The Japanese automaker has announced a recall of more than 23,000 Nissan Leaf electric vehicles in the United States. It is noted that this electric car can catch fire during fast charging. The company advises Leaf owners to take this service action seriously.
Nissan has discovered that batteries in some 2019-2020 Leaf models may have excessive lithium deposits in the battery cells. This can increase electrical resistance and potentially cause charge level fluctuations. When the car is quickly charged, the increased electrical resistance can heat up the battery in a short time, increasing the likelihood of a fire.
The company says owners of the affected EVs may notice smoke, noise or a burnt smell near the battery during charging. The recall notice does not say whether Nissan is aware of any customer cars that have caught fire during quick charging due to a defective battery.
In total, Nissan is recalling 23,887 vehicles. All vehicles manufactured with the CHAdeMO fast charging connector between August 29, 2018 and November 3, 2020 at Nissan's Smyrna plant. We're talking about the 40 and 60 kWh Leaf versions.