Nissan Rogue and Pathfinder Class Action Settlement
Note: The Nissan Rogue and Pathfinder class action settlement opt out deadline has passed. This means that any former or current owner of these vehicles mentioned in the summary below are expected to be subject to the terms and conditions of the Rogue and Pathfinder class action settlement. The details and summary presented herein will generally explain the CVT transmission matter and address the ongoing legal issues that Nissan is attempting to resolve in the courts. Current and former owners of Nissan Rogue and Pathfinder class action vehicles can learn more about their legal rights in this matter by clicking here.
As we have highlighted on this website and elsewhere, the CVT transmission used by Nissan in nearly all of their vehicles has caused countless problems for owners over the years. While recent court proceedings have impacted owners of other CVT-equipped vehicles, we also expected the recently filed Nissan Rogue class action and parallel Nissan Pathfinder class action matter to be resolved rather quickly. That prediction has proven true; a Nissan Rogue and Pathfinder class action settlement has been reached.
In early September, news emerged that will affect tens of thousands of current and former owners of these two popular Nissan vehicles. The Nissan Rogue and Pathfinder class action settlement, recently presented for approval to the court, closely follows the terms of other recent Nissan class action cases and is centered around the auto manufacturer's problematic CVT transmission. The class action settlement, which will automatically include all current and former owners of class Rogue and Pathfinder vehicles, can only be avoided by those who proactively remove themselves, also known as opting out, from those proceedings. Any owners or former owners of these vehicles will otherwise be automatically subject to the terms of the class action settlement, even though they may be unaware of or never consented to the terms.
The recently announced Nissan Rogue and Pathfinder class action settlement involves 2015-2018 Pathfinder and 2014-18 Rogue vehicles. The class action settlement centers around the CVT transmission used in these vehicles. Unlike a traditional transmission, the CVT (continuously variable transmission) does not use different gear alignments to achieve results. Instead, through a system of pulleys and steel belts, the JATCO CVT transmission Nissan uses looks to provide quality results and an effective driving experience through this system but has consistently failed owners and drivers at an alarming rate.
Unfortunately, for too many, this has not been the case. As such, thousands of current and former owners have sued Nissan in individual claims and made it inevitable, in our opinion, that a Nissan Rogue and Pathfinder class action settlement would develop to shield the manufacturer from ongoing liability for this frequently described defective transmission. That, in fact, has occurred. We are not one of the class action law firms who reached this settlement with Nissan. We are, instead, a firm who has helped thousands of owners and former owners seek different outcomes, outside of class action settlements, for their transmission issues. Specifically, we have assisted current and former owners whose vehicles experienced issues due to the Ford PowerShift transmission, but we have also spent years helping current and former Nissan owners with their CVT issues. We expect to assist many current and former owners who will be impacted by the Nissan Rogue and Pathfinder class action settlement because of our proven record in defective transmission cases, but we also believe it is important that you understand the terms and conditions of that settlement before making your decision to proceed with a claim.
The Nissan Rogue and Pathfinder class action settlement is nearly identical to previous class action settlements Nissan has reached with other class action law firms. The class action settlement which current and former owners will now be facing involves a limited extension of the warranty surrounding the vehicles, selective reimbursement for previous transmission repairs if an owner has paid for out-of-pocket and a $1,000 voucher towards the purchase of a new Nissan or Infiniti vehicle (equipped perhaps with another CVT transmission). The warranty extension may be a factor in the decision-making of current owners, who may have already exceeded the mileage or ownership period required for it to even apply. However, for those who no longer own the vehicle or have gone beyond this 84,000 mile/84 month (since it was first purchased new by the original owner), the settlement's terms may be of little to no value. Moreover, many will ask whether a warranty extension is of any value if the problem cannot be fixed, as many have claimed and experienced firsthand?
Here are the Nissan Rogue and Pathfinder class action settlement terms, as they appear in the filed court documents:
The Nissan Rogue and Pathfinder class action settlement must first receive preliminary approval by a court, which is widely expected. Once approved, though, the clock is officially "ticking" on current and former owners having limited time to opt out in order to pursue their own, individual claim for all the compensation that’s deserved. Because of the unique legal options in their state, current and former California owners should be particularly careful in reviewing and exploring their rights before the deadline is reached.
Stern Law has represented, and continues to represent thousands of current and former owners of Nissan vehicles who found that similar class action settlements involving the CVT transmission did not meet their needs. Either because they did not have the documentation necessary, did not qualify for benefits from the warranty extension because their mileage already extended beyond the offer or because of their general distrust in Nissan (or class action cases), countless current and former owners reached out to us. While we help as many as we are able, we are also limited by the fact we cannot assist a class member once the opt out period has passed. That is why those current and former owners of the vehicles (who will be automatically subject to the Nissan Rogue and Pathfinder class action settlements, unless they timely opt out) must be proactive in reviewing and preserving their legal options, especially if the class terms do not meet their needs.
For more information about the process of opting out of the Nissan Rogue and Pathfinder class action settlement, please contact us. You can also access the critical documents associated with the class action settlement by visiting the website class counsel and Nissan will create in the near future.
Update: The court has granted preliminary approval to the Rogue and Pathfinder class action settlement on October 13, 2021.
Important Notice To Reader: This legal summary provided by Stern Law, PLLC is merely a representation of the observations and beliefs of the attorneys of our law firm. Nothing presented above should be construed as direct legal advice or an outcome that can be expected for every situation as the circumstances in every case are unique. No attorney can provide such an assurance or guarantee regarding the outcome of any claim. The current and former owner of a class vehicle must decide, based upon their own individual circumstances and preferably with the assistance of a knowledgeable legal professional, whether to participate in a class action settlement or if instead they would benefit by opting out and pursuing their own individual claim against the manufacturer. Those with questions regarding the conditions and terms of the Nissan Rogue and Pathfinder class action settlement are encouraged to visit the class settlement website, which contains documents relevant to the settlement and that can be accessed on a website yet to be published by or on behalf of the manufacturer. The information and overview presented on this website is not an effort to solicit representation for a legal claim from any person or persons already represented by another attorney or law firm.