Nissan is not looking for controversy, it is controversy that is looking for this brand and we can confirm it right after it was confirmed that thousands of owners of vehicles with VC-Turbo engines have filed a class action lawsuit against the brand. What is happening? It seems that Nissan knew that one of its variable compression systems had been defective for years and still decided to go ahead with the model and sell it. Yes, just as you read, they put on sale vehicles that could suffer engine failures!!!
Almost 450,000 cars have been recalled, but there is an open legal battle and it goes much further.
Nissan VC-Turbo engines
The VC-Turbo was presented as a revolution and the idea was quite good. An engine capable of modifying the compression ratio to improve performance. Everything seemed perfect but in practice this system has not lived up to expectations.
The VC-Turbo system works with a rather complex mechanism, with connecting rods and bearings that adjust the piston position dynamically. And that is where the problem lies. When those parts fail, and apparently they fail more than they should, the engine starts to generate metal shavings, the oil gets contaminated and, if you don’t notice in time, the car can give up without warning. One day you are driving calmly, and the next you have the engine blown.
Half a million cars
In June 2025, after several investigations that had been ongoing since 2023, Nissan had to recall about 450,000 vehicles following the investigation opened by the NHTSA. The affected models are:
- Infiniti QX50 (2019-2022)
- Infiniti QX55 (2022)
- Nissan Rogue (2021-2024)
- Nissan Altima (2019-2020)
The manufacturer claims that only “a small number of units” would be at risk, although investigation documents show that the problem could be more widespread.
Drivers against Nissan
Owners argue that the company knew about the defect since 2019 and still continued marketing the vehicles. The most controversial point is that, according to the lawsuit, Nissan and Infiniti have even rejected warranty claims related to these engines!!
The lawsuit is open not only to those who own a model within the recall, but also to anyone who has bought or leased a car with a 1.5 or 2.0 liter VC-Turbo engine. In other words, this is not only about those who already have a broken car: it is about everyone who could be at risk without knowing it.
What does Nissan say?
Nissan, for now, continues to defend the engine. They say the failures are isolated cases, that they have improved the manufacturing process and that the current models are already “corrected”.
In fact, the brand continues selling cars with VC-Turbo engines today, and of course, people are nervous… if it is not a serious problem… why so many affected? And why such a massive recall?
What is at stake for Nissan?
The trust of the entire industry and a large fine. That in general terms, if we get more specific we are talking about lives at stake due to a failure that they allegedly already knew about.
And of course, the reputation of the brand hangs by a thread until they manage to solve these problems…
The plaintiffs have filed this class action lawsuit not only for what happened to them, but also on behalf of all the people who are in the same situation. We are talking about those who bought or leased cars such as the Nissan Rogue (2021–2023), the Altima (2019–2023) or the Infiniti QX50 (2019–2023), all of them equipped with KR15DDT or KR20DDET engines. These are vehicles that were designed, manufactured and distributed by NMC, and then Nissan North America (NNA) was in charge of selling, advertising, guaranteeing and putting on the roads.