The list of Nissan Leaf with potentially problematic batteries reached 40 thousand units

Nearly 43 thousand second-generation Nissan Leaf electric vehicles in the USA will be recalled due to a possible battery defect. Owners are advised not to use fast charging until the company releases a software update or finds another solution.

What is known

Nissan announced two separate recalls for vehicles from the 2019-2022 model years. The latest document was published on the website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at the beginning of the month. According to Nissan estimates, the defective battery is installed in approximately 1% of the recalled vehicles.

The latest recall covers 19,077 Leafs manufactured from June 15, 2021, to May 23, 2023. They complement last year’s list of 23,887 Leafs from 2019 and 2020.

According to NHTSA documents, lithium-ion batteries can accumulate excessive lithium deposits inside the cells. This increases resistance and causes fluctuations in the charge level. When using fast DC charging, such cells heat up more intensely, which can even lead to a battery fire.

Both types of batteries manufactured in Smyrna, Tennessee — 40 and 62 kWh — are included in the recall.

When Nissan announced the first recall at the end of 2024, the company reported that it was working on a software update to prevent fires. Now, in the second recall, the same promises are being repeated. Meanwhile, owners of the aforementioned Leafs should refrain from using fast DC chargers and rely on Level 1 or Level 2 slow chargers.

Source: InsideEVs