Nissan North America Facing Class Action Over Alleged Transmission Defect

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

A proposed class action filed in Tennessee against Nissan North America, Inc. alleges 2013-2014 Altima vehicles suffer from a transmission defect that causes “shuddering, hesitation, stalling, unusual noises,” and ultimately total failure. The alleged defect in Nissan’s continuously variable automatic transmissions (CVTs) presents a significant safety risk, the complaint states, as vehicles stricken with the issue can lose momentum suddenly before stalling—supposedly without illumination of the cars’ brake lights.

According to the 29-page suit, the defect presents itself when a driver hits the accelerator; despite pressing the pedal, nothing occurs, the case claims. This event is sometimes followed by a sudden surge of power, which the lawsuit says increases the risk a driver will lose control over his or her vehicle. The cost of a total transmission replacement, which the suit points out consumers regularly have to undergo once the defect manifests, is upward of $3,000, according to the case.

Nissan allegedly knew the CVTs in certain Altima models were defective yet instead misrepresented the safety of the vehicles to proposed class members, the case says. As the lawsuit tells it, Nissan “knowingly engaged in omissions of material facts and false and misleading representations” concerning the performance of its 2013-2014 Altima transmissions.