Nissan recalls more than 480,000 vehicles over engine failure risk

Nissan is recalling more than 480,000 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada because of manufacturing defects that could cause the engine to lose power while in use.

In a recall notice posted with the the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Nissan said it had identified bearing failures in certain vehicles. Nissan is recalling 443,899 vehicles in the U.S., the notice shows. In Canada, 37,837 are affected, a Nissan spokesperson told the Associated Press.

The recall affects certain of the following models with 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L variable compression turbo engines:

• 2019-2020 Altima
• 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50
• 2021-2024 Rogue
• 2022 Infiniti QX55

Engine bearings in the recalled models may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine failure, according to the NHTSA.

Because bearing failures typically occur gradually over time, drivers may have advance warning of an engine problem. Signs include "abnormal noise from the engine compartment, rough running, malfunction indicator lights (MIL) and warning messages in the instrument cluster," the recall notice states.

To fix the problem, "dealers will inspect the engine oil pan for metal debris, and if necessary, repair or replace the engine" free of charge, according to the recall notice.

In cases where no engine debris is detected during inspection, for vehicles with the 3-cylinder 1.5L VC-Turbo engine, dealers will replace the oil pan gasket, engine oil and reprogram the engine control module. For vehicles with the 4-cylinder 2.0L VC-Turbo engine, dealers will replace the engine oil.

Owner notification letters will be mailed on Aug. 25. Owners can contact Nissan's customer service line at 800-647-7261 or Infiniti's customer service at 1-800-662-6200.

Owners can also contact the NHTSA Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-888-275-9171), or go to www.nhtsa.gov. Nissan has not yet released a number for this recall, according to NHTSA.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.