DEAR SUZANNE
By Suzanne Henderson
LETTER 25 – June 2022 | Drained and Dirty in Downey
Just a Problem with my 2020 Nissan Sentra That I Would Have to Live With?
Dear Suzanne,
Since buying my 2020 Nissan Sentra, I’ve heard that Nissans actually have quite a few problems. I purchased it certified pre-owned with only 3000 miles on it. Now, it’s at 32,000 miles and I’ve had to take it back to the dealership several times for repairs.
Around 10,000 miles I began noticing that I wasn’t getting very good gas mileage from it. One of my reasons for purchasing this specific model was the expected low gas mileage. Based on my research, I expected to get an average of 33 miles per gallon, but I was only getting around 17 miles per gallon. This was a big problem for me, especially with the high cost of gas nowadays. The technician couldn’t explain to me why my Sentra wasn’t getting the mileage that I expected.
During that visit, I also complained about how much the engine was shaking. Even when idling at a stop light, the whole car would shake. But when I started driving the shaking would stop. The technician couldn’t duplicate the problem, so they determined that it wasn’t an issue. Even after all these visits, the car shakes non stop when idling.
On my second visit to the Nissan dealership, I told the technicians about the problems the steering was giving me. I found it was always pulling to the right, no matter which way I wanted to go. They discovered that the right axle was bad and it was replaced. Not long after, I had to bring it in for the same problem, but on the left side this time. Again, they replaced the left axle.
After the steering issues seemed resolved, I began noticing electrical problems. The sensor lights would come on when everything seemed fine. I’d have to stop, check to make sure everything was working, and begin driving again. Then, the lights would turn back on, and I’d have to check again. Since I couldn’t see a problem, but the sensors kept telling me there was one, I took the Sentra back to the dealership for the fourth time.
The technician was very informative and helpful. He told me that it was because of a design flaw with the sensors themselves, and not indicative of an actual problem with the vehicle (aside from the bad sensors.) Despite having the car cleaned and detailed every week or so, when the sensors got dirty, they would not operate correctly. The dealership informed me that there was just a problem with the car that I would have to live with as they couldn’t replace the sensors every time and I would need to have the car cleaned even more often than I already was.
On top of that, I’ve had to replace the battery three times just this year. According to the technician, it was not so much an issue with the battery itself, but some sort of software update that was causing a misreading. They said there would be a new update to fix the problem, but they were unsure of when it would be replaced, so in the meantime I would need to keep replacing the battery.
My technician was super helpful to the extent he could be and said some of these issues are so common to Nissans that there were actually a few lawsuits against the manufacturer. While looking into this, I came across your webpage. Would my Nissan qualify for one of these lawsuits? What do I need to do to pursue this?
Drained and Dirty in Downey
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Active Class Action Lawsuits Filed Against Nissan
Dear Drained,
You were lucky to have gotten such an honest technician who acknowledged that these sorts of issues are common to Nissans. Unfortunately, many seem unaware or uncaring about these problems and the effect they have on vehicle owner’s safety and peace of mind.
While there isn’t one currently for your specific model, I’d like to take a moment to let our other readers know that there are actually a few active class action lawsuits filed against Nissan for a wide range of issues. If you happen to have a model that is affected by one of these, I would encourage you to do some research and reach out to the attorneys handling these cases as you may be eligible to participate in the class action.
Now, for your specific instance, while you may not qualify for one of the current Nissan class action lawsuits, you most certainly qualify for a lemon law claim. When a dealer sells you a defective vehicle, you have the right to file a claim against the manufacturer so long as you have given them the opportunity to try and rectify the situation first. This means you need to allow the dealership to make at least three repairs for multiple issues while the vehicle is still covered under the manufacturer’s warranty. Based on all you’ve told me, this would apply to you and your Sentra.
As to what you need to do next? It’s simple. You need to contact a skilled lemon law attorney. Their knowledge and experience will be able to guide you through the process and ensure that you get the best possible outcome for the problems you’ve been experiencing.
Like any lawsuit, a lemon law claim comes down to evidence. To support your claim, you will need to provide your attorney with documentation of your problems and the dealer’s attempts to fix them. This means the attorney will need copies of all your repair orders from each visit to the dealership, as well as a copy of your purchase agreement, and any other documents you might have, such as communications with the dealer or manufacturer.
Your lemon law attorney will be able to review this documentation and decide what your best option will be in terms of a settlement. The majority of lemon law cases are settled within six months without ever seeing the inside of a courtroom. There are three possible settlement outcomes that your attorney will try to negotiate with the manufacturer for. These are a repurchase, a cash and keep, or a vehicle replacement.
While your attorney will advise you on which option is best for you, I personally always recommend trying for a repurchase. With a cash and keep, you’ll receive a cash amount for your troubles and keep the vehicle, allowing for more recurring issues in the future for you to deal with. A vehicle replacement would be, as it sounds, a replacement vehicle as similar as possible to yours in terms of make, model, and mileage – and with the same likelihood of being another lemon.
But with a repurchase, the manufacturer essentially buys your Sentra back from you, reimbursing you for the down payment, monthly payments, taxes, and other costs. They’ll even pay off any loans you may have needed to take out to buy the vehicle, which, in turn, increases your credit score. And most importantly, ensures that you’re not stuck with another potential lemon. Read more about the Nissan Lemon Law buyback settlement option on this page.
And the best part about filing a claim through a skilled lemon law attorney is that it won’t cost you anything! California is a very consumer friendly state. And so, the law dictates that all attorneys fees and related costs are paid for by the manufacturer – not you! Since you are nearing the end of your warranty period, it’s best to begin the process as soon as possible, so contact a knowledgeable attorney today and you’ll be back on the road in no time.
Suzanne
Free Legal Advice About Your 2020 Nissan Sentra Lemon Law Claim
Dear reader, are your vehicle problems ruining your life? Confused about what legal route to take? We’re here to help! Find information about California’s lemon law protections here, fill out the form on this page, or give us a call at (323) 553-7525 to discuss your situation with someone who understands how frustrating it can be to have a lemon car, and what to do about it.
DEAR SUZANNE is a weekly column written by Suzanne Henderson and published in LemonLawyers.ORG. If you have a defective lemon vehicle and have questions about California Lemon Law or how to file a claim in California, please write to dearsuzanne@lemonlawyers.org. While not guaranteed, we will try to feature your letter in this column to provide you the answers you need, as well as enlighten other consumers who may have lemon problems similar to yours.
Disclaimer: Suzanne Henderson is not a lawyer and the points discussed here are intended for general information and reference purposes only and not to be construed as legal advice. Please consult a CA lemon lawyer to get proper legal advice about your lemon law claim.
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Featured Image: 2020 Nissan Sentra © Bull-Doser (Public Domain)