If you’ve bought a new car in the past few years, the last thing you want to find out is that other owners of the same make and model have filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer. However, it’s a valuable indication that your car could be dangerous. Unfortunately, if you own a Nissan car made after 2015, you may already be aware that you’re at risk.
A collection of Nissan owners have recently filed a class action lawsuit against the manufacturer. The class covers anyone who’s owned or leased Nissan or Infiniti vehicles made between 2015 and 2019 since the cars were manufactured.
If you fall into that group, you need to know how the company may have put your life in danger. Here’s what you need to understand about the Nissan class action lawsuit, whether it’s worthwhile to join these lawsuits, and what to do if your car is affected by a class action-worthy problem.
The Reason Behind the Nissan Lawsuit
Modern cars have many safety features intended to protect passengers from the worst if an accident happens. Airbags and seat belt pretensioners are two such examples. However, while these tools are critical in an accident, they can hurt you if they’re deployed incorrectly. These safety features need to kick in only when they’re needed. That’s why Nissan owners have come together to sue the manufacturer.
According to the lawsuit, cars made by Nissan between 2015 and 2019 have significant flaws regarding their airbags and seat belt pretensioners. Drivers in these vehicles have reported that their airbags and pretensioners went off without any warning.
For example, one plaintiff experienced his side curtain airbag deploying while driving his truck without any triggering impact. Others have experienced similar things with their seat belt pretensioners, getting pulled back in their seat while actively driving.
The alleged cause of these issues is a glitch in the cars’ computer systems that detects a crash when nothing has gone wrong. Obviously, these purported issues are incredibly dangerous. If an airbag explodes next to the driver, or if the driver is yanked around in their seat by the pretensioner, it’s almost impossible for them to keep paying attention to the road.
Plaintiffs in the case allege that these problems have caused them to get into accidents that led to injuries to themselves and others. To add insult to injury, Nissan has so far refused to pay for replacement airbags and repairs to cars that have experienced these spontaneous deployments.
Nissan denies that there’s a fundamental problem with the vehicles leading to these accidents. According to the lawsuit, Nissan allegedly refuses to warn customers about these issues, either. The goal of the case is to force Nissan to issue a recall for vehicles made during the affected years to either repair the computer glitch or scrap the cars entirely.
When Should Car Owners Consider Joining Class Action Lawsuits?
Class action lawsuits are best used when there’s reliable evidence of an error that has harmed many people (the “class”). The point of these claims is to let a large group of people with similar problems band together and take on a large organization without clogging the legal system. They’re also excellent for smaller claims that might not be worth pursuing alone.
The problem with class action lawsuits is that they prevent you from filing an individual claim. If the class action fails after you’ve joined it, you can’t pursue your own claim later. You should only enter a one of these lawsuits if you’re okay with the chance that you’ll give up your right to solo action.
As a car owner, it’s up to you whether you want to join a class action lawsuit. If you believe the lawsuit will succeed and don’t mind waiting, you might enter it. However, be prepared to wait months or years for the case to be resolved.
The faster solution is to handle the case on your own. A class action lawsuit can take years to resolve, during which your car could deteriorate or you could get seriously hurt. An individual approach lets you get things handled quickly and enables you to get back on the road worry-free in less time.
Getting Your Nissan Fixed
So what should you do if you’ve suffered from the Nissan pretensioner and airbag glitches? File a lemon law claim. You can get started by taking a few simple steps:
- Document all accidents. Take pictures, collect GPS data if you have it, and take your car to the mechanic as soon as possible. This will act as proof that your airbags or pretensioners went off out of nowhere.
- Get an expert opinion. If you can, take your car to an independent Nissan specialist. They can examine your vehicle and verify that you didn’t cause the problem.
- Reach out to the manufacturer. To file a lemon law claim, you need to allow the manufacturer to make repairs. Take your car to a Nissan dealership and ask them to look at the airbags and pretensioners. Make sure to save their responses to strengthen your paper trail.
- Get legal help. If the maker doesn’t agree to fix your vehicle, it’s time to get legal help. A lemon law lawyer will help you argue your case and give you a better chance of getting your care fixed, replaced, or entirely refunded.
Don’t Risk Faulty Airbags in Your Nissan
A car that randomly deploys its airbags is unacceptable. You shouldn’t have to risk a glitch causing your airbags to explode next to you and your passengers for no reason. It’s not only terrifying, but it can also cause you to get into a severe accident.
If you’ve already experienced the Nissan airbag glitch, then you may be able to get it fixed for good or replaced entirely. Get in touch with the experts at Johnson & Buxton to discuss your case. You can learn more about whether your car is a lemon and the next steps to get it fixed. Every day you drive your car could put you at risk of a crash, so reach out today to get it fixed sooner rather than later.
