Nissan Class Action Says Sentra Transmissions are Defective

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Nissan North America Inc. and Nissan World LLC face a class action lawsuit alleging the companies have covered up issues regarding transmissions on 2014 Nissan Sentra models.

The plaintiff, Pinto of Montville Inc., a corporation existing and abiding under New Jersey law, filed the Nissan class action lawsuit individually and on behalf of all owners of the 2014 Nissan Sentra in New Jersey.

Pinto of Montville accuses Nissan of falsely marketing, advertising, and selling Nissan Sentra sedan models that have a defect in their continuously variable transmissions.

The plaintiff claims to have purchased a new 2014 Nissan Sentra from Nissan World of Denville, relying on representations of the vehicle being, “dependable,” “durable” and coming with a “comprehensive” warranty to solidify the purchasing decision.

Moreover, Nissan advertised that its “new” continuously variable transmission, or CVT, “has fewer moving parts, which can reduce friction and, consequently heat,” the Nissan class action complaint states. Further, it “reduced exposure to friction and heat can help a transmission last longer,” the Nissan lawsuit explains.

After purchasing the vehicle, however, and accumulating less than 20,000 miles, the plaintiff’s vehicle allegedly started to develop transmission issues. After breaking down on a major highway, the Nissan dealership decided to replace the transmission for the first time in December 2015.

However, the class action lawsuit says that after retaking possession of the vehicle in January 2016, the vehicle showed transmission issues again. The plaintiff alleges that the vehicle would, “rev and the RPM’s would surge unexpectedly and without warning.”

This time, however, the dealership refused to replace the transmission advising the plaintiff that the transmission just needed to “settle down.” Pinto claims that after only another 1,000 miles, the transmission in the vehicle failed again.

When the dealership was finally forced to acknowledge the problem, in February 2016, and pressed for answers to questions such as why the transmission kept failing, the dealership replied by stating that, “the engineers don’t have an answer or fix for this problem,” the Nissan complaint states.

The dealership put in another new transmission and within one week the vehicle transmission failed for a third time, the plaintiff claims.

After reluctantly taking possession of the vehicle one last time and having the transmission break down once more, the plaintiff advised the dealership that they would no longer take ownership of the vehicle. The plaintiff asserts that, “the vehicle was clearly defective beyond repair and that Nissan and the dealership should refund the purchase price and retake possession of the vehicle.”

The dealership then allegedly argued that there was not much that they could do and Pinto had to take it up with Nissan directly.

On March 22, 2016, the plaintiff contacted Nissan and this case followed suit. Through counsel, the plaintiff advised Nissan and the defendants that, “the vehicle remains at the dealership and you are hereby notified to preserve the vehicle, in its current, unrepaired condition, as evidence to be used in this case,” the Nissan complaint states. However, the defendants allegedly did not abide by that request.

According to the case, Nissan and the dealership are fully aware of the defects in the CVTs used in their Nissan Sentra models. Notwithstanding it had, moreover, been aware of the defects in the Sentra model for the last 10 years, the lawsuit claims.

The Nissan class action lawsuit alleges that the defendants were aware of the transmission issues and defects at the time they sold the vehicle.

“Nissan has received countless consumer complaints, has been the subject of multiple investigations, and has been sued by other consumers complaining of similar defects in the same or virtually identical CVTs in other Nissan vehicles,” the Nissan class action lawsuit argues.

The vehicle, according to the complaint, is one of thousands of 2014 Sentra models that suffer from transmission problems and defects in the CVT. Symptoms of that defects can be seen in the shaking of those vehicles, incorrect acceleration and deceleration, and jerking.

The plaintiff requests a trial by a jury and seeks to awarded all damages provided by the law.

Pinto of Montville is represented by Nicholas A. Vytell of Carroll McNulty & Kull LLC.

The Nissan Sentra Transmission Class Action Lawsuit is Pinto of Montville Inc. v. Nissan North America Inc., et al., Case No. L-753-17, in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Morris County.