Nissan has issued a safety recall for a limited number of its third-generation LEAF electric vehicles, following reports of battery defects that could potentially lead to a fire.
The recall concerns the 78-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which poses a fire risk even when the vehicle is parked.
For now, the scope of the recall is small, with 51 LEAFs impacted in the United States and 65 units in Canada. In the U.S., NHTSA recall notice 26V188 specifies that the affected vehicles were manufactured between July 17, 2025, and November 26, 2025. Nissan estimates that 100 percent of the vehicles identified in this specific production window are affected by the potential defect.
The problem
The safety risk stems from a manufacturing process error at the battery supplier. Investigations revealed that the edges of the cathode material within the battery cells may have been damaged during production. The edges can have gotten torn and thus may fold over, creating a high probability of an internal short circuit. Such a malfunction can lead to overheating and potentially a fire.
To date, two incidents have been confirmed: one in Japan on February 16, 2026, and another in the U.S. on March 2, 2026. In both instances, the vehicles were parked at the time of the incident. Nissan says it has received no reports of accidents or injuries related to the defect.
Nissan will begin officially notifying owners of affected LEAFs on April 17, 2026. Because the vehicles are under factory warranty, no independent reimbursement program is necessary.
The solution
Dealers will inspect the identified units, which are tracked through specific battery IDs and VINs, and perform a full battery replacement where required.
Due to the severity of the fire risk, the automaker is urging affected owners to bring their vehicle to a Nissan dealership immediately. The company will provide rental cars to owners until the fix is carried out.
That fix will entail an inspection of the vehicles and a full battery replacement where required.
Lest owners not take the automaker’s recall seriously, there’s this advisory issued by Nissan: it is strongly suggesting owners not charge their LEAF, and that they should park it outdoors, away from buildings and other structures.
The recall comes as a setback for the newly redesigned LEAF, which is still taking its fragile first steps on the market and faces renewed competition in the affordable EV segment from fresh new models like the Toyota C-HR, Subaru Uncharted and Kia EV3.