Nissan Rogue, Altima, Infiniti QX50 Owners Sue Over Allegedly Faulty Engines
Last week, a new class action lawsuit from owners of the Volkswagen ID4 electric SUV was presented in New Jersey concerning allegedly dangerous steering wheel controls and driver assistance systems. Now, another group of owners is going after an automaker, with a new class action suit alleging that vehicles from Nissan and Infiniti equipped with the automaker’s unique variable compression (VC) turbo gas engines could be faulty and potentially dangerous.
Variable Compression, Variable Results
This new lawsuit has been filed in the District of Delaware, with the plaintiffs listed as Dennis Becker, Jean Coney, Gabrielle Wrigley, and Vicki Laquidara. The lawsuit specifically calls out the 2019 to 2023 Nissan Altima, 2019 to 2023 Infiniti QX50, and 2021 to 2023 Nissan Rogue, which all come equipped with the aforementioned VC Turbo engine. Where most gas engines have a fixed compression ratio, Nissan and Infiniti developed a system that could vary the ratio for certain targeted results, whether it be more power or better fuel efficiency.
The lawsuit claims these engines are somehow defective, leading to “knocking or high-pitched whirring noises, hesitation, rough idling, stalling, loss of power, and sudden engine failure.” In some instances, the lawsuit alleges that the vehicle could lose power or stop without warning as a result, which increases the risk of a crash and injury.
The lawsuit also alleges that the automaker was aware of issues with its engine as early as 2019, but has failed to act to remedy the issues. Nissan is accused of breaking the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, as well as claims of breach of warranty and violations of state consumer laws. The lawsuit, as it sits today, claims that Nissan and Infiniti have not recalled the engines for a related risk. However, in June, the automakers did issue a recall through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for VC Turbo-equipped models including the model years listed in the lawsuit.
But There’s Already A Recall
That recall of nearly 480,000 vehicles was for both the three-cylinder 1.5-liter and four-cylinder 2.0-liter gas VC Turbo-branded engines that the company sells in US models. According to the recall, the issue is related to manufacturing defects in the engine bearings. Notices were supposed to have been sent out to owners by the end of August, directing them to a dealership that would then inspect for metal pieces in the oil pan. The recall report suggests around 1.2 percent of the noted vehicles could be impacted. There are no existing reports linking any deaths or injuries to this specific recall, according to NHTSA, and the lawsuit also does not allege any of the sort has happened.
Instead, the lawsuit claims that owners have been misled or misdirected by Nissan, with claims of monetary damages for repairs that reportedly didn’t fix the issue. One of the plaintiff stories suggests a Nissan dealer went through a battery swap, software update to the ECU, and a replaced engine exhaust valve, yet the owner still had issues with the engine in their Rogue, which they claim remains defective.
The lawsuit requests a jury trial, so we’ll see where this one ends up, given that there’s now a related recall.
Source: Carscoops
