California Nissan Power Valve Screw Settlement
If you bought or leased a 2001-2004 Nissan Pathfinder or 2002-2005 Nissan Altima or Sentra in California, you may qualify for benefits from a class action settlement.
Claim Filing Deadline: June 7, 2017
Eligible Class Members: You are a Settlement Class Member and part of the settlement if you are a current or former owner or lessee of a 2001-2004 model year Nissan Pathfinder with VQ35 engine or a 2002-2005 model year Nissan Altima or Sentra with QR25 engine who purchased or leased the vehicle in California.
If your Nissan vehicle had engine damage because of a loose power valve screw, you may be entitled to reimbursement of engine repair costs up to $3000 for engine replacement and up to $1500 for engine repair provided the damage occurred within 12 years or 120,000 miles, whichever comes first, and you paid for the repair out of pocket. If the damage happened within the five (5) year/60,000 mile warranty period or was covered in Nissan’s Voluntary Service Campaign, it was paid for by Nissan and you are not entitled to recover.
Case History: This settlement resolves a lawsuit about Nissan’s obligations, if any, to disclose an alleged risk of and/or pay for repairs for engine damage relating to loosened or detached power valve screw in certain Nissan Pathfinders, Sentras, and Altimas, which, if occurred, the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) would have likely illuminated and unstable engine idling or power loss while driving may have occurred. Engine repairs were probably necessary.
Important Dates
Exclusion Deadline: February 7, 2017
Claim Filing Deadline: June 7, 2017
Objection Deadline: June 14, 2017
Final Approval Hearing: July 25, 2017
FAQ
What is a class action lawsuit?
A class action lawsuit is a lawsuit filed by one or more plaintiffs on behalf of others who have a similar legal claim. Class action lawsuits provide an economical and efficient method to recover monetary damages caused by others’ wrongdoing because they allow people to join together as a group in a single lawsuit against one or more defendants.
What are these lawsuits about?
A lawsuit was filed against Nissan North America, Inc. (“Nissan”) by three individuals on behalf of themselves and all current and former owners or lessees who purchased or leased 2001-2004 model year Nissan Pathfinder vehicles equipped with a VQ35 engine and 2002-2005 model year Nissan Altima and Sentra vehicles equipped with a QR25 engine (called the “Class Vehicles”) in California. The people who sued are called the Plaintiffs. The company they sued, Nissan, is called the Defendant.
Plaintiffs allege that the engines in the Class Vehicles were assembled with power valve screws that are not secure, are prone to loosen and detach, may cause the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (or Check Engine Light) to illuminate and may cause unstable engine idling or power loss. They also allege detachment of the screw can result in engine failure and is a risk to personal safety. The Plaintiffs brought claims against Nissan for fraudulent concealment and violation of the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act and Unfair Competition Law. They sought various injunctive remedies and damages. Nissan has and continues to strongly deny all of Plaintiffs’ claims including the assertion that detached power valve screws provide any risk to personal safety, denies all allegations of wrongdoing, fault, liability or damage of any kind to Plaintiffs of the Settlement Class (as defined below), and believes that this litigation is without merit.
Who is included in these settlements?
You are a Settlement Class Member and part of the settlement if you are a current or former owner or lessee of a 2001-2004 model year Nissan Pathfinder with VQ35 engine or a 2002-2005 model year Nissan Altima or Sentra with QR25 engine who purchased or leased the vehicle in California.
How much money can I get?
The settlement provides reimbursement for expenses for repairs necessitated by a loose or detached power valve screw that occurred outside of the factory warranty period of 5-years or 60,000 miles, whichever occurred first. There are three criteria that must be met to be eligible for reimbursement under the settlement:
- the engine damage or failure must have occurred when your vehicle was (i) more than 5 years in-service or the odometer registered more than 60,000 miles, whichever occurred first, and (ii) less than 12 years in-service and less than 120,000 miles on the odometer;
- reimbursement is not available to the degree such repairs were previously paid for by Nissan (for example, under the five (5) year/60,000 mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty, if part of Nissan’s Voluntary Service Campaign or if paid by Nissan as goodwill)
Generally, reimbursement could be between $500 and $3,000 depending on the vehicle model, age, and mileage, among other things.
Who is Refund Advocacy?
Refund Advocacy is a leading third-party class action settlement claims recovery firm. You can learn more about us by clicking on the ‘About’ tab.
What are some of the services that Refund Advocacy provides?
Refund Advocacy prepares and submits our clients’ claims to participate in the recoveries provided by settlement or other resolutions of class actions. Our team also assists in helping you provide any necessary supporting documentation, resolve claims questions from the Claims Administrator, and then reviews the recovery amount to assure the correct compensation has been received. We’ll handle the ins and outs of this process and keep you updated along the way.
Is Refund Advocacy affiliated with Class Counsel or the Claims Administrator?
No. Refund Advocacy is a private class action settlement claims recovery firm.
Does Refund Advocacy provide legal services or advice?
No. Refund Advocacy is not your attorney, does not practice law, and does not provide you with legal representation or advice. If you want legal advice or legal services, you should contact class counsel or an attorney of your choosing.
Do I need to hire Refund Advocacy to receive a recovery from a class action settlement?
No, you do not have to hire Refund Advocacy or any other third-party claim-filing firm to obtain a recovery.
What is Refund Advocacy’s compensation?
As detailed in our Authorization Agreement, our fees are an agreed-upon contingent commission which we will only be paid if you receive a recovery. There are no up-front fees or other costs.