Nissan Drivers Win Class Status in Exploding Sunroof Litigation

Drivers in four states won class certification in their suit alleging Nissan North America Inc. failed to disclose that panoramic sunroofs on certain vehicles can spontaneously shatter, after a federal judge in California said common issues would dominate the litigation.

Drivers in California, New York, Colorado, Florida, and Illinois said Nissan violated those five states’ consumer protection laws by concealing the alleged design flaw in certain Nissan and Infiniti vehicles. They also said Nissan violated implied warranties of merchantability because the alleged sunroof defect rendered the vehicles unfit for ordinary use.

These claims can be resolved with classwide proof in ...