Nissan class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: Nissan North America Inc. is facing a class action lawsuit.
- Why: The automaker allegedly sold electric vehicles with defective charging systems.
- Where: The Nissan Leaf class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.
A new class action lawsuit alleges Nissan North America misled consumers about the charging capabilities of its Nissan Leaf EV.
Grace Proudfoot and three other plaintiffs filed the Nissan Leaf class action lawsuit against Nissan North America on Sept. 24 in California federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws.
According to the lawsuit, Nissan concealed a significant defect in its Nissan Leaf EV, which poses a substantial fire risk during Level 3 fast charging. The plaintiffs allege that the defect, present in 2019 to 2022 models, causes the high-voltage battery to overheat, potentially leading to a fire.
Nissan advised owners to avoid Level 3 fast charging in 2024, promising a software fix that has yet to materialize, the lawsuit alleges. The plaintiffs argue this left them with no way to quickly charge their Nissan Leaf EVs, significantly reducing their utility.
Nissan’s Leaf EVs lack thermal management system, lawsuit claims
The lawsuit alleges that the Nissan Leaf’s charging system is defective because it lacks an active thermal management system, unlike many other electric vehicles.
This omission can cause the battery to overheat, leading to potentially dangerous consequences, the plaintiffs say.
Despite knowing about the defect, Nissan marketed the Nissan Leaf EV as capable of fast charging, the lawsuit claims. As a result, owners were misled into believing they could quickly charge their vehicles during long trips, the plaintiffs say.
The plaintiffs argue that Nissan’s next-generation Leafs will include a liquid cooling pack, acknowledging the need for better thermal management.
As a result, tens of thousands of Nissan Leaf EV owners have been deprived of the full value of their vehicles, the plaintiffs say.
The plaintiffs seek to represent all current owners or lessees in California and Oregon of 2019 to 2022 Nissan Leaf vehicles. They are suing for violations of consumer protection laws and seek damages, civil penalties, restitution and an order compelling Nissan to fix the defective charging systems.
In other EV class action lawsuits, a New Jersey federal judge ruled that Jaguar must face claims alleging it sold electric vehicles with defective batteries that pose a potential fire risk.
What do you think of the allegations made in this Nissan Leaf class action lawsuit? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiffs are represented by Christopher R. Rodriguez, Andrew D. Bluth and John R. Ternieden of Singleton Schreiber LLP; David Greifinger of the Law Offices of David R. Greifinger; and Howard A. Goldstein of the Law Offices of Howard A. Goldstein.
The Nissan Leaf class action lawsuit is Proudfoot, et al. v. Nissan North America Inc., Case No. 2:25-cv-09115, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
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