranty so dealer had to replace. Hi-test gas. Bad blind spots on both sides. Limited passngr legroom.