A new class action lawsuit is underway in the United States, and this time it is directed against Nissan, which has been accused of hiding for more than a decade a defect in the door locks of its best-selling vehicles, the Altima, Rogue, and Sentra. Now, those affected have joined together to sue the brand collectively for having put their physical integrity at risk.
While users demand compensation and immediate action, the company still has not launched any plan to fix this flaw nor has it explained why it spent over ten years hiding this defect. Is it normal for brands to have such a lack of transparency? Where are consumers’ rights when these things happen?
What is Nissan being accused of?
The lawsuit has been filed by Deena Khalifa in a federal court, and it does not beat around the bush: it claims that Nissan was fully aware of the flaw in the central locking system and decided not to warn customers or cover the cost of repairs, in addition to remaining silent and not offering measures to fix this defect.
According to the documents, the affected models are:
- Nissan Altima (2013–2025)
- Nissan Rogue (2014–2025)
- Nissan Sentra (2013–2025)
A real risk for occupants
We are not talking about a lock that fails once in a while, we are talking about doors opening by themselves while driving or not being able to open them from inside the car when it is stopped… Imagine that same situation in an accident, or driving on a highway and your car decides to open the doors…
Khalifa claims there have been numerous complaints that Nissan has ignored, as it has not notified consumers about the defect and has refused to repair the defective door locks free of charge.
What is the lawsuit seeking?
The lawsuit demands a jury trial, financial compensation for those affected, and corrective measures (free repairs and reimbursements for expenses already incurred). On the other hand, Khalifa also alleges violations of the Consumer Legal Remedies Act and the California Unfair Competition Law.
It is not Nissan’s first problem
Last year, Nissan recalled more than 37,000 Rogue and Infiniti QX80 vehicles due to a defect in the reverse cameras, so Nissan is already used to dealing with recalls. What stands out about this class action lawsuit is that Nissan knew its vehicles had a flaw and did not issue a recall to repair them… could it be they did not want to spend the money?
What does Nissan say?
So far, nothing. Nissan has remained completely silent on the matter and has not made any statements, but staying silent in this type of situation only worsens the case and makes consumers lose trust in the brand…
What should Nissan owners do?
If you have an Altima, Rogue, or Sentra manufactured between 2013 and 2025, check if your vehicle has faults in the locking system. Although Nissan has not issued an official recall for this defect and you cannot take your vehicle in for repairs yet, you can join the lawsuit and claim repairs or refunds for when the trial takes place.
The most important thing right now is to stay alert to any future notifications about the issue.