Nissan recalls 19K US vehicles over battery fire risk

Nissan is recalling more than 19,000 US vehicles over the potential risk of batteries catching fire while rapidly charging, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday.

Certain 2021-2022 LEAF SUVs equipped with a “Level 3” quick-charge port are included in the recall.

The automaker estimated about 1% of 19,077 vehicles – or 191 LEAFs – have the defect.

The lithium-ion batteries in the recalled vehicles may have excessive lithium deposits within their cells, increasing electrical resistance and leading to rapid heating of the batteries, authorities said.

The overheating could cause a fire, increasing the risk of injury, they added.

Nissan is urging owners not to use the “Level 3” quick charge function — which give vehicles juice “much faster” than other kinds of charging, according to the automaker — until they can bring their vehicles to a dealer, where the battery software will be updated free of charge.

There are no warning signs to the customer before a battery fire occurs, the automaker noted in a recall report.

Letters notifying owners of the safety risk were expected to be mailed Oct. 24. Follow-ups will be sent once the fix becomes available.

The defective lithium-ion batteries were manufactured in a factory in Smyrna, Tenn., Nissan said.