I-Team: Lawsuit Accuses Nissan Of Hiding Altima Rust Problem
BOSTON (CBS) - Frustrated owners of a popular vehicle will hope they can get their money back for costly rust repairs and depreciated resale values, according to a class-action lawsuit filed against Nissan.
The legal development follows an I-Team report, which exposed the hidden safety concern in older model Nissan Altimas.
The class-action lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, accuses the auto giant of a "misleading and deceptive" business practice.
"Altimas across the country suffer from a serious defect: floorboards that are prone to rust at significantly higher rates than other vehicles," the lawsuit reads. "Despite its knowledge of the defect, Nissan has refused to institute a recall or compensate Altima owners for the defect."
The I-Team found hundreds of complaints submitted to the federal government about the rust issue. Angry drivers have also posted photos and videos online to document the rusted holes in their floorboards.
Despite that pattern, Nissan told the I-Team it did not consider the rust issue a safety defect and said there were no plans for a recall.
The auto company also said it would review customer complaints on a case-by-case to see if it would offer financial assistance for repairs that can cost several thousand dollars.
However, people like Springfield, Mass. driver Cynthia Allen said Nissan did not provide any reimbursement for repairs to her 2002 Nissan Altima, telling her the car was too far out of warranty.
"They don't care about their customers," Allen said.
Nissan has not filed a response to the class-action lawsuit yet.
One of the firms involved in the case, William Dirks Dameron LLC, has provided contact information for Nissan owners interested in the lawsuit: 816-876-2600 or Nissan@williamsdirks.com.
The firm has also indicated it has expanded its legal review to include other Nissan models like Maximas.
Ryan Kath can be reached at ryan.kath@cbs.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @ryankath or connect on Facebook.