It’s a good thing the new 2026 LEAF should be here any day. The recall affects over 19,000 Nissan LEAF vehicles, model years 2021-2022, because the battery may overheat during fast charging. Here’s the fix.
Nissan LEAF recall impacts 19,000+ vehicles
Nissan’s OG, the LEAF, has been hit with yet another recall. In a letter sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on October 2, Nissan announced a recall of 19,077 LEAF models from 2021 to 2022.
The recall only affects models that are equipped with a Level 3 quick charging port. Nissan said the battery may overheat during fast charging.
After an investigation, Nissan found that LEAF models built between November 3, 2020, and May 23, 2022, at its Smyrna Assembly plant, may have an issue with excessive lithium deposits within the battery cells. If that happens, the increased electrical resistance can cause the battery to overheat or catch fire during Level 3 charging.
Nissan is preparing a software update to fix the issue. Once it’s ready, Nissan said owners of affected vehicles will be notified with an “Invitation to Repair Owner” letter, which will include further instructions.
The letters are expected to be mailed out, starting on October 24, 2025. Dealers will update the battery software, free of charge. Until it’s ready, Nissan is urging owners not to use Level 3 quick charging.
For those with LEAF models that are no longer under warranty, Nissan will include instructions in the owner notification letters concerning reimbursement.
Top comment by andrewp
Sadly the software fix is likely to reduce charging speed by limiting the charge rate so it doesn't exceed safe temps. That's the only likely fix you can do via software. The BMS might be able if the cell is suspect, but that's not guaranteed, look at the Chevy Bolt battery failures to see how reliable that was. Of course the other issue maybe that it gets worse over time? What's the fix for that, a charge curve that gets de-rated based on age and cycles?
The appropriate fix is to replace the packs with cells that aren't defective. Looking forward to seeing before and after charge rates, I suspect it won't be pretty.
Owners can contact Nissan’s customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan’s recall number is R25C8. You can also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit the nhtsa.gov website for more information.
The outgoing LEAF has had several major recalls now, but the third-generation model, set to hit dealerships any day now, promises to fix some of its biggest issues.
Nissan claims the 2026 LEAF has “the lowest starting MSRP for any new EV currently on sale in the US” at just $29,990. It also has a fresh, new crossover SUV-like design, over 300 miles of driving range, and an NACS port (finally) to access Tesla Superchargers.
While Nissan focuses on the new LEAF, its electric SUV, the Ariya, will not be offered in the US for the 2026 model year.
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