A class action lawsuit against Nissan over an engine defect is moving through federal court in Delaware, accusing the automaker of concealing a bearing defect in its variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engines that can lead to engine damage or total failure. The case targets the 2021–2023 Nissan Rogue, 2019–2023 Nissan Altima, and 2019–2023 Infiniti QX50, and it follows two federal safety recalls covering roughly 767,800 vehicles. As of mid-2026, the case is stayed. No class has been certified, and no settlement exists.
Which Vehicles Are Covered
The lawsuit, Becker et al. v. Nissan of North America, Inc., names three model lines equipped with the VC-Turbo engine:
- 2021–2023 Nissan Rogue (1.5-liter three-cylinder KR15DDT)
- 2019–2023 Nissan Altima (2.0-liter four-cylinder KR20DDET)
- 2019–2023 Infiniti QX50 (2.0-liter four-cylinder KR20DDET)
The two federal recalls reach further. Recall 25V437, filed June 26, 2025, covers 443,899 vehicles, including the 2021–2024 Rogue, 2019–2020 Altima, 2019–2022 QX50, and 2022 Infiniti QX55. Recall 26V080, announced in February 2026, adds 323,917 units of the 2023–2025 Rogue for a related lubrication problem specific to the 1.5-liter engine. If your vehicle appears in either recall but falls outside the model years in the complaint, you can still get the free recall repair; you just may not be inside the proposed class.
What Goes Wrong With the Engine
The VC-Turbo uses a multi-link mechanism that adjusts compression ratio between 8:1 and 14:1. According to the complaint and recall filings, the engine bearings and supporting link components can fail because of manufacturing defects. When that happens, metal debris collects in the oil pan and the engine deteriorates over time.
Owners typically get warning before catastrophic failure. Reported symptoms include engine knocking, rough running, vibrations, hesitation on acceleration, power loss, excessive oil consumption, stalling, malfunction indicator lights, and instrument cluster warnings. In the worst cases the engine seizes. The February 2026 recall also flagged a fire risk: a bearing failure in the 1.5-liter engine can, in rare cases, breach the engine block and let hot oil escape. Nissan reported 690 warranty claims tied to that condition at the time of filing, with no known accidents or injuries.
Before opening the first recall, NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation counted 1,878 incidents connected to the engine, including 12 crashes or fires.
What the Lawsuit Claims
Filed July 8, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (Case No. 1:25-cv-00845), the complaint alleges that Nissan “long known” about the bearing defect and concealed it from buyers. Plaintiffs say Nissan routinely denied the problem existed until limited warranty coverage expired, or made owners pay for diagnostics and repairs even while vehicles were still under warranty. They also argue that the June 2025 recall is inadequate, describing the offered remedies as “simply a few oil changes” and saying replacement engines contain “equally defective parts.”
The legal claims include fraudulent concealment, breach of warranty, and violations of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, plus consumer protection claims under New York, Florida, and Missouri statutes reflecting the plaintiffs’ home states. The suit seeks class certification, damages, and reimbursement for out-of-pocket repair costs the plaintiffs describe as running into “thousands” of dollars per vehicle. The complaint characterizes the VC-Turbo as a “first of its kind” system and argues that Nissan employees and suppliers lacked the experience to manufacture the engines properly.
Where the Case Stands
The litigation has barely moved. Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., the Japanese parent, was voluntarily dismissed on October 8, 2025, leaving Nissan North America as the sole defendant. The case has been under a stay since November 2025. On May 11, 2026, Judge Richard G. Andrews granted a joint motion to extend the stay another 120 days. The current schedule sets a status report deadline of September 4, 2026, amended pleadings by September 30, 2026, and Nissan’s answer by November 15, 2026.
No discovery has taken place. There have been no substantive rulings, no class certification proceedings, and no settlement discussions on the docket. The next meaningful movement will not come before the stay lifts in fall 2026.
What Owners Should Do Now
You don’t need to sign up for the class action. No class has been certified, there is no claim form, and there is no settlement fund. If the case eventually settles or reaches judgment, class members would receive notice with instructions then.
The practical remedy available today is the recall repair, performed free at Nissan and Infiniti dealerships. You can confirm whether your vehicle is covered by entering your VIN in the NHTSA recall lookup tool or asking a dealer.
Under Recall 25V437, dealers inspect the oil pan for metal debris at no charge. If debris is present, the engine is replaced. If not, the repair depends on the engine: for the 1.5-liter, dealers replace the oil pan gasket and engine oil and reprogram the engine control module; for the 2.0-liter, dealers replace the engine oil. Nissan extended the powertrain warranty on recalled vehicles to 10 years and 120,000 miles. Owners who already paid out of pocket for qualifying repairs may be reimbursed under the recall’s reimbursement program. Owner notifications for the first recall began August 25, 2025; for the second recall, March 27, 2026.
Under Recall 26V080, the remedy for the 2023–2025 Rogue involves reprogramming the engine control module to prevent high oil temperatures, a diagnostic inspection, and a test drive, with an engine replacement if debris turns up in the oil pan.
State lemon laws offer a separate path outside the class action. They generally require a manufacturer to be given a reasonable number of repair attempts (often two to four, depending on the state and the severity of the defect) or that the vehicle be out of service for a cumulative period (often 30 days) before an owner can seek a buyback, replacement, or cash settlement. An individual lemon law claim proceeds independently of the class case. Nissan’s consumer assistance line is (800) 647-7261.