The recall mainly affects cars in the US (Picture: Gado/Getty Images)

Nissan has recalled nearly half a million vehicles in the US and Canada due to engine failures.

The car giant identified a defect with its VC-Turbo engines,one unique to Nissan and Infiniti cars.

The recalled models include:

 2019-2020 Altima

2019-2022 Infiniti QX50

2021-2024 Rogue

2022 Infiniti QX55 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a recall notice that engine bearings may have manufacturing defects.

Failures typically happen over time,so owners of affected vehicles may spot warning signs like odd engine noises or dashboard indicator lights before any failure occurs.

In the US,about 443,899 vehicles are impacted,while 37,837 additional units are in Canada.

Dealers can carry out repairs if possible (Picture: Jay L Clendenin)

Dealers are asked to inspect the engine for ‘metal debris’ and fix or replace the engine.

The notice adds: ‘For vehicles with the three-cylinder 1.5L VC-Turbo engine,if no debris is detected during the inspection,dealers will replace the oil pan gasket,engine oil,and reprogram the engine control module.

‘For vehicles with the four-cylinder 2.0L VC-Turbo engine,if no debris is detected,dealers will replace the engine oil. Repairs will be performed free of charge.’

Nissan will notify vehicle owners by post in late August,advising them to bring their cars to dealerships for inspection.

Drivers are asked in the meantime to confirm if their vehicle is in the recall by using the NHTSA site or Nissan’s recall lookup.

The NHTSA estimated that around 1.2% of the recalled vehicles have the defect.

What parts the dealers can replace depends on the type of engine (Picture: Getty Images)

Nissan has not yet released a dedicated phone number for this recall.

The car-maker said the recall is part of its ‘ongoing commitment to customer safety’.

It comes after Nissan recalled various car models for possibly having faulty airbags.

A notice said: ‘The airbags may inflate with such extreme force that parts of the airbag unit could shatter,firing metal fragments into the cabin.

‘In such circumstance,these metal fragments could cause severe injury to you and/or your passengers.

‘Act not. Don’t delay.’

Customers are being contacted and vehicles will be repaired free of charge.