— A Nissan Altima CVT lawsuit settlement has been preliminarily approved after an owner alleged the continuously variable transmissions in 2013-2016 Altimas are defective.
According to the class action lawsuit, the transmissions shake, make noise, hesitate, surge and finally cause the cars to die in the middle of highways.
Based on court documents, Altima drivers can easily pay thousands of dollars to repair or replace the transmissions because Nissan refuses to recall the cars.
The automaker has issued CVT technical service bulletins to dealerships, and Nissan extended the transmission warranties on 2007-2010 Altimas. In addition, Nissan previously agreed to reimburse Altima owners and lessees for CVT repairs, but 2013-2014 models weren't included.
Nissan denies any wrongdoing and claims there is nothing defective about the CVTs and the class action lawsuit is without merit. However, the automaker says a settlement is preferable to the expense and uncertainty of prolonged litigation.
According to the Altima CVT lawsuit settlement, Nissan will extend the warranty for the transmission assembly, automatic transmission control unit, valve body and torque converter by 24 months or 24,000 miles. This is an increase from 60 months/60,000 miles to 84 months/84,000 miles, whichever occurs first.
The CVT warranty extension will still be subject to the same terms and conditions found in the original new vehicle limited warranty.
The CVT settlement also says Nissan Altima customers may be reimbursed for parts and labor paid for qualifying repairs or replacements of the transmission assemblies and automatic transmission control units.
This applies if the work was performed after the expiration of the powertrain coverage but within the durational limits of the warranty extension.
Altima customers will be reimbursed in full if the work was performed by dealerships, but if the work was done by a non-Nissan repair shop, the automaker will reimburse a customer up to $5,000.
In both cases, the replacement or repair must have occurred on or before the Altima has been in service for 84 months or been driven for 84,000 miles, whichever occurs first.
The CVT settlement also provides an Altima customer a voucher toward the purchase or lease of a new Nissan vehicle.
Former owners of cars which had two or more replacements or repairs to the transmission assemblies or control units while they owned the cars are eligible for a $1,000 voucher. But the voucher must be used within nine months of the effective date of the CVT settlement.
A Nissan Altima CVT settlement final hearing is scheduled for March 6, 2020.
The Nissan Altima CVT lawsuit settlement was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee - Gann, et al., v. Nissan North America.
The plaintiff is represented by Blood Hurst & O'Reardon, Barnow and Associates, Glancy Prongay & Murray, and Greenstone Law.
CarComplaints.com has owner-reported complaints about the 2013 Nissan Altima, 2014 Altima, 2015 Altima and 2016 Nissan Altima.
Learn more at www.altimacvtsettlement.com.
